[Fleecewife]

I've recently seen several felted yarns advertised and now I see that Alafoss Lopi claims to be unspun but felted.  I'm assuming that it's pulled out as roving then felted somehow.  I would like to try this with my Hebridean yarn but how do you do the felting part without getting just a big felted mass?  I can see that it could be done on a commercial scale by winding it off one roll and onto another then felting the unrolled bit.  But how would you do it on a domestic scale?     Or am I being remarkably stupid 

[SallyintNorth]

Hi FW 

I've no idea whether this is along the lines you were thinking, but you'll be interested in it anyway...  Weaving cotted fleece

[Fleecewife]

No not at all Sally    but interesting yes.  I think that way of tearing felted fleece into strips would only work for certain kinds of fleece though as when my fleeces cott they become a solid mass which simply can't be pulled apart.  I suppose I could cut it into strips with hedge shears......
 
No the yarn I am thinking of is a thick singles which has been felted as yarn, as opposed to once it's made into something.   I am now wondering if I could use the finishing method for handspun but just carry on until the yarn is felted rather than just 'fulled'.  I had worried about it all sticking together but apparently by bashing it hard onto something it keeps the strands separate.
I thought it would make a good firm yarn to make into a chunky jacket or winter cardigan, which wouldn't sag or stretch, but by felting it before knitting it would keep both its size (in the garment) and the stitch definition.
 
I have spent (wasted) all morning searching online but I haven't found any info on how to do it yet.   I will experiment with some commercial yarn before I let myself loose with handspun.
 
Modified:  now I've been back online and I can't even find the yarns I'm thinking of 
 
The Lopi ones turn out to be unspun roving/sliver or whatever it's called, for felting.  There are definitely some others, including a hand dyed yarn with indigo....why didn't I note the url when I first found it 

[colliewoman]

When I made my dreadlock extensions i pulled thin sections of roving/batt apart dipped each one in soapy water and rolled it on my lap on a rough towel (think modelling clay sausages!)
Rinse and repeat. When I couldn't get them any tighter by hand I bunched them in to sixes and chucked them in the washing machine.
I see no reason why it wouldn't work for very fine sections too. although I doubt you'd need to use the washer

[Fleecewife]

Hi Colliewoman.  Yes it's like very inadequate dreds but loooooong ! (a few hundred yards)  So it needs some way to unroll one end and roll the other, if I do it like that.    If I can't get it to work by felting in the skein then I think I'll give up