Fascinating

Near work there's a sort of popup gallery. From what I can gather, it seems to be an empty shop that is let to artists right in the centre of Bristol. Aside from being a fantastic and inspiring idea in itself, the current exhibitors seem to have several fascinators in the window. I didn't look closely but they're eyecatching splashes of colour formed on quilted silky fabric.

I did a little hand felting before Christmas and it was enough to remind me of two things: 1) I love the effect of felted knitting, 2) I suck at felting. I've never managed to make things the right size when they're machine felted and I've never really been happy with the results of stuff I've tried. The other thing that's been on my mind lately is that I need to get better at colours, that was one of the motivations behind my Winterthorn projects.

As I looked at the shape of the fascinators in the shop window I knew I HAD to try to make a felted fascinator. Preferably in some exotic colour combination that I'd never normally look at. Once the idea was in my head, I couldn't get rid of it.

I'm trying to avoid going and buying yarn every time I get an idea for something I want to make. I'm sure that bad habit is responsible for at least 30% of my epic stash. In the back of my mind I'd been thinking Cascade 220 because you just can't beat those colours and I know it felts well. However, it's post-Christmas and that means sales. And I needed petrol and that means Cribbs Causeway. Sales + Cribbs Causeway + felting = John Lewis.

There wasn't a huge amount but I did buy three balls of Debbie Bliss Fez. The fact that it's merino and camel is just an irresistible combination. Unfortunately I've caved on the crazy colour combinations (at least for now) because the two I liked best were a charcoal grey/black and a light grey. Oh well, crazy colours can come later, the shape is the important thing for now.

So, despite really wanting to get my Winterthorn 2 finished, and very much hoping to get the Sizergh scarf moved on, I've started messing around with some shapes to felt. Of course, once I have something, I'm going to have to find several loads of washing to do at 40. And one of those combs for sticking a fascinator into hair.