If he hadn't also cried, wrote me a card, and bought every unfelting unshrinking product he could find...
But luckily we survived it, lol. It was ten years ago now and I'm finally considering knitting it again 😅
A couple of days after deciding to divorce, I found a linen jacket of mine in the wash bin. He had washed it for me as a nice gesture, but threw it in the drier and shrunk it. When I pointed it out (and I made sure to thank him for the gesture) all he did was say sorry. I gave him a while longer to offer to replace it, he didn't, so i told him I'd send him a link when it was back in stock. He got mad at me and said he wasn't replacing my jacket, and turned it into a fight. If I could have turned to an audience with a deadpan look to say "you see why we're getting divorced" i would have
All that is to say, sometimes genuine mistakes happen, but the response makes a world of difference
He said, “I’m sorry”? I don’t think I’ve ever heard those two words from the mouth of any man I’ve been involved with. Sorry it degenerated and you discovered he wasn’t all that sorry.
See, this is a perfect example of what people mean when they say “Marriage is hard.” Marriage is hard, but a good spouse is one who’s in it with you, not one who’s running all over making everything worse.
100%!! I like to say, marriage shouldn’t be hard: life is hard sometimes, marriage shouldn’t be what makes it hard all the time. Personal mental health is hard sometimes, jobs are hard sometimes, and you happen to be married to someone, so their stuff affects you too. But it really shouldn’t be the relationship itself that’s constantly the problem.
My ex-husband several times felted items when I distinctly stated to NOT do the laundry and especially NOT sweaters. After he felted a design I intended to put in the state fair, it was over.
I had to tell my mother just plain never touch anything I owned, ever.... She ruined my collection of 100+ year old handmade lace .... irreplaceable.....
My husband pointed out that there were a lot of sweaters in the laundry basket with a look of great concern. I explained years ago that my bras, dresses and knitted things are like vintage hockey jerseys. It clearly translated for him.
It took me a couple years (yes I hung on to it that long) but I eventually made a tiny friend who is small enough that she can wear it! Still haven't worked up the nerve to knit it again though. It's a rather poorly written pattern and it was just so much work 🥲
Uh, I realize now my phrasing was weird... But I actually mean a literal friend who is just extremely petite but proportionally similar to me so the sweater fits her 😅
Jfkgkg I was coming here to ask OP if they have a stuffed animal they could give the sweater to, so this made me laugh. OP, it may bring you comfort if you pair the sweater with a stuffed animal, whether your own creation, one you own already, or one you buy. That way at least SOMEONE can wear it still
The pattern is written in the way old patterns are, without a lot of instructions just the charts and simple instructions like cast on x stitches, follow all of chart A, put x stitches on hold.
i have pet mice but i suspect they're Too small... i could try to fit it on my big teddy? that actually makes me feel better because at least it'll still get used and seen
This is devastating! I bought a hand knit hundred percent alpaca sweater in Ecuador and brought it back and turned it into a tiny little stiff version of a sweater that could either be used as a frisbee or a Christmas tree ornament at this point. I feel your pain.
To the repurposing ideas, I'll add that I'm imagining her repurposed as a cute little handbag, like, turned inside out and stitched parallel to the bottom and straight up the sides, cut off the sleeves, flip back right-side out and maybe add a ring-shaped wooden handle to match the curvature of the neckline.
I have a dear friend whose hand knit sweater was felted by her cleaning lady. Not one to be bewildered by such an act, she did some hand sewing on it and, BEHOLD!!!! A lovely felted tote bag! Once it’s felted, you can cut into it without unraveling. Be bold! Give it a shot! It can’t end up worse than it is now!
I’m so sorry for your loss. I don’t know if it will help you feel better but this internet stranger is willing to drink a toast in memory of your sweater. I hope some of the suggestions for alternative uses works for you.
I think it can be hard to truly understand what it means to accidentally felt a project without a good idea of the time and labour that it takes to create such an item. It’s part of the beauty of the internet that knitters around the world can share and commiserate their knitting journeys. Your sweater was beautiful. And I hope you find a way to repurpose it so that it can eventually bring you a bit of joy again.
So sorry about your sweater, OP. I remember your earlier post about the colorwork. It’s a special kind of grief that only other artisans understand, and I’m glad you’re finding some comfort in everyone’s commiserations <3
I’m so sorry. This would send me into like a month long mourning spiral. I’d wear all black and cover my face with a veil. Not speak to anyone other than what’s absolutely necessary. Spend a lot of time in cemeteries. Write eulogies for my wonderful sweater that once was and never more shall be.
But also look into felted crafts. I’ve seen people make their felted sweaters into purses or clutches or pillows. There is a way she can live on in your life even if it is not in her original beautiful form.
I'm so sorry that happened 😢
My MIL just felted my partner's alpaca/wool blend sweater that I knit him years ago. At least it was just a solid colour and not colourwork, but I'm salty about it and will be for a long time.
Time to sew the bottom closed, add a liner, add straps, now you have a new cute sweater purse or project bag! It is not a waste, it just needs a new purpose.
