HELP? Please? Felting...!!!! S.O.S.!!!

I'm not *experianced* with felting, but I know that wool must be used. Was the yarn pure wool? Marie and the cats

Here is the info on Landscapes from the Lion Brand site,

Hi Emma, Felting is done by the combination of three main things... hot water ... detergent....agitation... However, as this is quite a small object, (in comparison to your washer drum) you'll need to put in a towel with the item to give it something to bang against whilst it is agitating...otherwise it is just sitting there floating about and turning around in there and not getting anything to bang against properly...so it needs something to get the life bashed out of it, chuck in a towel or two small ones.. HTH...Cheers.....Cher

My experience with Lion Brand Landscapes - Knitted a tote bag , threw in washer with couple of towels, hot water, etc... twice.! took it out, shaped, let air dry and all..lots of shedding and certain colors were bumps in the fabric (used Summer Fields ) it was the yellow that remained as bumps...ended up wider than I wanted, not as tall as wanted but using it all the same for what little fancy yarns I have so they have their own space!

Donna in S. Indiana

It says the yarn is 50% acrylic. As far as I know, that won't felt properly - you need 100% wool. This isn't a case of you failing, this is a case of Lion Brand trying to capitalize on a popular trend which their yarns are not appropriate for, IMHO!!! If the store you're working for carries yarn that is 100% wool, would they let you substitute that for the lesson?

Seems like this store has put you in an unfair position. I really hope that you don't lose your job but I admire you for sticking to your guns. Who knows how many frustrated beginners might be turned off from knitting altogether should the store insist on teaching this course with materials that don't work as intended?

Best of luck to you, LauraJ

Hi cher,

As the subject line askes, what exactly is felting? I've seen this discussed quite a lot but still don't know what it is.

Thanks

David

Hello Emma, I am sorry you have so many problems with your felting/ fulling project. I would think that you do not have the correct wool. Super wool for instance will not felt. OK here is a lesson on felting or fulling knitted projects. Sheep wool, has little tiny barbs on each little fiber when you wash your woolen clothing in hot water, and at the same time agitate it, the woolen fibers open up and at the same time, the little invisible, can't see them with your bare eyes,barbs, will hook into one and other. This results in a matted cloth, or when you do this controled a felted material. Do take in account that each sheep breed is a little different, some fleece or sheep fiber will felt better than others.

Before you do any felting project you should knit a sample, and felt it. That will help in determining if the wool you want to use is suitable for felting. Do not assume right away that you are erring, but it could be that the people who ask you to work with these given materials, do not know about wool and their particulars.

Go talk to them politely, and after you have made some samples with the given materials go and teach them the basics of felting or fulling of knitted materials.

Good luck

Els

PS if you want to you can contact me by E-mail and I can send you some yarn that will felt well, it is a lot of fun to do when it all works well

EvD

Emma, there is your problem, Laura has found it for you, man made fibers like acrylic fibers will not felt.

Els

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I don't think that the yarn is 100% wool. If it isn't, it won't felt. I have just started doing it, and it is terrific!

Kather> I need help! I know a lot of folks like "felting"...but it simply

Cher, I have felted very small items alone in the washer. I read about adding something to the washer, but I decided to try it alone, and it worked just fine.

Kather> Hi Emma,

Hi Els,

Thanks very much for explaining the felting process, now it makes a lot more sense to me! And I have more questions: when using the sandpaper with two sheer curtains method, does only the curtain (material) next to the fluffed woolen item get hooked onto it? And, what's the purpose for doing felting? - I did see on another news group discussion about felting a pocket, that makes sense to me - so nothing can go through the knitted holes in the pocket. Also, I assume one can felt crocheted wool items as well?

Thanks again:

David

Felted slippers and mittens are really warm. When you live in Labrador, that is a consideration. Felted hats hold a shape. Felted purses and the newest craze, and I have to knit myself one soon. I have done one for a friend, and one for my granddaughter, but none for me. My DIL wants felted hats for her littleuns, so I have to get on that ASAP.

Kather> Hi Els,

I appreciate all the good info here on my "felting dilemma". Yes...the Landscapes IS part acyrlic, and I had my suspicions about using it, but assumed (that deadly word!) that since my store and Lion Brand worked together to develop these patterns, that they knew of what they were speaking. Wrong! LOL!! Anyway, for what it was worth...I did do all as suggested here. I ran the purse ( LB Landscapes) and the swatch (made with Moda Dea Cartwheel...supposedly all wool, or so the label says) two more times in hot water in the machine...with detergent and several towels ( a total of 4 times through the washing cycle, and not counting the boiled water soaks)...and nothing happened. Well...nothing except the colors seriously faded and "muddied". I even tried LB's suggestion of running the items in the dryer to partially dry...did that 3 times. Nope.

I will definately talk to my supervisor..today...as we are doing a "Warm Up America" function (making little knitted and crochetted squares to be joined together in blankets for charity)...and will show her the LB article posted here about the felting being "iffy"...and refer her to this group to read your comments for herself, should she be in doubt.

Thank you so much!

Emma

If it is there pattern....or if they are saying that the wool will felt....send it back to them and ask for compensation..you may get two or three balls ofsomething else back by way of a 'sorry'

If it has acrylic in it, it won't felt very easily if at all...and you've lost the money you paid for the wool plus the colouring....sorry to hear about this...most companies will compensate you get intouch with whoever says to use this yarn for doing this..

Thanks katherine, that fills in some more gaps... no pun intended... in my understanding. :)

David

David you use the sander without the sandpaper. It is the fibrations you are after.

Els

SANDPAPER :=)) , start in circular motions going over the whole area. The soap,

lol! Thanks Els, although I read your instructions several times, I had an image of using sand _paper_ alone, not the _sander_ without sandpaper! Thanks for clarifying! :)

David