I’m always on the lookout for wool items when I pop into our local charity shops. Even if I don’t particularly like it as is, anything with a high wool content can be felted and turned into a number of new things. Last week I found a long, 100% wool scarf languishing on the sale rack and snatched it up. While it was fun as it was, it was a little bright for me and too long for my daughter. But felted down, it would be perfect for her. Never one to let something be too plain though, I added an extra step in before felting and the result is this funky bubble scarf.

Things you’ll need:
Wool scarf, at least 60% wool content
Wood beads, at least 1/3 inch in diameter
Small rubber bands
Access to a washing machine

Thing’s to do:
1. This is pretty open ended in terms of patterns. You can choose to add a ton of beads for a really bumpy look, group them all at the ends, or just have one or two here and there. Try out a few options with the beads before felting to get and idea of what you like.
2. Set a bead on one side of the wool and pull the other side around it, securing it with the rubber band. Repeat with all of the beads, making sure they are all on the same side of the scarf.



3. Toss in the washing machine with soap (the combination of soap and agitation is what does the felting, not the temperature of the water). Run through the agitation cycle until you can no longer see the individual stitches well.
4. Remove from the water and wring out. Lay flat to dry.
5. Once dry, pull off all of the rubber bands and remove the beads to reveal your bubbles”.