Yarn for felting

[theworm]

I haven't felted anything yet, but I'm starting to think about it.

I know that I need to use wool - does that mean I need to find 100% wool yarn, or are wool blends ok? And suggestions for reasonably priced yarns that work well?

[donnalynn2]

You need 100% wool for felting.

 

I did make that FCEC Tote in Lion Brand Landscapes yarn which is a 100% wool thread wrapped in a nylon or acrylic thread so it gave me a pebbly look. (The wool felted but the other strand did not.) If it's a blend I do not think it will work right.

 

Knit Picks is by far one of the best places to get 100% wool yarn...

[smokeyp81]

You can felt with other fibers too. I needs to be a natural fiber (animal). Brown sheeps Lamb's Pride has mohair in it...I think it's 15% mohair....it felts up with a great "halo" effect from the mohair. I use that a lot with hats. I wouldn't use it for say, a purse. You probably wouldn't want all that fuzz. Also, superwash wool can't be felted. It is 100 % wool but they do something to it so it won't shrink. It should state that on the label. A blend like the LB landscapes, gives a different look. It just depends on what you want to felt and what you want for an end result. I have also felted with Paton's Merino classic with a novelty yarn (eyelash). I have used that for brims of hats. That also gives you a different look. The eyelash still sticks out and the wool felted around it. Most of my experience comes from trial and error....some things that I have felted haven't turned out quite the way I wanted it to. If you are unsure it a yarn will felt....stitch up a swatch and give it a try.....Just be warned....once you start felting....it becomes addicting! Have fun!

[theworm]

Ok, thanks! Living in Florida I try to get cotton - not yarn - just having projects in my lap is so darned hot, but I want to try this. I do have some LB Watercolors at home, and I think my sister gave me wool yarn, but I need to check if its a blend.

 

I saw that it goes in the washer on the hot/cold setting with regular soap. Is laundry detergent considered regular soap? sorry for the dumb questions, but I want to do it right.

[mamaoso]

I used Moda-Dea Cache for this basket. It's 75% Wool, 22% acrylic and 3% polyester.[knitted] I used a zippered pillowcover to put the basket in, washer in Hot water, teaspoon of laundry soap., 1/2 cup of baking soda, went though the wash cycle 3 times.[ I kept stopping the washer and checking to see how much it felted]. Then wash cycle once more then the rest of the cycles.[ rinse in cold]

[theworm]

cool!

Can't wait to try!

Thanks!

[Qmare]

mamaoso, your basket is so cool!

 

Personally, I like the halo that you get from the lamb's pride on a purse... it's cool!

 

And, as illustrated, Wool with a little bit of synthetic will work... but it may take a bit more effort. I have used Cache as well with good results.

[goldi316]

I do have some LB Watercolors at home, and I think my sister gave me wool yarn, but I need to check if its a blend.

 

I don't think the Watercolors would work. In order to have a successful felting with a blended wool yarn, I think you need for the majority of the blend to be wool, and Watercolors is only 35%. I think 50% would be the minimum you can get away with and still have good results.

 

The Landscapes does work well, giving a "pebbly" textured felted product, but it doesn't shrink a lot, due I'm sure to the fact that it's not 100% wool (it's 50%).

[MLLORF]

I was at a LYS outside my city and the clerk told me that as long as it had 85% wool it would felt. But she also warned us that white did not felt as well as the other because of bleaching, etc it goes through to get the color out. I used an ecru/off white and it was okay.

[theworm]

Thanks everyone for all the great info!

Ok - 85% and not white. I can do that!