Felt is created by agitating wool fibres until they mat together to form a non-woven fabric. The fibres can be laid flat on a surface or moulded around a former such as a hatshaper, cardboard or even a ball. Most commercial felt is made in a dry process by simply tangling the fibres of almost […]
Tag Archives: Wool
01
Jun
Jun
Felt can be built in many ways using wool fibres as the base. However it is important to make sure that you are using the correct quality of wool fibres. Too coarse a fibre slows felting as fibre below 56’s Bradford count (learn more about wool fibres) will not felt easily. Lustrous, fine fibres felt […]
15
May
May
What is a Mordant? The use of mordants for natural dyeing (“mordant” derived from the Latin word mordere, meaning “to bite”) has been a staple in textile production since ancient times, dating back thousands of years. A mordant links chemically with the fibre and creates attachment points which bond with the colourant from natural dyes […]
12
May
May
Phyllis Funnell sports her Moebius scarf knitted from a pattern in the ‘Treasury of Magical Knitting’. She hand spun the super soft yarn from grey Alpaca. In hindsight, we should have taken more photos of this lovely lace knitted scarf but we are delighted to have a photo of the modest Phyllis at last! Both […]
11
May
May
Kate, combines delicate Japanese seed beads with chunky felted beads – made using wool tops.
11
May
May
Hand-dyed, Silk Boucle Scarf Jo’s hand-dyed Italian Silk Boucle knitted scarf was featured on page 15 of the 2006 Fibrecrafts Catalogue (pictured here, below). She dyed the yarn using the microwave method of low water immersion dyeing with acid dyes before knitting it into this pretty scarf. Slub Yarn Scarf Jo, who works here at […]
08
May
May
Sue Noble from Dulwich College Preparatory School sent us these great pictures of weavings made by the 7 to 9 year old boys who attend her popular club. The boys have been very creative using the chunky coloured wool yarns from Traub. Here are some examples of their work
08
May
May
Defining how you will use your Spinning Wheel is the key to a successful choice. The three main pointers are discussed in general terms below. First, decide on how much travelling the spinning wheel will do. Is it being carried around and taken by car and by air? Consider also whether the wheel will be […]
01
May
May
The transformation of fibre into a yarn is a very satisfying process. Once the techniques have been mastered, it is very gratifying to watch a yarn form on the hand spindle or spinning wheel bobbin. There is an abundance of information available for beginners. The Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers is an […]
10
Oct
Oct
Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey, along came a spider… a felt spider made from Merino wool tops! Making a Felted Spider for Halloween This is a fun and simple project for all ages. The wool tops are rubbed, rolled and agitated with soap and water until the wool […]