How to Felt and Dye Wool Using KoolAid

Loom knitted items can be felted. This gives the knit the appearance of a flat piece of felt fabric, rather than knit. To felt an item, use classic wool yarn. The Pattons brand works well for felting. Knit the item much larger than the finished garment. Wash in a machine, or soak in hot water to felt and shrink the item, then lay flat to dry. Here are the instructions for felting an already knitted bag and dying it with KoolAid:

1. Use Pattons wool yarn in Winter White (or other white wool yarn) to make the knitted bag.
2. Use a pan large enough to hold the bag and cover it with water. Place the water in the pan and bring it to a boil.
3. Place the knitted bag in the water and boil it for 2 -3 minutes.
4. Remove the bag from the water.
5. Add the 3 packages UNSWEETENED KoolAid mix to the water. Boil the water, stirring until the KoolAid is dissolved.
6. Place the bag back into the water and continue to boil until all the color has left the water and soaked into the wool instead. The water will be a milky or clear color. If you are using cherry KoolAid, for example, no red will remain in the water.
7. Remove the felted knit from the boiling water and place it in cold water until it has cooled.
8. Squeeze the water out.
9. Return it to boiling water once more and boil for 3 minutes.
10. Return the felted knit to cold water once more until it has cooled again.
11. Wash the felted knit in a washing machine and lay flat to dry.

Here is a pattern for a Felted Bag and Felt Flower

Golf Club Covers for the Blue Round Knifty Knitter Loom

This pattern is for golf club covers, a unique gift for your favorite golfer. You'll be using the e-wrap and any worsted weight yarn. You can change the yarn colors to create stripes as you knit.

• Blue Round Knifty Knitter Loom
• Worsted Weight Yarn
• Yarn Needle
• Pom Pom Maker

1. E-wrap the loom and knit until the length measures 4 inches. 
   
2. Pull the first row up to the pegs and place it back on the loom.
3. Knit. This creates a cuff.
4. E-wrap and knit for 5 1/2 more inches.
5. To make a stripe, change to white yarn and knit for 5 rows.
6. Change back to the original color and knit for 5 rows.
7. Change to white again and knit for 5 rows.
8. Change to the original color and knit 5 more inches. 
9. Use the gathered stitch to remove the work from the loom. To do this cut the working yarn to a length of 10 inches. Thread it through a yarn needle. Starting with the peg closest to the working yarn, thread it through each loop as you pull the loop off each peg. Continue
   
   
   working around the loom in this manner until you have all the loops removed. Pull the
   
   working yarn tight to gather the knit. Tie off the working yarn in a double knot and cut it to a few inches. Use the yarn needle to sew the remaining yarn tail into the under side of the golf club cover. 
10.  The gathered edge is the top of the golf club cover and you can add a pom pom if desired.

Note: As an alternative method of casting off you may cut a separate piece of yarn and passed it through the stitches as they are removed from the loom. Then square knot each end of this yarn on the inside of the cover.

For those of you that haven't made pom poms before, here is a tutorial for making them on the Knifty Knitter pom pom maker. You can use these methods without a pom pom maker by stretching them across a small loom. The pom pom maker just makes it a little easier.

Knitting Stocking Cap with Brim for the Knifty Knitter Round Looms

This is a very basic knitted stocking cap with a brim. It can be made for guys and gals of all ages. The instructions call for a pom pom at the top, which is optional. I recommend the:

• red loom for young children and babies
• green loom for older children and small adults
• yellow loom and purple hat loom for adults.

1. E-wrap the round loom and knit until it reaches 3 inches for the red loom, 4 inches for the green loom, or 5 inches for the yellow and purple looms.
2. Pull up the first row of knit and place it on the loom. Knit to make a double thickness brim. 
3. Change colors and knit another 6 1/2 inches for the red loom, 7 inches for the green loom and 8 inches for the yellow or purple looms.
4. Use the "gathered stitch" to cast off the loom. This creates the top of the hat. Cut the working yarn to 12 inches and thread it through a yarn needle. Starting with the peg closest to the working yarn thread the working yarn through each loop and off the peg.  Pull the yarn tight to gather the top of the hat and tie it in a square knot. Cut the working yarn to a few inches and weave it through the inside of the cap.

Plastic Bag Holder on the Knifty Knitter Yellow Long Loom

This is a knitted holder for plastic bags. It's an attractive way to organize your clutter if you like to store plastic grocery bags for reuse.

You will need:

• Red Heart Super Saver Yarn (any color)
• Yellow Long Loom (for a larger bag the green long loom can be used)
• Crochet Hook
• Elastic

1. E-wrap the entire loom.
2. Knit 10 rows. 
3. Pull up the first row and place it back on the pegs. Knit. (This creates a brim or cuff)
4. Continue Knitting for 70 more rows.
5. Crochet cast off. Use the working yarn to chain stitch through each loop after removing it from the peg. A single chain stitch may be inserted between each loop. 
6. Fold the bottom edge up to make a cuff and sew in place on the inside of the work using a yarn needle.
7. Thread an 8" piece of elastic through the bottom cuff and sew the ends of the elastic together.

How to Make Felted Flowers on a Knifty Knitter Spool Loom

These flowers are knitted using wool yarn and the small end of the spool loom. They are knitted as a long tube, approximately 25 inches in length. The tube is then sewn into a flower shape, then the flower is felted. It makes a pretty embellishment for a felted tote bag, or coat pin.

You will need:

• Spool Loom
• Yarn Needle
• Pattons Wool Yarn

1. E-wrap the small end of the spool loom with only one strand of yarn. 
2. Use the no wrap stitch (seen in the video below) for the remainder of the project. Knitting circularly around the spool loom until the knit reaches 25 inches.
3. Cut the working yarn and leave a 10 inch tail.
4. Use a regular needle and thread to sew the tube into the shape of petals. Zig zag the tube, securing it with thread in the center. The finished flower should have roughly 5 petals. 
5. You can sew a small loop of tube into the middle for the flower center. This is how the flower appears with a tube center.
6. Felt the flower by washing it in a washing machine and laying it flat to dry. If you have a high efficiency washing machine, check out these instructions for felting.
7. Embellish with buttons or other items for the center.
   
   For step by step instructions to sew the petals in place, see the ArtMind blog. Note: the flower in these instructions is made in the same design, but using a shorter tube, as it is not to be felted.

If you desire to dye the felted flowers, check out the instructions for dying felted wool with kool aid.