Question 1

I don't have a printer. Do you provide hard copies of your patterns?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All patterns on the website are available as hard copies as well. There is a small additional charge for shipping, but you can email me and let me know what you're looking for.

Question 2

I bought one of your patterns, but I'm confused about the directions. Help!"

Accepted Answer

I'm always happy to help walk you through if you get stuck on a certain set of directions. Please email me at ellenswoolywonders@hotmail.com and let me know what the problem is.

Question 3

I'd love to see your patterns in person. Do you ever travel to fiber shows?

Accepted Answer

Most years, we travel to a number of fiber shows including the Taos Wool Festival, Stitches West in California, and others on occasion. Due to the current covid-19 pandemic, we will be participating in virtual fiber shows for the time being. However, we will update our page with our scheduled events as soon as we are able to resume in person shows.

Question 4

What kind of yarn do you recommend for your patterns?

Accepted Answer

Most patterns are designed to be felted after knitting, giving them a more solid feel and appearance. In order to achieve this, I recommend feltable wool. Make sure that your yarn isn't acrylic or super-washed wool. While you can still complete these patterns with those types of yarn, you won't achieve the same felted look with the final product, and it will generally not be stiff enough to maintain its shaping.
 
I do have a limited amount of hand-spun, locally sourced, feltable yarn for sale for interested buyers.  If you are interested in purchasing some, please contact me to determine availability.

Question 5

What size needles and yarn do you recommend for your patterns?

Accepted Answer

I use a bulky weight feltable yarn on size 10 1/2 needles for most patterns. One of the things that makes these patterns unique is the fact that you can change the size of the finished product simply by changing the size of your needles and yarn. For example, to make a baby dragon, you would use a sport-weight yarn on size 1 or 2 needles.

Question 6

I've finished knitting. How do I felt the final product?

Accepted Answer

Throw the product in a hot wash with a cold rinse in a top load washing machine. Keep an eye on the project. Once your desired felted state has been achieved, start the spin cycle to remove excess water from the project. If you're having a hard time getting it to felt correctly, you can move the project from a hot wash to a cold rinse multiple times. The change between hot and cold is what helps the product to felt.
 
* The felting process may be difficult with a front load washing machine. Consult your user's manual to determine whether you are able to stop the washing process mid-cycle.
 
(I have successfully felted products in a hotel bathtub by washing repeatedly in hot and cold cycles.)

Question 7

I've finished the pattern and felted the final product, but it looks completely different from the one in the picture. Did I do something wrong?"

Accepted Answer

One of the amazing things about knitting this kind of project is the fact that they never turn out exactly the same. Each product will be slightly different in its own unique way. If it doesn't even resemble the animal that it was supposed to be, you might try re-knitting the pattern. Otherwise, just love your animal for who they are.

Question 8

I have a great idea for an animal/pattern that I don't see on here. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

I'm always looking for inspiration for new patterns. Feel free to send me an email with your ideas. If you want me to design a custom pattern based on your idea (for example, a cherished pet), I am happy to do so for an additional fee. Please email me for more information.

Question 9

I can't find the yarns to make my pattern. Do you sell yarn to complete the products?

Accepted Answer

I can provide kits of the yarn necessary for most of my patterns. However, yarn availability may vary, so there may be a delay in fulfilling requests for kits of yarn. Please contact me for more information.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions