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Stitching & Crafting Room:  felting  |
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Merryday
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Mary
Kansas
30 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 11 2006 : 1:22:39 PM
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Anyone know how to felt wool? I've read you can just throw an old sweater into the washing machine, but that worries me a bit. How do you get it to the right consistency?
"As you travel through life, remember your goal, keep your eye on the doughnut, and not on the hole" - something my Pop used to say |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2006 : 2:11:50 PM
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Mary- I have (had) a black wool sweater that accidentally was put in the wash. Well, that thing shrunk up so small the only thing I could do with it was wash it again and put it in the dryer. I was able to cut it without any problems. Maybe you could go to Goodwill and see if you can find an old wool sweater to practice on!!
Good luck.
Karin |
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Merryday
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Mary
Kansas
30 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2006 : 6:07:38 PM
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Karin- did you end up making anything with it? I'm wanting to felt wool and eventually turn them into little stuffed animal creatures...
"As you travel through life, remember your goal, keep your eye on the doughnut, and not on the hole" - something my Pop used to say |
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Kathigene
True Blue Farmgirl
160 Posts
Kathy
New York
160 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2006 : 6:44:13 PM
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Mary, Have you done an internet search. I know that I have seen shows about it on Carol Duvall on the HGTV network. If you go to their web site at hgtv.com, I'm sure you will find info on felting. I would also go to DIYnet.com and look in their crafts area. Plus I'm sure just a general web search for felting wool would turn up some hits.
Kathy
Dogs make such good friends because they wag their tails rather then their tongues. |
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JudyBlueEyes
True Blue Farmgirl
657 Posts
Judith
Spokane
Washington
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2006 : 9:01:17 PM
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Mary, I think Karin has the answer - go to Goodwill. I can generally get 100% wool sweaters for $3 and then last year I hit a half price sale! Woo-hoo! My friend buys men's wool sweaters and washes them in hot water and they shrink down to fit her - probably a size 10. If you're just going to craft with the felted wool, I think that would be the way to go. Otherwise, to make wool felt, the same friend taught a class on how to make it using roving and nylon net. Let me know if you want the procedure. Have fun! Judy
The Rooster crows, but the Hen lays the egg. ~ Texas Proverb |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2006 : 10:41:42 PM
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Hi Mary,
I felt wool almost every week! It's the easiest thing ever, and soooo lovely to work with. If you buy used wool such as garments from thrift stores or w/e, NEVER bring it into your house before you clean it. My rug hooking teacher taught me to be really careful about that! Old wool attracts all sorts of little critters and you can end up with all kinds of bugaboos living in your nice clean wool stash!
Anyway, the consistency of the finished wool has little to do with the process and everything to do with the type of wool you start out with. Look for 100%, tightly woven, non-treated wool. If you try to felt loosely woven wool it will not felt, and will still ravel no matter what you do to it-same goes for treated wool fabrics. You can sometimes get away with a very small percentage of synthetic mixed in, I'd say no more than 3% though. Another pointer. If you are deconstructing garments, stay away from things like blazers & lined jackets. The interfacing is sometimes so difficult to remove you will feel like just tossing it in the trash!
OK, so...after all THAT! LOL Here's the easy part! Put wool into your washing machine before you add water, then fill the basin with the hottest water possible & whatever detergent you prefer. I add a bit of liquid "Lysol" brand cleaner if the wool is old & smelly. Run it through the most brutal agitation your machine can muster. Use enough water for the wool to move freely but not so much that it's just floating around in the basin. We want to really beat it up. Next run the wool through the cold rinse and spin cycle. Throw it into a hot dryer-add an old towel or two if it's a small load-to keep wool from wrinkling. When it's dry the wool should be fluffy & soft-ready to cut. If you are using quality wool it doen't ravel a bit. You will also want to remember to wash & dry your different pieces of wool separately, as many are not color fast-especially reds & pinks.
Happy felting!
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl
1818 Posts
Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2006 : 08:57:34 AM
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| Rhonda -- Is it necessary to put the wool item in a zippered pillowcover in the washer? That's what my friend does, and I guess it's to keep the fibers from shedding or something? I have some wool to felt (a couple of old sweaters and an old blanket), but I don't have a zippered bag/lingerie bag to put it in. Necessary? What's your experience? |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2006 : 3:37:58 PM
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I don't use a zippered bag for woven wools. I suppose if you are felting something delicate you could damage it with too much agitation. I have never had this happen.
A wool blanket should not be a problem. Tightly knit sweaters should felt nicely too.
I have washed raw wool, dingleberries & all, in my washer. In that case you are trying to AVOID felting of the wool. When doing this I use a zippered lingerie bag. I bought several large ones at Walmart for under $3 each. I enclosed the wool in bags because these are loose individual fibers. That way no fibers would plug up my washer. They came out beautifully by the way!
