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Has anyone felted without a washer before?


LadyBeBop

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I want to join Momma Chelle's beginning felting crochetalong. :P However, I don't think I have the proper washing machine. Although it's a top loading machine, it doesn't have an agitator, so I'm thinking that I can't felt in it. (BTW, it's a Maytag Neptune XL...top-of-the-line when we bought it, 2 1/2 years old. Never gave us a lick of trouble yet...but I've always believed those stories 'bout the Maytag repairman are true.)

 

Assuming I can't felt in it, how hard is felting in the bathtub? What kinds of materials will I need? How long must I "agitate" the crocheted item?

 

Or am I wrong, and I can felt in my washer?

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I would try a swatch in your washer. At some point it has to be agitating your clothes or they would not come clean. If you are hand felting, or fulling, you need water that is really as hot as you can stand, soap (dishsoap works well) and you need to "agitate" it, rub it, knead it, roll it, scrub it, in your hands. You can use other tools to assist you (screens, rolling sticks, brushes) but I would not necessarily recommend them until you have tried it by hand a few times to get the feel of it, and then I would not use them on a really good project until you have tried them out on something less important. In general, felting and/or fulling take longer by hand just as sewing or woodworking , etc. take longer by hand. This is pretty basic, but I hope it helps. Do a felting/fulling search online, there are quite a few tutorials out there.

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I haven't tried this myself, because I use my washing machine, but some folks use a new, unused toilet plunger in a bucket to provide the agitation. You start with the hottest water you have, add a bit of soap or baking soda, and plunge away. Then when it's felted to your liking, you rinse it in cold water, and blot the excess moisture away with a towel. Either lay flat to dry, or, if it's a bag, use a compatible shape to block it.

 

I would try a swatch in your washer first, though.... I'm a firm believer in letting machines do the work if they can.

 

Joan

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I used my kitchen sinks, Hot on one side, cold on the other. Just let the item soak for a little while and then rub it together, Like hand wash clothing..Put it in the cold water then do it over again until you get it felted the way you want..Takes a while but can be done...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Anyone else tried boiling to felt before? I'm about to start my first felting project, and I think I'll give it a try. The machines in my apartment complex don't have a hot wash/cool rinse option, and besides, I can't hang out in the room to keep checking it. I guess I'll do a swatch (I know I should anyway; this is good motivation) and boil it, and if I'm not happy with the results, I'll go to a laundromat... but I'd love to seem some pictures of boiled felting.

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Sigh. So my experiment with boiling was a failure. I made a swatch (Wool of the Andes, K hook, HDCs), brought water to a boil, added soap and baking soda, put in my swatch, agitated continuously with a wire wisk. After more than seven minutes, very little had happened felting-wise. The colors bled like crazy (the dark green lost most of its color). That's about it.

 

I guess I'm going to have to try the laundromat--unfortunately, I don't think I have enough yarn to make another swatch. Also, I'd hate to spend the money to do multiple feltings. But I have a design that I love in my head, and I've already bought the wool, so...

 

Oh, well, I'm supposed to be doing homework anyway.

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Although it's a top loading machine, it doesn't have an agitator, Or am I wrong, and I can felt in my washer?

 

If I am thinking of the machine you have. I wanted it especially for felting. It agitates by tilting the entire tub, right? I think that the agitator in the middle is actually a hindrance because the felted item twists around it causing the item to become misshapen.

I believe that you can agitate with this machine but you will probably need to have a few more items that can cause friction between the projects and a few more agitation cycles. The use of the cold water when done will help.

 

I prefer to use a seersucker material no larger than a pillow case or a real rough type of material like netting (not Tulle). I like the ideas of tennis balls but only if the project is encased in a tightly secured pillow case and need to be sure to get the least colored tennis balls (dye is dye no matter where it is at). I have been tinkering with the idea of plastic scrubbies used only if project is in pillow case.

 

I hope that someone has your type of machine can alleviate your fears. Happy felting if you decide to o forward.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have been thinking of doing a felting class for my students but wondered about this as well.. of course we don't have a washer at Michaels, and really don't have a stove though we do have a microwave. Is it possible to get the water hot enough in like a crock pot to be able to felt without a washing machine?

 

Might be a silly question but I had to ask lol

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What about needle felting. You use a tool that looks like a knob and has anywhere from 3-5 sharp needles in it and a piece of styrofoam or cardboard behind your work. As you puncture your work it binds the wool fibers together and turns to felt. It takes a while, but will yield a felted result without a washer.

 

Also, have you tried felting with old jeans and tennis shoes in your agitator-less washer? I have always had a lot of success in my std. washer with 3-4 pair of old jeans and 1 or 2 pair of my tennis shoes. The more you put in there, the better it seems to felt.

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