[Graceless]

How and where would I go about getting the directions and answers to question about felting wool.I have done a little surfing and have a basic idea of how to clean and felt the wool now I need to know how to card and rove(?) it..I also need to know if you cleanit befor you card and felt it wouldn't that make the fibers not lock together the way they are suppose to during felting?ANd what is the texture of felted wool and or how do you make it very soft.
Can you tell I really need a book!!!
Oh and a source for cards and how much should I be willing to pay if I found a pair on e-bay.And how long should the fibers be for felting and does the length make a difference in the texture.Hmm I better stop for now and gather all this first hu?
I hope someone can point me in the right direction I have a big bag of wool coming and I just wanted to try and do something cool with it rather than throw it away....
Thanks Tab

 

[bergere]

Hello Tab,,,

OK,,,

For Felting...Scoll near to the bottom of the page...
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/fiber.html

The Felt can only be as soft as the fleece you have started out with.

What kind of cards are you looking for??
This link has web site links to people that sell Cards,, compairing prices would be the best thing you could do. That way you will have an idea of what is a Fair price on Ebay.
http://www.majacraft.co.nz/dealers/dealers.html

Happy Felting.

 

[JerseyLightning]

Try the Woolery in North Carolina at www.woolery.com for books and felting kits. There are also directions online but I don't have them bookmarked; if you do a Google search on making felt you should get something.

Wool cards cost anywhere between $35 and $75 depending on the make and age. You might try the Spinners & Weavers Housecleaning pages at: http://together.net/~kbruce/kbbspin.html for a used pair. You can also ask to have a post put up that you are looking for a pair. Unless they really are banged up, used is as good as new. Also, if you don't want to invest alot right now, you can use dog slicker brushes, which are exactly the same as cards except the backs aren't usually curved.

Wool will felt whether it is clean or dirty and many a spinner has inadvertently felted a fleece while washing it. You can card fleece "in the grease" and felt with it as long as all the nasty stuff comes out. The grease will wash out in the felting. A quick felting primer: take a cake pan and lay locks of wool all in the same direction in the bottom of the pan. Add another layer, going in a different direction. Keep layering until pan is pretty full. Add a couple squirts of dish detergent (Dawn works well) and sprinkle with hot water (don't soak it!). Start mushing with both hands. When it gets to the point it is sticking together, flop it over and keep mushing. Keep turning and mushing and eventually, viola`, felt.

Keep in mind that some breeds don't felt as well as others. Romney didn't work for me, Dorset did. If I can find the online instructions, I will post the address. Let me know what other questions you might have!

Kathleen

 

[Graceless]

Wow I never imagined the types of felting there are I think I am going to need much more wool!!!! :haha: I am going to start out with the basic felting but I really want to try and make some spider web wool for scarves mabey next year...
But I had a question about the laminent(sp?) felting if anyone knows....Does it retain it's ability to become lanolized after it is felted?Or are the fibers to seperated to keep it's waterproofing abilities?I was thinking of using a type of stretchy material to make a diaper cover,or try to......But if it won't be waterproof there is no need in wasting time or money.....
I am not sure what breed of sheep these are and have to go find out what each breed looks like so I will be able to tell...I am new at this and really enjoying the research I have done so far..Thankyou for the links and dog brushes are how I
will go for now ,thankyou!< until I know I won't be wasting my money...I did see a couple on E-bay for $16 dollars to $20 so mabey I can wait a bit and get some out of season.....
Thanks Tab

 

[Shepherdess]

Hi, Wool is quite waterproof but I wouldn't use it for diaper covers. A wool hat will repel water but if you have water sitting on it is will soak in, just not as fast as things like cotton. Here is a link
feltmakers
it has lots of info on lots of different felt types, and lots of friendly people. There is a link to the felt list as well.
Enjoy yourself, it's lots of fun.
Ann

 

[ovsfarm]

When I first got my sheep, I had visions of doing lots of traditional felting. I had read the instructions and it seemed so straight forward. In reality, I can't quite seem to get the results I want this way.

I also had read a lot about needle felting, but thought the technique seemed to be too good to be true. I finally broke down and tried it and it worked like a charm for me. I now sell felted figurines, flat work, and kits at my local famers market and also in a couple of local shops.

I have found that the different breeds do felt very differently. So far I have had success with Soay, Icelandic, Texel, Perendale, and llama. I have lots of other fiber to try but have just been too busy this spring.