Have you ever popped a woollen sweater in the washing machine and ended up with a mini version of your favourite wear? If you have, you’ve tried felting without even knowing it!

It is a very easy craft to start as it uses very little equipment and you can build your technique as you go. There are also lots of felting classes to learn with others or how to videos available on YouTube.

So, what projects can you use felting for… Wall hangings, Hats, Bags, Slippers, Mats, Felt animals, figures and more! Read on to find out a little more about this fun hobby!

Wet Felting

Method
For this method of felting, lay your bubble wrap on a flat surface with the bubble side facing up. Gently pull and lay out thin, overlapping layers of the wool roving in alternating directions. You can experiment adding different colours and textures to the felted piece to add interest.
Then gradually add some warm soapy water to the wool layers. Once fully wet through, start to rub the fibres with your hands. You can also fold up the bubble wrap and rub with this too, to aid the felting.
Once the wool holds together (doesn’t pull apart), rinse out all the soap in warm water, then rinse in cold water. Squeeze out any excess water (do not wring) and lay it flat to dry.
This method is especially suited to flatter pieces of felting.

Wet Felting (In a Washing Machine)

Method
Once you have knitted or crocheted your project (in pure wool – not super wash treated) you place it in the washing machine along with a towel (to aid agitation). You then wash the project on a medium heat and when you open the washing machine door, ta-da! Your project has felted!
The disadvantage of this method is its unpredictability. With experience you will know how long and at what temperature to wash your projects, but it does sometimes take time to work with your washing machine to establish the best setting and duration. It is often best to make a small swatch using your chosen yarn before felting the final project, this way you can check and adjust as necessary.
This is how we felted the projects for our new Woolly Wool patterns.

Needle Felting

Method
For this method you simply place your roving on your felting mat and then ‘stab’ it with your felting needle – in and out – until the fibres start to mat together. The felting needle has lots of barbs on it which catch on the fibres. The more you stab the wool with the needle the denser it becomes. Put the needle in and out at the same angle – avoid twisting it, so you don’t break the needle. Needles can break – so don’t worry and do have some spares! You will need to be careful as the felting needle is covered in sharp barbs which will hurt your fingers. Some people place their needles into a holder to make it more comfortable to work with. Needles are identified by numbers. The lower the number the larger the needle. You use the higher numbered finer needles for finer details and finishing your project.
If you are making a 3D model then you will often start with a small ball of roving which you will work into with the felting needle, again until the fibres mat together. The tighter you roll your initial shape the easier it will be to felt. You may also use wire as an armature to help form your project.
You can even use a cookie cutter to make a specific shape. Add your wool to the centre of your cutter and then felt using your needle. When you remove it from the cutter then go around the edges to neaten them up. Shop all Felting accessories HERE

We hope you have enjoyed our brief introduction to felting. We would love to see your projects so don’t forget to share them with us! Be sure to tag us on social media using #WoolWarehouseCrafters

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