No Knitting Scarf - With Water Soluble Stabilizer

One of the reasons I have not learned to knit is because I enjoy using a special technique that allows me to achieve the look of knit without using knitting needles.

 This is my new and I might add, fabulous scarf!

It began with me cutting many thin strips of sari fabric.  I actually purchased the saris in Vancouver's little India area.  This is my pile of strips.  I also gathered some other wools.

The only other item you need is water soluble stabilizer.

I used Sulky's water soluble stabilizer for this project.  

It’s like magic! The perfect stabilizer and transfer agent that dissolves in water. Use as a design template, as a pattern guide and as a stitch support. Ideal when you to not want any stabilizer to show on top or bottom.

 On my ironing board, (you might not be able to see it)  is about five feet of the water soluble stabilizer.  It is white and I have dropped my sari strips onto it.  

Note sleeping studio dog.

 Then I gathered some pretty wool.

 You can see how I randomly placed wool throughout the piles.

The next step is important.  I placed another full strip of water soluble stabilizer over this whole project.  

I created a sandwich:  stabilizer, wool and sari strips, stabilizer.  

I pinned my sandwich together.

 Here is my sandwich being sewn together.  

I sew the sandwich many, many times in this fashion.  The goal is to catch as many fibers as possible with the machine stitching thread.

 Then I fill a sink with warm water and drop my sandwich into it.

 In moments, the stabilizer is dissolved and you can see my fibers.

Isn't that magic!

 When it is dry, this is what it looks like!

 I then go to my felting machine.  This machine only does one, thing, felt.  It took me a very long time to felt the entire scarf...but it was a lot quicker than attempting to do this by hand.

 You can see in this picture that the bottom is felted....the t0p half has yet to be done.

 I choose to line my scarf with felt.  

This will give me some extra warmth and the felt is less scratchy than the sari fabric is.

 My finished scarf is one of a kind!

 It will be stored rolled.

 The edges are still free and I love how the fibers look.

Throughout my scarf I have achieved so many textured colours.  I could not be more pleased with this special project!