Felting

FELTING:

ABOUT.COM: Knitting

How to Felt:
Sarah White

Sarah uses a seven-step process.

Let’s summarize.

Knit twenty-five stitches for a sample.
Use 100% wool.
Take care to weave ends in judiciously.

Set washing machine to:
lowest water setting
highest temperature
longest agitation

Bag your sample or not.
Use soap or baking soda or not.

Add sample, start process.

Check every five minutes
Remove sample from water, place on towel, measure.
(At first the piece may have expanded, the wool has relaxed.)

Continue to check until:
fabric starts to become firm, solid, and smaller.

Check every two minutes.

When is it done?
The sample has reached the desired size.
Stitch definition is no longer visible.
Fabric has the desired body heft.

Drain the machine.
Rinse the fabric in cool water.
Wring gently.
Place on thick towel, pin block to desired size.

DONE!

During a recent trip to Vermont
the Brandon Art Guild gift shop
displayed numerous examples
of beautiful hand-dyed felted
scarves and hats.

I resisted the temptation to buy one
and counseled myself against learning to felt.
I mean who needs another project.

But as you must realize
I’m getting sucked in.

My resolve is melting.