Wool, I Shouldn't be Surprised

I has been a while since I
worked with wool, but
the colder weather inspired
another dive into those boxes.

Last Spring I found quite a few
wool sweaters at Salvation Army
priced at two for a dollar.

I bought a cart full!

One is for me.

Dad took three, I think.

Some may help keep
Uncle Si and/or my son
warm, this winter.

Two I unravelled to have
the yarn to reuse.

I cut others apart at the
seams to shrink them
and see what I could do
with them.

They all shrink differently.

I shouldn't be surprised.

I cut some that are close to the same weight into six inch squares.  That way I can get two squares from one 
sleeve.  The backs and fronts yield three or more squares and leave a lot of waste.  I'm not sure this was the
best way to handle this material.

I am not surprised.
This was an experiment, after all.

 Sewing four squares together, lapping about a half inch seam, yielded an eleven and a half inch square.

Allowing for half inch seams, a blanket eighty eight inches
square would take 64 four piece squares
or the equivalent.

64 X 4 = 256 six inch squares.

I don't have enough sweaters.

Considering that some are very heavy weight
and some are quite light, I don't have nearly
enough sweaters.

This project is not going to be as fast, easy or 
beautiful as I pictured.

I shouldn't be surprised. :)

To see my earlier experimentation
with wool,
look here, here, here, here, here or here.
 Fulling/Felting is a short explanation.