Two things cause wool to felt. Sudden temperature change and agitation. In my experience the more you beat it up the better the results.
I'm not sure why your friend uses the bags unless she is washing something delicate that she wants to wear. I am felting wool for use in sewing & craft projects. Hope that helps!
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 12:01:00 AM
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Rhonda,
Would you mind telling us what kind of things you make out of the felted wool ?
Do you dye colors that you cant find in the stores?
thanks much
shirley |
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lovejanet
True Blue Farmgirl
97 Posts
Janet
La Canada
California
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 04:20:07 AM
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hi mary,
i have felted wool before and made a bracelet from the beads i made.
it is fun.
love, janet
http://www.lovejanet.typepad.com/ |
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Merryday
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Mary
Kansas
30 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 1:20:24 PM
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Janet - I looked at your blog and saw your bracelet and LOVE IT! The colors are great. Did you dye the wool yourself?
"As you travel through life, remember your goal, keep your eye on the doughnut, and not on the hole" - something my Pop used to say |
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Merryday
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Mary
Kansas
30 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 1:23:12 PM
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Rhonda,
Thanks for the head's up about the little critters you could potentially bring in to your home... YUCK! How did you clean the wool before bringing it home? Dry cleaners? Could you just boil it?
"As you travel through life, remember your goal, keep your eye on the doughnut, and not on the hole" - something my Pop used to say |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 6:20:22 PM
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I have a girlfriend (the one who works at Zeilinger's now) who recommended putting all purchased wool in a clear plastic bag on a sunny, hot day and leaving it on the driveway for several hours, preferably on top of a black garbage bag. The high temps inside the bag kill the critters. She was talking about roving/yarn but I am sure the same principle would apply to sweaters
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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lovejanet
True Blue Farmgirl
97 Posts
Janet
La Canada
California
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 6:45:02 PM
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Hi Mary,
No, I didn't dye the wool myself. I bought the wool like that about 3 months ago, through a member on ebay.
It's funny how little critters are mentioned in this thread. As I was working with the wool it smelled like wet dog or cat. I had to remember where it came from:)
love, janet
http://www.lovejanet.typepad.com/ |
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Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 6:45:43 PM
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Black plastic bag may work to kill the wool moths but it wont kill the eggs, that will hatch out later.
What I would do is leave the wool things in the bag you bought them in and take them straight to the washer, take them outside if you are going to cut them up first.
Some people say to put them in the freezer for a week or so, , but they still may hatch eggs later after you take them out of the freezer. The eggs are very little pin point size kinda grayish eggs.
If you stick your hand into a fleece with moth eggs deep inside you can feel them pretty east, they feel gritty
I have never found them on Good Will wool clothes, but I suspose they could be there. maybe I have been lucky :)
shirley |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 8:02:08 PM
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Ohhhh sorry I wasn't clear on the "bringin' home critters" part! LOL I leave any used wool either outside or in the garage if I'm not ready to wash it imediately. Just don't bring it in and leave it laying around in the house. I try to wash it the day I bring it home.
I wash wool garments before I deconstruct them, mostly because of the smell & dust. But cutting outside would be an option too.
I would be happy to tell you what I use wool for. I am a primitive crafter and use felted wool in a variety of projects. I do OOAK handsculpted dolls-I use wool for their clothing. I do penny rugs & table runners, hooked pieces and a number of other stitchery pieces. I use wool stuffing in most of my dolls and also to fill pin-keeps. I just love the texture of wool mixed in with other mediums. It has a rustic homey look that you don't get from other fabrics.
I haven't dyed wool-yet. The woman I learned hooking from does a lot of dyeing so I can buy unusual wools from her. She also rents out her wool cutter to me. She tells me all hookers eventually end up being dyers though! :)
This weekend I am going to meet with a woman who is retiring from rug hooking. She is selling her supplies to me. I was advised to put all the cut wool into the freezer for a month because once cut it can't be washed (rug wool is cut into thin strips for hooking). I am pretty confident that a month in my deep freeze will do the trick.
I've never heard of the black plastic bag idea. I was told not to keep dirty unprocessed wool in plastic. A local farmer suggested I take off the plastc and unroll the fleece when I got it home, as it can start a fire. I did it-the gargage smelled like a barn. :)
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2006 : 11:55:17 PM
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Ive done 2 penny rugs, but they were kits, and everything was in there. :)
Ive done a little rug hooking, but mostly Nantucket rug hooking with handspun wool yarn, you do it the same way as regular hooking only with yarn.I need a wool strip cutter and I would probably do more wool strips, but its hard doing it with the sissors. I bet you do some nice things. I love doing that kind of stuff,
shirley
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2006 : 07:58:13 AM
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I do rug hooking (with the wool strips) and LOVE having a strip cutter..it does make quite a difference. I don't do it as much as I used to but seem to do at least one project each year..usually around Christmas time. I am working on my first penny rug right now in colors for my coffee table in the living room ..it is a runner. I have had fun with it..but have so many different projects going that it is taking awhile to be top on the priority list..it is about 2/3 done though.
