Jump to content

High efficiency washing machines


smokeyp81

Recommended Posts

Do any of you felters out there have a top load high efficiency washing machine? Have you felted successfully with one?

 

We just replaced our old top load washing machine with a top load high efficiancy machine. This machine has almost no agitator. The clothes "roll" when they wash.

 

So, I tried to felt last night....it took me 1 1/2 hours to felt a pair of slippers! I have never had any problem felting in my old washer 20-30 minutes tops.....I tried everything from adding a pair of jeans, small amount of soap...everything that is recommended.....

....anyone have a solution??? Or am I not going to be able to felt in this machine?

 

I have been thinking of getting one of these....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just felted a purse/tote and yes it took a while. I added 2pr jeans and 2pr tennis shoes. I had the washer on the hotest water and longest cycle. one and a half hours. I was told to check every 10-15 minutes, but I just let the whole cycle complete before I even checked. Drying took DAYS, but came out fine. When it is finished(add lining and handles) I will post pics.

Do any of you felters out there have a top load high efficiency washing machine? Have you felted successfully with one?

 

We just replaced our old top load washing machine with a top load high efficiancy machine. This machine has almost no agitator. The clothes "roll" when they wash.

 

So, I tried to felt last night....it took me 1 1/2 hours to felt a pair of slippers! I have never had any problem felting in my old washer 20-30 minutes tops.....I tried everything from adding a pair of jeans, small amount of soap...everything that is recommended.....

....anyone have a solution??? Or am I not going to be able to felt in this machine?

 

I have been thinking of getting one of these....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I know what you mean smokeyp81. I, too, have a high efficiency front loader. I bought it a couple of years ago before I even knew what felting was. You can also felt by hand but that takes just as long and you have to keep agitating the item. Some folks felt in the dryer, but I don't know how they do it. I can only guess that they wash the item and then dry it in the dryer. With high heat, I would imagine that would help a lot with felting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 years later...
  • 10 months later...
On 5/23/2010 at 5:15 PM, Threecats said:

 Some folks felt in the dryer, but I don't know how they do it. I can only guess that they wash the item and then dry it in the dryer. With high heat, I would imagine that would help a lot with felting.

I can swear you can felt stuff in a dryer! LOL. Many years ago my husband brought a very beautiful wool sweater from Germany. I guess I did NOT expected that was a wool sweater. I just put that to wash machine on delicate (cold water) and to the dryer on medium. OMG! I could not believed my eyes what I took out from that dryer :(. That sweater was the size that could fit 2 year old child. My husband was so disappointed, he really liked that sweater. I felt so bad at that time because that was probably the first sweater that my husband liked. He never liked to wear any sweaters before. That was a beautiful Shetland wool sweater and a very nice design. I will never forget what happen to that sweater as long as I live...:(.

Krys

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What had happen to me with that wool sweater (info. posted above) the DRYER will do that (heat in that dryer). When i took out that sweater from my wash machine that sweater was still the same size as it was before. All that shrinkage ( you can call that felting) happened in that dryer!.

That is why most of wool products are recommend to be hand wash & air dry. Most of the time they ask to be Dry Clean.

Granny Square I believe you :). I am NOT saying that  in wash that item can not shrink (felt).

Krys

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When it comes to "felting" another thing probably is very important. That is the percentage % of real wool in that yarn?. I was never interested in felting so I do not know much about any "rules" when it comes to doing that. But it seems to me that  yarn-100% wool should be used for those projects. Because if there is only some percentage of wool in that yarn,  you can not expect for that project to be able to "felt" much.

And it is possible  that  all those yarns - 100% WOOL  are NOT felting the same rate.  Some might be shrinking more and others less.

This days there are yarns made with WOOL  and those can be wash in wash machine & dry in a DRYER on any settings and will come out Ok, same size. I guess that would not be good idea to try to shrink  (felt) that!  LOL

Krys

Edited by USpolishgirl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did the same thing with a purchased wool cardigan, was not paying attention and it got into the dryer - aak!  (I didn't notice what it looked like out of the washer).  Too bad I didn't know any 10-year olds at the time, it probably would have fit them. :cry  

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...