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Author Topic: Felting, what wool?  (Read 11775 times)

clickowls

  • Joined Sep 2009
Felting, what wool?
« on: March 05, 2010, 12:02:50 pm »
Am about to embark on a first ever felting experiment.  Have several different breeds of sheep, so what fleece would felt the best? Have Jacob, but son wants to put through the peg loom for a rug, have Bluefaced Leicester, Greyface Dartmoor, Suffolk, the list goes on ....
The BFL is obviously the finer fleece, but is it's short staple good enough for felting?  Presumably I will have to wash these fleeces first, may also need to read the book!
ANY advice most welcome.

Fluffywelshsheep

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Near Stirling, Central Scotland
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2010, 12:17:12 pm »
Hiya how are you gona be felting? via hand, needle or washing mashine?

anything will felt as long as it has a high percentage of natural animal fibres
Linz
« Last Edit: March 05, 2010, 12:19:07 pm by Fluffywelshsheep »

sagehen

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Warwickshire
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2010, 01:22:18 pm »
No you need longer fibres preferably for felting, so although the BFL is fine if you are knitting/crocheting it first (which technically is called fulling, not felting), I wouldn't recommend it for wet felting.

clickowls

  • Joined Sep 2009
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2010, 06:48:23 pm »
O.K. thought the BFL fibres may be too short, perhaps the Jacob wool may be better suited.  As to how I will be felting, by hand, eventually with children, so as hands on as possible.

sagehen

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Warwickshire
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2010, 07:21:29 pm »
Yes I think compared to all other types, Jacob wool is probably best (greyfaced too coarse, and suffolk too downy). You will need to wash the fleece, and if possible get a pair of carders to card the wool. You will need to lay layers of the wool, so if it is not carded (and especially after washing) you will get clumpy wool that you can't distribute evenly. Alternatively, what you can do with the kids is make sausage shapes or balls, if you haven't got a carder. If you want to make big flat projects, you will definitely need to card it first.

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2010, 08:08:07 pm »
When I get some sheep , I may get some cotswolds (sort of been steered off of Soay's lol ) , big sheep lots of wool.
Now I know their wool is good for many things from jumpers to carpets , but would they be good for felting too ?.
 Also, apart from hats , what can felt be used for as clothing ? I made a hat out of some  wool from some old jumpers , years ago , it turned out like an old farmers hat lol..  but I am stumped as to what other types of clothing I could use felt for . I am not arty farty in any way , so I am not interested in making stuff for show . Just every day use clothing .

cheers

Russ

sagehen

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Warwickshire
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2010, 08:13:29 pm »
Uh what length is a cotswold fleece - hang on - *goes to check book*
It's a long one, so yep it'd be good to felt. What can felt be used for - you can make coats, heavy duty waterproof ponchos, tents, bags, if you make them lighter you can make trousers (bit scratchy though but you can always line it I suppose). I love felt, you can use it everywhere in the house, and of course you can make hats  ;) Also great for dog baskets!

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2010, 08:22:28 pm »
thanks Sage,
    I will have to look into felting a bit more then ...never thought of it apart from hat making !!! The dog basket thing would be good as I will be making my own willow baskets for the dogs !!! could you use spaniel dog hair to make felt too ? I get huge amounts of that every day ...all goes on the compost heap at the moment , as I don't like the thought of bags of old dog hair laying about in the shed ....
 I suppose you could make curtains out of felt too then (wouldn't want dog hair felt ones though ..just wool !!  ::) ).
 

cheers

Russ

sagehen

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Warwickshire
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2010, 09:02:38 pm »
Totally new territory there - I've never spun dog hair, and a spaniel's hair would be quite soft, and not too sure of it's felting abilities. Tell you what, you try it and tell me!  ;D And felt curtains, ummm, technically yes but why in the world would you want felt curtains. I suppose it keeps the heat in, but it'll be a bit tricky to sew curtain tapes on the top. I suppose you could use eyelet punches hmmm...See, what you've made me do, I'm venturing too far out of the box now!  ;D ;D *hurries back to safety of floral cotton curtains*

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2010, 09:10:45 pm »
lol... sorry Sage.... my aim is to make as much of everything that I need/want out of materials that I can grow or rear on my smallholding .
 When I make my cutains they will be hanging off a pole , probably a metal one ?. So tabs will be used not hooks or whatever .. nice and simple .

cheers


Russ

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2010, 09:36:15 am »
On the subject of easy ways to hang curtains (I should know, I'm lazy lol!)
These eyelets are fantastic, you get some that clip together rather than having to use a press to fit them but I can't find them at the minute - this link will give you the idea
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/METAL-CURTAIN-EYELETS-IN-NICKEL-OR-BLACK-16-X-40mm-NEW_W0QQitemZ170445966235QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Home_Garden_Curtains_Blinds_CurtainFixtures_Accessories_EH?hash=item27af5f0b9b
They look ever so funky and slide great on metal poles  ;)

sagehen

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Warwickshire
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2010, 02:34:39 pm »
Yeah that was what I was thinking, although with felt curtains I think Russ might have to weld the curtain poles to something  ;D Screws aren't going to hold the weight.

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2010, 04:08:30 pm »
 ;D ;D ;D....yes I did think they would be very heavy Sage , but was just wondering if felt would work . Any curtains I do make will be heavy weight affairs anyway , I really like velvet curtains but I hate touching the stuff...I really can't touch anything velvet at all ... ::), so I won't be having velvet curtains !!!! ( if I do they will be either permanently open or closed !!! ::) ;D) .
 The metal rod for the pole/rod will be some 1/2"-3/4" thick , so will be quite heavy in itself . They will be fixed to the wall with hand made coach screws , these will take the weight of two or three people hanging on them so should hold a curtain (not that I intent to hang anyone on them though  !!!!) . The hanging of undesirables, will be carried out on the gallows in the yard  , and from there they will be taken to the drawing bench and after drawing, the quartering will take place . The heads will....er getting off topic here .... ::)

http://www.polesdirect.com/details.asp?ID=4960

thats the sort of thing I will be making above.
 The curtains can be of any material really ( apart from velvet !!!) cotten , linen or even hemp .
 I have an arbour press similar to the one in the eyelet link , plus a few dies for pressing the eyelets . I got them to make tarps... so cheers Karen I will have a look what size eyelets I have ..I think the largest are about 1/2" .

cheers

Russ

sagehen

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Warwickshire
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #13 on: March 06, 2010, 10:36:24 pm »
Lol! Good thing you weren't a lord in the middle ages, because you would have had to wear velvet  ;D I suppose you'll be making the poles when your forge is ready?

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
Re: Felting, what wool?
« Reply #14 on: March 06, 2010, 10:58:44 pm »
yes ...imagine that ....it would have been torture every minute of the day  !!!
 I could make the poles/rods anytime really , as I have the metal and the forge more or less ready , but I have to make the house to put the poles in first !!! :o ;D
 I have the hazel and the willow growing for the wattle , plenty of clay around for the daub , got the wheat to grow for the thatch , even got the lead and lots of old glass for the leaded windows ....but I still have a few more trees to acquire yet for the frame of the house . Think I have about 1/2 of what I need at the moment .

cheers

Russ

 

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