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Felt Frenzy: 26 Projects for All Forms of Felting
Designed with the absolute beginner in mind, this project collection explores all the major feltmaking techniques, from knit-and-shrink to wet felting, needlefelting, and "recycled felting," as well as ways to combine techniques for creative and unique results. With 26 projects and photographs of more than 50 before-and-after felted yarn combinations, crafters can easily customize patterns with substitutions of their choice. Instructions are given for felted bags, flowers, hats, jackets, scarves, wool sneakers, and even a nuno felted skirt; while fiber types, tools for getting started, and the four major techniques needed to create these projects are also all covered. Armed with plenty of information and the authors' can-do spirit, crafters will find it easy to add felting to their repertoires.
- GenresKnittingCraftsNonfiction
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 13, 2020
I enjoyed this instructional book with great background on four different felting techniques including stepped-out instructions for some new designs.
The book has a fun vibe due to the warm and welcoming feeling tone presented by the authors, and the photography was excellent.
I borrowed a copy of this book from the local public library.
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The book has a fun vibe due to the warm and welcoming feeling tone presented by the authors, and the photography was excellent.
I borrowed a copy of this book from the local public library.
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April 12, 2025
I really appreciate that the authors include wet felting and recycled felt along with the more usual techniques of needle felting and knit/crochet and felting/fulling. Unfortunately, I don't think they give enough space to display the potential for these techniques. Frankly, I would never in a zillion years wear either of the wet felted wraps! So, I think more projects were needed! This book is almost 20 years old and felting has become pretty sophisticated.
December 27, 2019
The needle-felting parts were interesting but the wet felting projects were all unattractive. I'm coming to the conclusion that it's difficult to do wet felting or knitted felting well.
March 30, 2017
2.5 stars
Unlike most craft books, there's not a huge section on how-to, the book instead being mostly focused on projects. As the subtitle says, this does cover several felting techniques, such as needle felting, wet felting, shibori, and recycling of reclaimed materials. But there's not a whole more more than a nice short intro to each one, as the instructions are woefully inadequate for anyone new to a technique. What's there is just a reminder for someone who hasn't, for example, knitted in a while or who've only the basic understanding of, say, wet felting.
There are a lot of nice swatches, though, including a two page spread of different yarns and how they felt (all were knitted) and the different felting results of fabric knitted with various sizes of needles, and knitted versus crocheted fabric felted (the crocheted fabric didn't felt very well).
It's the perfect skill level for me, someone who is familiar with the techniques up to a point, but likes a reminder intro for those I'm not as familiar with. If I want to do from-scratch felt from roving, something I have only a rudimentary grasp of, I'll grab a book specifically on that. This book couldn't cover that technique as well as teaching knitting and crocheting well enough to also have enough projects covering so many ways of making felt. Thus, this is a book for an intermediate crafter.
I think the majority of the projects are ugly, although you could derive inspiration to make your own thing. Some of the items aren't even well felted, such as knitted slippers that don't look a whole lot different before and after being washed. If I liked the projects, I'd rate the book much higher as I appreciate the overview feel of it versus the usual trying-to-be-your-only-book-on-the-subject.
My favorite part about the book is that one of the two models is larger sized. It could be that both women are the authors. Regardless, they're both beautiful and it's refreshing to see someone modeling attire who isn't skinny.
Unlike most craft books, there's not a huge section on how-to, the book instead being mostly focused on projects. As the subtitle says, this does cover several felting techniques, such as needle felting, wet felting, shibori, and recycling of reclaimed materials. But there's not a whole more more than a nice short intro to each one, as the instructions are woefully inadequate for anyone new to a technique. What's there is just a reminder for someone who hasn't, for example, knitted in a while or who've only the basic understanding of, say, wet felting.
There are a lot of nice swatches, though, including a two page spread of different yarns and how they felt (all were knitted) and the different felting results of fabric knitted with various sizes of needles, and knitted versus crocheted fabric felted (the crocheted fabric didn't felt very well).
