Sunday, January 18, 2009

Recycled Sweater Blankets

Years ago, before this blog, before I knew about Craftster, before it ever occurred to me to take pictures of things i made, I got this idea for a blanket made from squares of felted sweaters. Now, of course, this type of project is all over the internet. At the time, however, I don't know where I got the idea. I don't have a picture of that blanket, it was a Christmas gift for my friend Cobi and she loved it. I always meant to make one for my friend Julie, but never got around to it.

So I finally decided to make one for her and dug out the leftover squares from Cobi's blanket. I added more felted sweaters to make up enough for the blanket. I zig-zagged the squares into strips and the strips into the blanket like I had with Cobi's blanket. But after I was done I realized there were many many many spots where there were gaps in the sewn strips...
Felt Blanket oops 2
Felt Blanket oops

I set it aside, frustrated, and decided to try again. So I gathered more wool sweaters and made a second blanket, figuring I would keep the original one for myself since it wasn't good enough to give away. While I was making the second blanket I realized that I could sew over the original seams and get the gaps taken care of. I don't know why that didn't occur to me before...
Felt Blankets

So now I have a dilemma: Which one do I give Julie and which one do I get to keep?

Blanket #1:
Felt Blanket 1

Blanket #2:
Felt Blanket 2

I think I may ask Julie to pick the one she wants. Is that tacky? or brilliant?

6 comments:

  1. You seem to like blue, which Blanket #1 has more of. Is that one for you because of the blue, or is the second one for you because it doesn't have blue?

    Do you like my non-answer?

    Both are cute, so you won't go wrong...

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  2. I agree with Jennifer. They're both awesome so you really can't go wrong!

    I have to make one of these. I don't think I'll ever knit or crochet an afghan, this project is for me!

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  3. I love them both...which definitely doesn't help you with your dilemma...LOL!!

    I say keep which every you like and give the other away as the two before me have said, you can't go wrong

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  4. i think asking her is a brilliant idea...though you might lose the blanket that you really desire...hmmm?? that's a toughy!! maybe pick the one you REALLY want, and then give her the other???

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  5. These are beautiful - what a great idea!

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  6. I'm going with brilliant.

    It's not tacky, because you FIXED the mistakes. Tacky would be giving her a blanket with holes in it. And really, you made two, your friend gets one... give her the one you think she'd like more. OR give her the one you like less... whichever! ;)

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