Felted knitting needle case: the beginning

I had a revelation about wool yarn, and it has to do with cheese. Stay with me here. Wool is an animal fiber, but harvesting wool doesn't directly require the slaughter of sheep. Cheese is an animal product, but it doesn't directly require the slaughter of cows (or of goats, or of sheep, etc.). Therefore, if I find it ethically acceptable to eat cheese, I must find it ethically acceptable to wear wool.

(You can argue with me that I'm supporting the meat industry through my consumption of cheese, and that's fine. I accept your argument as valid. I simply prefer to accept the logic that by dropping out of the animal-product industry altogether, I give the industry no incentive to change its ways, and therefore I sabotage the overall goal of making life better for animals. For the record, I still refuse to wear silk or leather. I know my boundaries.)

I realized that by not using wool, I was severely limiting myself in the world of knitting. No authentic South American or Irish styles? No felting? Nonsense! So I picked up some wool -- Patons Classic Wool -- at the craft store, and I got started. Here's the beginning of my first felted project, a needle case. I've cast on 85 stitches, using US size 9 needles, and I'm working in stockinette stitch. The project should take about 3 balls of wool. The color is "Regency", a gorgeous blend of pink, red, orange, and brown.



I love how the wool feels in my hands, and I adore how it looks in this gauge. Also, wooden needles are heavenly for my prematurely arthritic hands. If you make the switch from steel to wood, you'll never look back. The needles' surfaces get even smoother with use. It's a beautiful thing.



Even my cat is getting excited about the project. Or she just wants to play.



So that's the beginning of my new project. I'll post an update when I get to the actual felting.

Happy knitting!