It's the perfect skill level for me, someone who is familiar with the techniques up to a point, but likes a reminder intro for those I'm not as familiar with. If I want to do from-scratch felt from roving, something I have only a rudimentary grasp of, I'll grab a book specifically on that. This book couldn't cover that technique as well as teaching knitting and crocheting well enough to also have enough projects covering so many ways of making felt. Thus, this is a book for an intermediate crafter.
I think the majority of the projects are ugly, although you could derive inspiration to make your own thing. Some of the items aren't even well felted, such as knitted slippers that don't look a whole lot different before and after being washed. If I liked the projects, I'd rate the book much higher as I appreciate the overview feel of it versus the usual trying-to-be-your-only-book-on-the-subject.
My favorite part about the book is that one of the two models is larger sized. It could be that both women are the authors. Regardless, they're both beautiful and it's refreshing to see someone modeling attire who isn't skinny.
March 30, 2009
Heather Brack and Shannon Okey, Felt Frenzy: 26 Projects for All Forms of Felting (Interweave, 2007)
Me old pal Shannon Okey has become something of a cottage industry in producing breezy, fun knitting books aimed at folks who aren't trying to make a vocation out of knitting. Felt Frenzy is the latest in the series (actually, by the time you read this, she'll probably have pumped out six more books; after all, it's been almost a week since I finished it), co-written with her Knitgrrl compatriot Heather Brack. As the title says, this one's all about felt—how to make it yourself and what to do with it once you've got it. This is a book for slightly more advanced knitters than her others have been; she doesn't go over the basics in this one the way she does in the other books of hers I've read. (Of course, if you need a refresher course, I'll point you to the Knitgrrl books she did a few years ago.) This one follows right along with the usual style of Okey's books; knockout models, fun projects you wouldn't be ashamed to be seen wearing (or carrying; a lot of accessory items in these projects) in public, and an accessible writing style that puts her books head and shoulders above the crop. I have to admit, though, I'm wondering how many people will actually get round to doing that French Press cozy. Or maybe I'm just behind the times, and everyone in the world but me has one. (I can't stand the taste of coffee. Never have, never will. A Diet Coke cozy is more my speed.) One way or the other, though, give this one a try if you're a knitter who wonders what to do with those sweaters that have shrunk down to doll-size when you weren't paying enough attention to the washer. *** ½
Me old pal Shannon Okey has become something of a cottage industry in producing breezy, fun knitting books aimed at folks who aren't trying to make a vocation out of knitting. Felt Frenzy is the latest in the series (actually, by the time you read this, she'll probably have pumped out six more books; after all, it's been almost a week since I finished it), co-written with her Knitgrrl compatriot Heather Brack. As the title says, this one's all about felt—how to make it yourself and what to do with it once you've got it. This is a book for slightly more advanced knitters than her others have been; she doesn't go over the basics in this one the way she does in the other books of hers I've read. (Of course, if you need a refresher course, I'll point you to the Knitgrrl books she did a few years ago.) This one follows right along with the usual style of Okey's books; knockout models, fun projects you wouldn't be ashamed to be seen wearing (or carrying; a lot of accessory items in these projects) in public, and an accessible writing style that puts her books head and shoulders above the crop. I have to admit, though, I'm wondering how many people will actually get round to doing that French Press cozy. Or maybe I'm just behind the times, and everyone in the world but me has one. (I can't stand the taste of coffee. Never have, never will. A Diet Coke cozy is more my speed.) One way or the other, though, give this one a try if you're a knitter who wonders what to do with those sweaters that have shrunk down to doll-size when you weren't paying enough attention to the washer. *** ½
March 27, 2013
Tons of great information in this book on beginning felting - includes tools needed, super projects, tips and techniques to let you get the results you want whether you are looking to start from hair alone, or are upcycling some wool sweaters into new lives as purses or whatever.
February 6, 2014
A mixed bag of projects.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews