After and Before

After two passes through my front-loading washer, the mini backpack felted beautifully. Funny how expensive yarn felts more nicely than cheap yarn. The Lamb's Pride became dense, just right for the bottom and top, and the Yoroi remained supple, excellent for the sides. Here it is in front of my moss-covered wall, blocking on a shoebox.



The stats:

     Before: 10"L X 7"W X 14"H (25 X 17 X 35 cm)
     After: 8.5"L X 6"W X 10"H (21 X 15 X 25 cm)

Edges sometimes felt unevenly, so I used non-stretch, non-shrink crochet cotton to confine the top edge. That worked well, although the Lamb's Pride became so hairy after felting, it was a pain to remove. I also coiled and tied the interminable I-cord drawstring to prevent reduce tangling, as suggested at Noni Designs.



Now I'm searching for lining fabric. The search is not going well – if I want to take the backpack to Rhinebeck, an expedition to the NYC Garment District may be necessary. At least I have buttons. (CROP Walk donations and pledges currently stand at $170. Woo-hoo!)



Meanwhile, Norma makes home canning look so easy and worthwhile, I thought I'd try it. I've got tomatoes, I've got canning jars, I've got absolutely no experience. [Cue Sorcerer's Apprentice music]



I did a bit of research. According to the USDA guide Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products, 1.5 lbs (1 lb, 8 oz or .68 kg) of raw tomatoes cooks down to 1 pint (.47 l) of canned tomatoes. So... that's what a pint looks like, before.