FeltingUpdated 6 months ago

Felting is a process that binds wool fibers together through heat, moisture, and agitation, creating a dense, durable fabric. It’s particularly popular for sturdy items like bags, slippers, and hats. When wool fibers are exposed to agitation in hot water, the natural scales on the fiber surfaces lock together, shrinking and thickening the fabric.

Felting Techniques:

• Machine Felting: Place the item in a mesh bag and run it through a hot wash cycle with mild agitation. Check periodically to control the degree of felting.
• Hand Felting: Submerge the item in hot water and scrub it with your hands, using a textured surface like a washboard if available. This method gives more control but requires patience.

Factors that Affect Felting:

• Fiber Type: Wool fibers, especially untreated wool, felt the best. Superwash wool, synthetic fibers, and plant fibers do not felt.
• Water Temperature: Hot water encourages felting, while cold water halts the process.
• Agitation: More agitation results in faster, more thorough felting, but excessive agitation can distort the shape.

Tip: Felted items may shrink by 30-40%, so knit them larger than the desired finished size.

Extra Tip: If you want specific areas to remain unfelted, you can mask them with a plastic bag tied securely, protecting sections of your project from the agitation process.