[Mrs. Jo]

Has anyone made a matt or rug out of wool before? I'm thinking of useing the rest of my border liecster fleece and all my combing scraps in a big rug or matt project for my dogs to lay on. Anyone done something like this before?

 

[featherbottoms]

How were you planning to make this?

I'm curious because I'm getting ready to weave my first rug and am using cotton or wool warp yarn and roving as the weft.

I also have about 6 alpaca fleece that I may never spin but I *could* use them to felt and make a rug.

Sooooo, I'm curious, too.

 

[Marchwind]

This book is written by a friend of mine and a fellow guild member. She teaches classes but this is her book on how to make the rugs.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Shepherds-Rug-Letty-Klein/dp/0881960144

 

[Ana Bluebird]

Years ago a crocheted a large oval rug, felted it some, and it's still as good as the day it finally got dry. I have had to hand wash it several times, but I think it's going to last forever!

 

[Mrs. Jo]

I want to simply felt it together not having to weave or crochet it at all. This will be loose wool. I've seen some rug making projects useing a whole dirty fleece, a large tarp, perhaps some roving to make a back, hot water, dish soap and rolling back and forth a good bit...I was thinking something along that line. I will one day make a few of the whole fleece ones...perhaps as a project for the next Shepards harvest. But I have tons of this bl fleece and will probably not want to spin with it again. I saved all the fine parts of these fleeces, have dyed and played with them and still have tons of that fiber left. I also have three bags full of saved combings I could use as part of the backing.
I wonder if a tarp would be good enough to do this with or if I have to have the bubble wrap. I don't know where I can find huge pieces of bubble wrap....

Thanks for the book idea. I'll put a reserve on it right now.

 

[Marchwind]

To make large sheets of wool felt my friends who do this use either a large towel, lay the towel on a larg sheet of plastic, lay out your fibers, wet with hot soapy water, and roll thE whole thing up and roll it back and forth over and over, and over. Some use a noodle as a core. Another friend uses bubble wrap, or a bamboo shade. The towel and plastic seem to work very well and are least expensive. You can prefelt it slightly before rolling it to help it hold together better. Use a gentle touch until it has begun to hold together. It is exhausting work, get the kids to help, take frequent brakes, your back and arms will be killing you. Rollin in one direction, Unwrap it, roll it in the other direction, and repeat rotating it every so often so it becomes an even felted sheet.

In Letty's book you are using roving.