One of the major considerations of both crafting with wool and wearing 100% wool garments is the cleansing process. If the wool garment is washed in hot water or subjected to friction, the garment may (and likely will) shrink and felt. Not what you want to happen once the garment is already fitted to you!

Nearly every year, my mother-in-law knits everyone a pair of wool knee socks for winter. They’re gorgeous. A couple years ago, I was folding a pile of laundry and picked up what was once a beautiful woolen knee sock. Only now, the sock wouldn’t fit my daughter, was calf-high, and looked like it had been made of felt. None of the perfectly knit stitches were visible. Imagine my dismay! Yeah, not what you want….

Until you do! That knit sock was tight, stiff, and smooth, just the right fabric for blocking wind! Now that sock would no longer serve its intended purpose for me, but what if the pattern had been intended to be felted?

After my soul-dog, Bentley June, went to heaven in January, I’d been unable to even pick up my knitting needles. You see, she was always by my side, and most of the things I knit were for her. She dearly loved her sweaters, so much she’d growl-protest when we’d take one off. So, I’d lost interest in knitting and, well, most everything.

For the longest time, I’ve wanted to visit Scotland, to see the scenery of my roots, to yarn shop, and to breathe that North Sea air. I’d joke (only it wasn’t really a joke) that we’d go there for my 40th birthday. With Bentley’s health decline, there was no way I’d leave her. She went to heaven a few months before I turned 40, and by then, I’d lost any desire to go anywhere. Finances wouldn’t allow anyway.

But, my father and brother toured a woolery in Scotland this summer, and my brother brought back wool yarn for me! From Scotland! The yarn is beautiful and full of significance, so with my interest piqued, I immediately started looking for a project pattern—I knew I wanted to use a pattern from my Norwegian friend, Une’s book, Happy Nordic Knits. See, Une lost her precious soul-dog, Juster, shortly before I lost Bentley. I imagine they’re talking about yarn colors and their fancy sweaters in heaven.

I chose Une’s pattern for a felted neck warmer. Yes, felted. Intentionally. The felting process is probably nerve-wracking for a lot of knitters because it isn’t always predictable—like my unintentional felted sock. When the pattern is designed to be felted, though, adjustments are made and safeguards are in place.

I quickly knit up the neck warmer and began the felting process. There’s more than one way to felt a wool garment, but I chose to hand felt. I filled the sink with hot water, added a bit of wool soap, and soaked my finished project. Then, I began to rub and rub, adding friction to the entire surface. The wool fibers began to felt together to create a stronger, more durable fabric better able to guard against cold and wind.

As I was felting the wool, Holy Spirit showed me how this process exemplifies our personal strengthening. The hot water is symbolic of being in uncomfortable and often unfavorable circumstances. And the friction is like the tension that builds strength and resilience, all equipping us to better follow Jesus and withstand life’s storms.

Lily and I are part of a wonderful Bible Study with a group of sweet ladies. We just started a new study on The Armor of God by Pricilla Shirer, and discussion came up about how it’s often in the mundane, ordinarily moments when God meets us. Do you feel that too? I immediately thought about how God spoke to me while felting wool—ordinary, mundane, boring even, but He showed up and spoke life into me at just the moment I needed to hear that truth. Isn’t our God exquisitely masterful and creative?!

What are some ways God has met you in the ordinary, everyday moments of life? What are some of the truths He’s spoken to you? How can you share those truths with others? Because here’s the thing: love is best given away.

*in memory of Bentley and Juster

**This is in no way sponsored because I call Une friend, but if you’re a knitter, please support her and shop her patterns and kits. Some are downloadable immediately. Une is super talented and shares her life story throughout her knitting pattern books—trust me, you want to follow along her journey, see the breathtaking views, and knit her creative designs!