Stovetop method?

[Nadine]

Well, I just finished felting my first project, it's not quite done, so not sure how it will turn out. I did it in the washer as that seems the most popular method, but it took me 9 cycles So I was just wondering if anyone has used the stovetop method of felting, with a pot of boiling water. Did it go faster? Are there more uniform/predictable results? If you've tried both methods, which do you prefer? Pros/cons of either method? Thank you all for helping

[hudelei]

I'd love the answer to this too, because I am currently using a laundromat to do my laundry and so I have looked at all the lovely felted items I've seen here and elsewhere, but haven't tried any of it yet for obvious reasons. I think I heard that the smell of boiling wool puts some people off using the stovetop method, but otherwise I haven't heard anything about it.

[Roli]

I haven't tried the stove top method but since I don't have a washer and dryer in my RV, I tried the double sink method. It worked really well for me. I simply ran a sick with hot water and one with cold. I added ice cubes to the cold water.

 

Then I dunked my purse into the hot water and swished it around violently! I scrubbed it and rubbed it and then dunked it in the cold water. I kept going back and forth, Sometimes I had to add more hot or cold water to the sinks. After about 6 dunkings in the hot water, my bag was felted and the fabric was nice and tight.

 

If you don't have a double sink, you can use tubs. I think that the key is to really abuse the item. The wool fibers have little hooks on the ends and these become tangled to create the thick felted fabric.

[losingmymind2]

I've heard of buying a 'plumbers friend' toilet plunger, writing FOR CRAFT USE ONLY! on the handle, and using that to abuse the fibers so they felt. And don't forget the baking soda to change the pH. I think that is a key too, because I was without it last time and it took about 10 or more washer cycles to get er done!

[Nadine]

I have to change the ph of the water? Maybe that's why I had a hard time with the project. How much baking soda do I add? Thanks

[Chain3turn]

I have to change the ph of the water?

Three things are needed to full wool fabric or felt wool: Change in temperature, change in pH, and agitation. Soap or vinegar are easy choices to change the pH. I prefer vinegar because it can be time consuming to keep rinsing the soap out of the felted or fulled wool and exact measurements are not necessary. I just pour some vinegar in when I'm fulling or felting.

[FelixLake]

Did you see Crafters Coast to Coast on HGTV this morning? She was making felt hats and used soapy water and an electric sander (with vinyl instead of sand paper) to agitate. She didn't use hot then cold water. She then threw the thing in the dryer with a bunch of balls.

[Roli]

Using an electric sander in water??

 

That sounds like a recipe for electrocution!!!!

[FelixLake]

I didn't think about that. I guess you would want to make sure you are using one of those plugs that would shut off, like you should have in your bath and kitchen.

[DainaJ]

Thanks for the sink tip! I just made my first fulled bag, and it took 3 washes (I washed jeans and towels along with the bag, which was stuffed in a pillowcase), but it's still not felted as tightly as I would like for an everyday bag - my keys keep sticking through!

[MLLORF]

I've never had a problem with my bags not felting. My thing is I don't get it out of the hot wash soon enough. I put my bag in a lingerie bag along with a pair of jeans. Use hot water, and the smallest load size. I do a 30 minute cycle then let the water drain, check the size and then do another cycle. My thing is I need to pay more attention to that last cycle. Then I bring it upstairs and put it in a sink of cold water.

[Chain3turn]

Then I bring it upstairs and put it in a sink of cold water.

 

I just turn the dial to spin, spin out the excess water and it's done! Lay flat for drying (generally out in the sun to speed up the process of drying).