The wool has been gathered, washed, and carded… now it’s time for the felting. This is a practice that goes back thousands of years, and is a beautifully simple process. There is a long tradition of felting in central Asia, and from what I can gather, my process is essentially the same. Basically, all that is needed is warm water, and agitation. Wool will actually felt itself even while still on the sheep’s back, given the chance.
First, I lay a reed mat (purchased in China Town for about $3) on the floor with a piece of plastic tarp underneath to protect the wood floors. The carded pieces of wool are spread thin, and laid out in a single layer across half the mat in a 24″ square. I drizzle a gentle liquid soap over the wool, then lay a second layer going the opposite direction. The soap is repeated after each layer, and all of the wool pieces overlap slightly so there are no holes.
The number of layers depends on the desired thickness; for a solid, sturdy fabric I used 5 layers of wool.
Next, I fold the mat in half over the wool, and roll up tightly. I secure the roll using rubber bands.
I fill the bathtub with about 4″ of hot water, and submerse the wool until it’s soaked through. I like to begin the agitation in the tub by rolling the mat back and forth; I think of it as imitating the wash cycle in a washing machine.
After about 10-15 minutes of agitation in the tub, I drain the excess water and roll it back and forth on the floor using firm pressure.
The total agitation process takes about 30-40 minutes. When finished I unroll the mat, turn the fabric, and repeat the process. This needs to be done at least 4-6 times to make a tight fabric.
Finally, the fabric is finished. I hang it to dry for about 24 hours, and then it’s ready to use. Felt is especially nice to work with because it can be cut, stitched, and molded without having to hem the edges.
And there it is: The mysteries of felt unfolded!
Despite the long and tedious nature of felt-making, I really do love it – its natural process, and its ancient history. To me it represents the simplicity of the things we really need, all of which already exists in nature.
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