I love working with wool.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2006 : 08:00:11 AM
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I have so much wool in my house you would think I would at least own one sheep I have a braided rug I made 12 feet by 19 feet and one 4 feet round one 5 feet by 9 feet and one 4 feet by 13 feet hall runner. Plus about 300 lbs more in boxes waiting to be used. When I get new wool or used wool ( some I have was stored in my great aunts basement for 50 years and some from her friends basement for 60 years very dirty from sitting so long ). I go straight to the laundry mat I can get alot washed fast and it hurts their machine not mine ( probably dosen't hurt them as they are industrial machines and my house doesn't smell like wet dog either this way. I wash and dry it all there then sort straight en and fold it if it is yardage or clothes and put in plastic garbage bags with 1/2 bottle of moth crystal and leave for two weeks in basement to kill anything if the critters don't drowned in washing or back in drying then they are sure to either sufficate of die of fumes in the bag. The wool is not in the bag long enough to case damage tot he wool. Also keep the jars trhe moth crystals where in as you will still have some in the bag and you can save it for future use in the next time you get wool. I have never seen any thing survive that ritual and I also spread a little bit of moth crystal around my house when ever I get new wool. Then I try to leave for a few days so I don't have to be around the fumes. A great somevacation thing to do or if you visit famaily at christmas. Then it is a ll done when you get home.
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe
http://sunshinescreations.blogspot.com/
http://sunshine.harbaugh.googlepages.com/home |
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Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2006 : 11:16:13 AM
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moth crystal can be very toxic and the wool seems to suck up the smell and makes it hard to get out. how do you get the smell out?
Ive always heard that the moth balls dont really kill the moths ,just keeps them away because of the smell. Anyone else heard that? |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2006 : 2:23:45 PM
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I wish there were some sort of moth balls or crystals without that awful smell..ugh! I had some wool that had been sealed in a big tin (more of a barrel) given to me once by a wonderful elderly lady for rug braiding. I could never stand to use it because I never could get the smell out enough. Maybe just a short time with it dosn't make it suck up the smell so bad? The stuff I had had been sealed in that tin for a long time. Sad too...I finally had to throw it out. I did try most everything first...even hanging it all on the line..for about a week if I remember right..and rewashing it ...all sorts of things.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2006 : 4:47:08 PM
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takes about a month of airing for all the smell to go away. And yes it actually does kill the moths and their eggs it also gets rid of flees if you have them in your home not a problem in utah but can be in the south and in california. Another way of getting rid of it is to wash the wool again and run it through the dryer with dryer sheets if you are in a hurry to use it. Sad you through it out it probably could have been used.
it is interestring to me that so many have a distane for moth crystals. My great aunts swear by them and have been using them for 80 + years seriously. they have a house fool of wool rugs and I mean full about 20 of them. And they grew up in a time when everything was made of wool clothing wise almost and aphostery fabric and yarns about any hand work. And they have never had a moth out break even when neighbors did which means the months eggs would get brought into their home on peoples cloths and dropped and not servive. about ever 6 months my house gets a lite dose on moth crystals and the lingering smell is gone in about 1 to 1 1/2 weeks ( trust me I ask people when they come in to make sure that I have not gotten ammun to the smell). then it is gone maybe you ladies use to much. 1/2 jar amount was when the wool sat for 50 + years any thing new. Gets a moth cake 1 week and done and take outthe cake and store it in an air tight container for next time).
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe
http://sunshinescreations.blogspot.com/
http://sunshine.harbaugh.googlepages.com/home |
Edited by - sunshine on Jul 14 2006 4:52:54 PM |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2006 : 5:03:53 PM
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I didn't use it at all myself..was just dealing with someone else's using them...and they must have used too much! I did wash it over and over and used dryer sheets and hung it out for a week..every possible thing before I threw it out. I really wasn't useable...shame though...it was nice stuff. I am really sensitive to smells but this was BAD. I am glad it works for you.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2006 : 8:57:49 PM
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Those are just beautiful Kay!! I only miss having cable tv when I miss shows like that!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2006 : 05:41:32 AM
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Kay- Those little pincushions are so darling! Love the idea of the quilts. I see a lot of wool projects in my future!
Karin |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: felting |
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