Has your feeling of humidity been less than satisfactory? Or maybe you haven’t tried it yet and want to get it right the first time. The following tips will help you master wet felting wool.

FiberChoice

First, you need to select the right wool for felting. Some fibers didn’t feel right at all. Try felting alpaca wool or merino wool. A bit more expensive, but the finer fibers feel great. Fibers from other medium sheep also felt good.

When you choose your yarn, make sure the staples are of even length. Your finished project will be hairy and shed less. 3 inches is a good length.

Test the fiber by felting a small sample to see if it will be satisfactory for your finished project.

layers

Lay your wool at 90 degrees to the last layer. 5-6 thin coats is better than 2-3 thick coats. Your layers will be more even and your fibers will feel better.

Check your layers to see that there are no thin spots. This inspection will go a long way in making sure your coats are even and will prevent a lot of problems with your finished project. You’ll either have to throw out the felt you just made if there are too many thin stitches or spend a lot of time going over it with a felting needle and fiber to fill in the thin areas. Save yourself some time and do it right the first time.

felt stage

Use the screen felt and sponge method. Holds fibers in place and prevents fibers from sticking to hands. It really helps make you feel even more enjoyable.

Watch the amount of soap and water you use. Too much water and its fibers float away from each other instead of felting. If water pools between your fingers when you press down, then you’ve used too much. This is where the sponge really helps. You can better control the amount of water you use and keep it to a minimum.

Is more soap better? No. It will create bubbles that separate your fibers so they can’t come together and feel. You really only need a small amount of soap.

Don’t press too hard at first. Gradually adding pressure will make the fibers feel better and create a more even felted wool.

Keep your water as hot as possible. If the water gets cold, add more hot water. If this is going to cause a problem with too much water, soak up some of the water with a towel before adding more to your fibers.

full stage

This is where you will make or break the felt you just made. During milling, air is removed between the fibers, making them tighter. If you don’t squeeze the fibers, your project will clump and flop until it falls apart.

Which fulling method is better? It’s not the method, it’s if you complete the fulling process. So choose which is the best method for you. How do you know when the mixing has finished? If you pull on the felt and it stretches, it’s not done. You should feel it until it is firm.

Keep the water hot while it fills. If you can, fill your sink or bathtub so you have access to hot water during the filling process.

refinement

When you have finished the fulling process, you should completely rinse the soap off with cold water. Leaving soap on could damage the fibers making them brittle or may even disintegrate over time.

Just gently squeeze out excess water. Never twist. To speed up drying time, roll the felt up in a towel to remove more water.

Let dry completely before adding anything else. Wool has an excellent memory. It will hold whatever shape you dry it into. It takes a full 24 hours for the wool to dry completely.

Now that you’ve mastered the art of wet felting, your projects will be of high quality. Your friends and family will love receiving your felt gifts or if you sell them you will have satisfied customers. Now go ahead and create a great felt!