Feltmaking Tips
Nuno-felt scarf, 2010
There are many fine books on feltmaking available now, and I suggest that if you want to become proficient at feltmaking, you should buy one that appeals to you. The basic process of feltmaking is very simple and depends entirely on the natural properties of the fibre. There are three phases of wet felting: layout, wetting and fulling. See the Sampling Slideshow for photos of this process.
Phase one: layout. Felt works best when fibres are in opposition to one another, so traditionally the wool is laid out in layers like tiles on a roof, each layer running in opposite direction to the one before. Careful layout is needed to avoid holes, although these can be repaired invisibly before the fulling stage. For my merino sliver, I recommend two layers for garments. This means that shrinkage will be even in both directions; two moderately fine layers will give a fine, flexible fabric. For nuno-felt, only one layer is necessary. Fibres in nuno-felt can be laid out in different directions to pull the backing fabric up in different ways – shrinkage is along the length of the fibres, so exciting textures can be created this way.
Phase one: layout. Felt works best when fibres are in opposition to one another, so traditionally the wool is laid out in layers like tiles on a roof, each layer running in opposite direction to the one before. Careful layout is needed to avoid holes, although these can be repaired invisibly before the fulling stage. For my merino sliver, I recommend two layers for garments. This means that shrinkage will be even in both directions; two moderately fine layers will give a fine, flexible fabric. For nuno-felt, only one layer is necessary. Fibres in nuno-felt can be laid out in different directions to pull the backing fabric up in different ways – shrinkage is along the length of the fibres, so exciting textures can be created this way.
Rainbow Earflap Hat (Duck-Billed Hattypus), 2012
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Phase two: wetting. Each individual wool fibre is composed of a double core and an outer layer of overlapping scales. Half the core will absorb water, while the other half resists wetting. Usually, a feltmaker will use some sort of assistance in wetting the wool, such as mild soap or detergent. As the fibre gets wet, the absorbent half of the core will “puff up”, forcing it into a curve. This also opens the scales on the outside. At this stage, gentle rubbing will force the fibres into contact, partially entangling them and making a soft, fragile felt. The wetting process is considerably shortened by using hot water, although most wools will still felt with cold.
Phase three: fulling. This phase begins when the fibre is completely wet. When hot and wet wool is rubbed, squeezed and otherwise punished, the fibre will shrink from root to tip, further forcing the scales to entangle. Felt should be fulled until it’s well-shrunk (merino will shrink by up to 50%), but retains its shape; otherwise it will not be durable. Soft felt depends on good quality wool, not on the amount of fulling that is used. Fulling does not damage the fibre or render it less durable, it just persuades the fibre to change according to its natural qualities. |
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Phase 4: finishing. After fulling, all the soap/detergent is washed out of the felt and it is ready to use, sew or wear! A final mild acid rinse with a little white vinegar added to the rinse water will strip the alkaline soap out of the wool. Wool prefers a mildly acidic condition.
Care of handmade felt: Felt should be treated in the same way as fine knitwear – protected from insects and washed gently in warm water and detergent. Felt containing silk should never be line-dried or exposed to ultraviolet light while wet as this ruins the silk, degrading the fibres in an amazingly short time. 3-D items such as hats and boots should be gently eased into shape (hats can be re-blocked if you have the equipment) and dried naturally. In New Zealand, different-sized hat blocks can often be found in antique shops. The one in the photo above was given to me by a friend. I also have a very rare and precious aluminium heated hat block with two sizes of domes. If you ever come across one of these, buy it immediately! The felting process is irreversible, and explains why that jumper you washed in the machine will never be the same again! |
3-D Felted Mittens
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