I would like some info on how to felt some wool pieces I have. I know you have to wash in hot water. Do I use any soap and do I also dry iin the dryer. Any help on this would be great.

Hi Mary Lou!! I have felted a few times, I use hot water, no soap, i was originally tought with soap but I have found it is better without it. I knit the wool loosely than throw it in the washing machine with a towl or jeans and was on hot water with cool rinse, keep an eye on it, you may have to run it through the washer a couple times, dont put it in the dryer, stretch it to size than lay it on a towel to dry, you can also steam iron it to help it to dry. Good Luck!!

Thank-you so much. Mary Lou

Word of advice from someone who also knits. Buy a sweater bag to catch the fuzz the wool will throw off in the wash machine. They are like $5 at Wal-Mart or where ever. Haven't experienced, but I've heard horror stories from other knitters about having to replace their machines the first time they felted!

Curiousity question.....I have a few old wool blankets.... if I used this process with them would it "felt" them?

I have a question too. What is the purpose? I guess it changes the texture?What do you use it for?Guess that was a few questions....
kathy

As I said before, my experience with it is with knitting. Knitters will felt a knitted work to make the fabric thicker. Mostly we do it with things like bags and hats. The particles of the wool bind together when you put in the hot water, making it so you can't really see the individual stiches as much. If you google felted wool you can see some pictures of works before and after.

As for the blankets, I would guess washing them in the hot water would felt them. You don't dry them, just wash them in hot and let them air dry.

I've made cat toys and pincushions with roving in the washer. How can I describe roving....it's the wool before it's spun to make yarn. I've done little with needle felting, but if you take the unspun wool and shape and work it with a felting needle a little, then stick it in an old knee high or sock, then wash on hot, the whole thing felts together. It's really cool....the cat just loves his toy, but he keeps taking the pincushion too. I finally had to put in my sewing machine case for classes.
I'm a bit 3 deminsionally challenged when it comes to knitting or crocheting so I don't have any experience felting things like purses, but the effect is just amazing!! I hadn't thought about an old wool blanket...if anyone tries that tell us how it turns out!!

If you are going to do wool felt applique and make a piece that might need to be washed in the future, I semi-wash my wool first by filling the tub with hot water and then just let it agitate a minute or two and then spin it out, then fill the tub with cold water and spin it out once more. I then dry it in the dryer until it is almost dry and then lay it out to finish drying...It will shrink but that is what you want it to do before actually making your project...It will shrink as much as 3-6 inches .....It will felt as well...and yes, that menas it takes on a different texture...It is a little fuzzy looking...I make wool felt penny rugs and quilt blocks with my wool...

ok, sounds interesting, now tell me what a penny rug is
kathy