Help Patons Wool

[stacys]

I just attemped my first felting project. I was remiss in doing a test swatch, so shame on me. However, I used Lion Wool and Patons Wool. The Patons wool never really did felt after 4 wash cycles, the Lion brand did beautifully. Has anyone else had this problem? I would like to note that I have very hard well water. Could this have had something to do with it?

 

I'm new here and any help would be appreciated.

 

Thank you so much for all of your advise. I had enough leftover to make a smal chainge purse. I'll try to felt it this weekend and see what I get. Also I ended up stitching the bottom of the bag closed and it ended up kind-of cute. I'll post pictures if I can figure that out.

 

Again thanks for all of your help!

[BonnieCrochets]

That is really strange Patrons has always felted better for me than any other kind. I'm curious if anyone else has had this problem. Oh and by the way I have hard well water too.

[kellyv]

I love the way patons felts. Very strange that you had a problem. maybe a bad batch?? It usually felts great by 2 washes I find, I have plain old city water here.

[origami]

I just attemped my first felting project. I was remiss in doing a test swatch, so shame on me. However, I used Lion Wool and Patons Wool. The Patons wool never really did felt after 4 wash cycles, the Lion brand did beautifully. Has anyone else had this problem? I would like to note that I have very hard well water. Could this have had something to do with it?

 

I'm new here and any help would be appreciated.

 

What color is the wool? Sometimes white colored wool doesn't felt well due to the bleaching process they use to get the white color.

 

Other than that, I've felted a couple times with Patons and haven't had any problem.

 

Check the label to make sure it hasn't been treated to be a "superwash" -- some wools can be machine washed if they have been processed to do so.

[losingmymind2]

I've felted with Patons wool and with some Charisma New Zealand wool, both felted well for me. Did you add either some baking soda or dish washing liquid to the water to help alter the pH and allow the fibers to 'open up'?

[dhaunae]

Paton's Classic Wool is what I've used on my past 3 felted projects and it's felted beautifully each time, 2 washes at MOST were all it took .. what type did you use?

[deneen]

Paton's wool generally always felts, eventually. Lion Brand, only so-so results.

[stacys]

Thanks for all of your help. The wool was burgundy. I'll try again and put in some baking soda and see if it does any different. Maybe I did get a bad skein.

[origami]

Thanks for all of your help. The wool was burgundy. I'll try again and put in some baking soda and see if it does any different. Maybe I did get a bad skein.

 

Make sure to put in some old jeans and put the item in a zippered pillowcase. Agitation will really help the felting process.

[jacqui]

I tied to felt a bag i made from Patons Fireside and it did not felt. Stupid me didn't realise that some pure wools are treated so they won't felt. Sometimes the label says 'Machine Washable' that usually means it wont shrink in the wash. I am not sure if your wool has that on the label or not though Patons is international.I found this to be true of some wool tops for spinning as well.Have any of you found this or is it just an Aussie thing?

[natalie058]

I tied to felt a bag i made from Patons Fireside and it did not felt. Stupid me didn't realise that some pure wools are treated so they won't felt. Sometimes the label says 'Machine Washable' that usually means it wont shrink in the wash. I am not sure if your wool has that on the label or not though Patons is international.I found this to be true of some wool tops for spinning as well.Have any of you found this or is it just an Aussie thing?

 

Some wools are superwash, which means they have been chemically treated so they will not full. Most brands will put "superwash" on the label if it is in fact so, otherwise, check the care instructions to see if it says "machine washable" If it does, then it's not fullable.

 

If she used Paton's Classic Merino, which is what I'm assuming she did because it's widely available here, that wool is *not* superwash and should full up nicely. The exception to that might be white, since it's usually bleached and looses some of it's fulling power. However, she said she used burgandy, so the color wouldn't be the problem, either.

 

My suggestion, if a few more washes don't help, is to try to full it the rest of the way by hand. The method Holly swears by is using two buckets in the tub, one with hot hot hot water, and the other with coooooooold water, and a new, clean, craft only plunger. Submerge the bag in hot, plunge it around for awhile to agitate, and switch to the cold water and do the same. If there are still areas that need to be fulled up, you can work at them by hand, rubbing in the direction you want the shrinkage to occur. [The old fashioned washing boards would come in handy for that...]

[jacqui]

I'm going to try that way with a tote bag i'm making from different kinds of wool i've spun. As i heard that coaser types of wool don't felt as easily. Thanks Nat.

[C.D.]

I just used Patons last week and I too did not care for its fulling. I have not used Lion Brands Wool yet but really like their Landscapes.

[stacys]

It wasn't me!!! I just got off of the phone with Patons and they had a bad batch of burgundy go out. They are going to send me a replacement skein. YEA!

 

Thought ya'll might like to know!

[origami]

It wasn't me!!! I just got off of the phone with Patons and they had a bad batch of burgundy go out. They are going to send me a replacement skein. YEA!

 

Thought ya'll might like to know!

 

What a relief. Of course, you put all that work in already but at least you can try it again.

 

Meanwhile, I felted a tote from a lovely hunter green Cascade 220 and I am SO PLEASED! It turned out just beautifully! Cascade 220 at my LYS is about 7 dollars for 3.5 ounces which is only a dollar more than Paton's at JoAnn's. I really, really like how the Cascade felts a lot and there's a really wide variety of colors and heathers!

[jacqui]

Thats great hope it works this time and you can post a picture.

[C.D.]

I too really like Cascade 220. Fulls wonderfully and is very consistant. I have been able to treble crochet and still get it to fill (full) in.

 

I will have to say, in my medium, my all time best is Paternayan (needlepoint wool) but use C220 for the bag bodies and in fill in areas.

[btpsmom]

I can't believe that Paton's didn't felt. I use it most and it felts wonderfully.

I am making the felted bag from FCEC winter 2005, at least that's what it started out as, now it is evolving into a messenger bag, as I am going to put a flap and a couple pockets on it, along with a long strap. I am on row 40 of the bag's body. It needs about 16 more rows before I start the flap.