Need advice on felting wool

Later this morning I will be felting some woven wools. From what I
have read all I need to do is wash the wool in very hot water and dry
it in a very hot dryer. Any other tricks? I seem to remember that one
person put a large towel in the dryer. Is that a good idea? Any other
tips? I plan to use the wool for applique on small projects like pin
cushions.

Thanks for your help, Susan Price

I agree, soap helps a lot.
Shana

Howdy!
Sounds like you got it, Susan.
How'd it go?

"Felting" means deliberately shrinking the wool; hot water and
soap takes care of that, as most of us learn somewhere in our
history of laundry. G The dryer speeds up the process and
increases the rate of shrinking. Good luck!

Ragmop/Sandy


On 4/19/06 6:58 AM, in article ,
"Susan Laity Price" wrote:

Later this morning I will be felting some woven wools. From what I
have read all I need to do is wash the wool in very hot water and dry
it in a very hot dryer. Any other tricks? I seem to remember that one
person put a large towel in the dryer. Is that a good idea? Any other
tips? I plan to use the wool for applique on small projects like pin
cushions.

Thanks for your help, Susan Price

Hot water, high pH soap or detergent (like regular laundry detergent), lots
of agitation. What you're trying to do is to get the little scales on wool
to open up (heat and high pH), and then close again after they've interlocked
(agitation and drying).

--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth

I washed the wool with our regular hot water and soap then dried it on
hot. It felted some but I though it would be tighter. I am thinking of
doing it a second time but turning up the heat on the hot water tank.
We don't keep our water heater very hot because with so few of us
living here now and on such different schedules we don't use the hot
water fast enough to need a really hot setting. Do you think a second
wash with hotter water will do any good?

Susan

Beware the second wash!

joan :

Are you abusing hundreds of yards or just something that will fit in the
sink? If sink size, you could fill your sink with hot water and add a pot
of boiling water to increase the temp. Then you could be further annoying
by filling the sink with cold water and pouring in some ice cubes. That
ought to be shock enough for anything.
When I am stitching something that must survive "Daddy helped with the
laundry", that's what I do. So many things - grosgrain ribbon, rickrack,
cording for bias piping get the "treatment" here before I sew. If it's
going to shrink, I want it to just get it over with. Polly (who suspects
that I can't spell grosgrain or rickrack, doubt that Spell-Check can either
and really don't care. So there.)

Waaaah-haha. It turns out I could spell everything right except
Spell-Check. Big Brother is watching me. Polly

Howdy!
If a second wash significantly shrinks it,
I'm taking 2 baths tonight!

Ragmop/Sandy


On 4/19/06 7:26 PM, in article
, "joan8904 in Bellevue
Nebraska" wrote:

Beware the second wash!

joan :

'They say' a belly laugh is good for your heart. Thank you, Sandy, my heart
is much better. Thank you for a good one. Polly

"Sandy Ellison" wrote If a second wash significantly shrinks it,
I'm taking 2 baths tonight!

Ragmop/Sandy


On 4/19/06 7:26 PM, in article
, "joan8904 in
Bellevue
Nebraska" wrote:

Beware the second wash!

joan :