How to Felt With Wool Material
When you wash your wool sweater and you take it from the washer with a horrified expression your face due to the condition of the wool, what you have just inadvertently done is "felt" your wool. While felting an expensive wool sweater is not something most people desire to do, felting wool does have its benefits. When wool felts, the heat and moisture of the washing process first make the wool fibers tangle and then the drying process causes the fibers to lock into place in a tough and sturdy new fabric that's often called "felted wool." Felted wool is desirable for many different craft projects.
Instructions
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Lay the wool sweater out on a flat work surface. Cut the sweater apart along the seams so you have large portions of wool fabric. Discard the seamed portions of the sweater. Cut along the ribbed edges to remove the ribbing; felt the ribbing separately. Cut off any pockets or cuffs that you want to save as well. Remove any buttons or hardware from the sweater and reserve these for a future purpose.
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Place the wool pieces into the washing machine. Set the washing machine to a hot setting and add approximately half of the detergent that would be appropriate for the size of the wash load. Start the washing machine and allow it to progress through the entire cycle.
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Remove the wool from the washing machine and examine the fibers. If you detect the characteristic blending and toughening of the fibers, the washing process has been successful in felting the wool. If the wool fabric is not felted to your satisfaction, wash it again in another entire wash cycle.
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Place the wool pieces into the dryer and dry the wool on a warm or a hot setting. The drying process will serve to felt the wool further. Alternatively, line-dry the wool pieces if you are satisfied with the extent of felting.
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Use the felted wool in your crafting or sewing project.
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Tips & Warnings
Instead of cutting apart and felting a wool sweater, felt a wool blanket to create a large piece of felted wool.
Make items such as sturdy blankets, hats, tote bags, mittens and even pillow covers. Once you start crafting and sewing with felted wool, you will realize how many different items you can make.