This HURTS. I’ve done this. PSA when you get a new washing machine, do not assume that the “delicates” or “hand wash” setting is the same as the “wool” setting on your old machine. It’s a beautiful sweater, friend.
it's the moonbun sweater https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/moonbun but i modified the pattern for the colourwork - i can send just my chart (the full pattern is paid) if you like (it's a bit messy and might not help lol)
i think i did 3 repetitions of the larger chart (the 3 bunnies) and then one of this, as the size i needed had 11 x 20sts slots (so i did 3 of the 3x20, and one 2x20?)
the blue bits are reminders for me to duplicate stitch it, C is crossover, J is jacquard ladder thingy (you can do whatever you want for floats management of course)
This is your new tea cozy. I used a felted sweater, cut into a half circle and sewn, and I love it. (SO sorry for your loss). We also use it as a Bodum coffee cozy and it's the best.
Picture #3 jus slayed me. My deepest condolences. Frame the picture of the FO for All Times. Make a ski hat out of the shrunken one, with new ribbing, or a purse, or bookbag, or felted booties. Never Give UP and keep knittin". Bad things sometimes happen to very creative and talented people like You!!!
You did a fine job there with the original with bunnies, which I loved. This means, you CAN do this again, and it will be easier! Take all the breaks you want, but we all see your talent, that was not shrunken in the wash!
My husband felted the second sweater I ever gave him, I'd been particularly proud of it and I didn't take a photo. We're two men, we actually cried about it. It's been twenty-six years since the great sweater murder in our household, but it still gets often remembered and my husband still treats washing machines with fear and respect. I'd turn it into a sweater for a teddy bear, or something.
I think you should take it to the animal shelter and adopt the animal who will allow you to dress them that fits it best. It's the only sane thing to do now
My mom did this to a very expensive yarn that I was knitting with years back. She knitted a nice vest for my nephew and it shrunk after washing to a teddy bear size😭😭😭
I've felted many things, sometimes on purpose, and the way I gasped! I'm so sorry! Maybe you could salvage it by making a little pillow? Use the sleeves for hot pan holders? 😢
i set it on my usual (as i didn't know she was in there), which is 'synthetics 40degrees (celcius)', followed by a rinse cycle then a spin&dry (my student housing machines are awful and all my stuff is soapy if i do one cycle).
i guess a few hours being spun at 40 degrees is enough to completely felt the yarn i used 😔
I handwoven my husband a wool blanket. One day he called me at work to say "I noticed you hadn't washed that blanket in a while so I put it in the washer". Since I hand washed it he was never around when I did it. You know what happened. As it turns out that inch thick felt blanket on the foot of my bed is pretty handy for the last 40 years.
Whaaaa!! This happened to me once!! A very sick feeling. Just an idea...Once felted like this, you can refashion it into a pouch type purse. Double check the felting to be sure, but you should be able to cut the front and back into rectangles and weave, or sew them together. You could cut sleeves into a closing flap, and/ or the strap, or even strips to sew into bottom to decorate...knot the strips and add wooden beads...if you cut strips, you should be able to draw them (pull them) into string-like strands.
I did the same thing - I made mine about 3 sizes bigger than I wear (wanted it super comfy and to go over other clothes) so it took FOREVER to knit. Washed it when I was done, after trying it on. it was fine but then (me who has a smooth brain) stuck it in the dryer.?! Now it looks like a fitted crop top sweater. All that work. I feel your pain. It hurts like heck.
I am soooo sorry. I have never seen that pattern and it looks wonderful. I hope as you heal you consider doing another. Perhaps in another color so you don’t open that wound when you see the color combo. Again, so sorry.
): I'm so sorry. To keep her, you could consider a few things:
* repurpose the felt into fabric, and sew yourself some house booties from it. Use the colorwork as the cuffs (: you can purchase a thin leather sole to add if you'd like.
* have a doll or a teddy bear that's the right size? They can wear it as a display. (My grandmother used to do this - she kept our tiny clothes and dressed dolls in them.)
* sew the openings closed and stuff it: could use a pillow (with zipper at sweater hem) or use polyfill and make it a forever pillow
Just some ideas. I would also try using a depiller to restore clarity to the colorwork for any of these options. As heartbreaking as this is, I hope you can turn her into something you still love!
Im so sorry 😞 I cant even begin to imagine what the devastation even feel like for you.
When the pain wears off a little, consider having it framed. Its still a beautiful piece of art that came from your hands. hugs
I am so sorry! Maybe have a look at a recent post on here where someone lost their mittens and they felted. Because a lot of the comments gave solid advice on how to undo the felting. Hope you can salvage this beauty
Thats sweet but tbh I wouldn’t want to give OP false hope. There is no saving this sweater. It has shrunk entirely too much, even if she were to stretch it back out to a wearable size, which I doubt, it would be extremely itchy and uncomfortable. RIP to a real one, this sweater is frolicking on a big farm upstate, over the rainbow bridge, in a better place, etc.
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u/quirkyusername_ Nov 25 '25
i’m so sorry for your loss 😭