purlJam

# Felted Easter Egg Bauble
**Difficulty:** Beginner
**Method:** Knit Flat (Back and Forth)

## Description
This pattern creates a colourful, solid Easter egg. The egg is knitted significantly larger than the finished size using large needles and loose tension. Once knitted and stuffed, it is washed in hot water ("felted" or "fulled") to shrink the wool into a dense, fuzzy fabric that hides the stitch definition and the seam.

## Sizes
*   **Pre-felt height:** Approx. 11 cm
*   **Post-felt height:** Approx. 7–8 cm (Standard large hen’s egg size)

## Materials
*   **Yarn:** Worsted weight yarn (approx. 20–30 metres per egg).
    *   *CRITICAL:* Yarn must be **100% Non-Superwash Wool**. Do not use "Superwash", acrylic, or cotton blends; they will not felt.
    *   *Recommended:* 100% Highland Wool or Merino (untreated).
*   **Needles:** 5.0 mm (UK 6 / US 8) straight needles (or size needed to achieve loose fabric).
*   **Notions:** Tapestry needle, scissors.
*   **Stuffing:** 100% Wool waste/roving (best) or polyester fibre filling.

## Tension (Gauge)
Approx. 16–18 stitches = 10 cm in stocking stitch before felting.
*Note: Tension is not critical for this project, but the fabric must be loose to allow the fibres to shrink.*

## Abbreviations (UK Terminology)
*   **k:** knit
*   **p:** purl
*   **st(s):** stitch(es)
*   **kfb:** knit into the front and back of the stitch (increase 1 stitch)
*   **k2tog:** knit 2 stitches together (decrease 1 stitch)
*   **p2tog:** purl 2 stitches together (decrease 1 stitch)
*   **Stocking Stitch:** Knit on Right Side, Purl on Wrong Side.
*   **RS:** Right Side (the smooth "V" side)
*   **WS:** Wrong Side (the bumpy side)
*   **rem:** remaining

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## Instructions

### Base of Egg
Cast on **8 sts** using the long-tail cast on method. Leave a 20 cm tail for seaming later.

**Row 1 (WS):** Purl all sts. `[8 sts]`
**Row 2 (RS):** Kfb in every st to end. `[8 + 8 = 16 sts]`
**Row 3:** Purl all sts. `[16 sts]`
**Row 4:** (K1, kfb) repeat bracket to end. `[16 + 8 = 24 sts]`
**Row 5:** Purl all sts. `[24 sts]`

### Body of Egg
Work in Stocking Stitch (knit RS rows, purl WS rows) for **9 rows**, ending with a WS row.
*(This section creates the height of the egg. For a taller egg, add 2 rows here.)*

### Shape Top Taper
We will now decrease gradually to create the pointed top of the egg.

**Row 15 (RS):** (K4, k2tog) repeat bracket 4 times. `[24 - 4 = 20 sts]`
**Row 16:** Purl all sts. `[20 sts]`
**Row 17:** (K3, k2tog) repeat bracket 4 times. `[20 - 4 = 16 sts]`
**Row 18:** Purl all sts. `[16 sts]`
**Row 19:** (K2, k2tog) repeat bracket 4 times. `[16 - 4 = 12 sts]`
**Row 20:** Purl all sts. `[12 sts]`
**Row 21:** (K1, k2tog) repeat bracket 4 times. `[12 - 4 = 8 sts]`
**Row 22:** P2tog across the row. `[8 - 4 = 4 sts]`

### Finishing the Knitting
1.  Cut the yarn, leaving a 20 cm tail.
2.  Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle.
3.  Draw the needle through the remaining 4 stitches, remove the knitting needle, and pull tight to close the top of the egg. Secure with a small knot but do not cut the tail yet.

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## Assembly & Felting

### 1. Seaming and Stuffing
1.  With the tapestry needle and the yarn tails, sew the side edges together using mattress stitch or a simple whip stitch. (The felting process will hide a messy seam, so don't worry if it isn't perfect).
2.  Stop seaming when you have an opening of about 3 cm remaining.
3.  **Stuff the egg firmly.** It should feel slightly harder than you want the finished object to be, as the wool casing will shrink and compress the stuffing.
    *   *Tip:* If using polyester stuffing, wrap it in a thin layer of the same wool yarn if possible, to prevent white stuffing from poking through dark wool during felting.
4.  Finish seaming the hole closed. Weave in ends securely inside the egg.

### 2. The Felting Process
You can felt by hand or in a washing machine.

**Washing Machine Method (Easiest):**
1.  Place the egg(s) in a zippered pillowcase or a laundry delicates bag.
2.  Add a pair of jeans or heavy towels to the load (to provide agitation).
3.  Add a small amount of detergent.
4.  Run a hot wash cycle (approx. 60°C) with a cold rinse.
5.  **Check frequently:** Felted items can shrink too much if ignored. Check the egg after 15 minutes.
6.  If the egg is still loose and stitch definition is visible, wash it again.

**Hand Felting Method:**
1.  Fill a sink with very hot soapy water (wear rubber gloves to protect hands).
2.  Immerse the egg and scrub it vigorously against a washboard or between your hands.
3.  Shock the fibres by dipping the egg into ice-cold water, then back into hot water.
4.  Repeat until the egg has shrunk to the desired size and the fabric is dense.

### 3. Final Shaping
1.  Remove from the water and squeeze out excess moisture (do not wring/twist). roll in a dry towel to extract water.
2.  While damp, the wool is malleable. Roll the egg in your hands to smooth out any bumps.
3.  Pull gently on the top to accentuate the egg shape.
4.  Allow to air dry completely (this may take 24–48 hours depending on the density of the stuffing).