Part of the process
Wet felting
Wet felting uses hot soapy water and friction instead of a needle. Thin layers of wool are laid at right angles, wetted, rubbed and rolled until they shrink into felt, usually 20 to 50 percent smaller than the layout.
- Wool
- merino top, about 18 to 24 microns
- Layout
- 2 to 4 thin layers at right angles
Wet felting needs no needle. Fine wool, most often merino top, is pulled into thin tufts and laid in layers, each at a right angle to the one below; two to four thin layers is a common layout. Hot soapy water and rubbing make the scales on the fibers lock together. Olive oil soap is the usual choice because it lathers little and is gentle on hands: see what soap to use for wet felting.
Felt shrinks as it forms, by roughly 20 to 50 percent per side depending on the wool, the thickness of the layout and how long it is worked. Fine wool and thin layouts shrink more. The reliable way to plan is a test square: lay out 10 by 10 inches, felt it fully and measure it. The shrinkage calculator turns that into a layout size.
Hollow pieces such as bowls, bags and slippers are felted around a flat template called a resist, cut from thin foam underlay or bubble wrap: resist materials compares the options. After rinsing, press the water out in a towel, shape the piece and let it air dry. A bowl takes about 24 to 48 hours and slippers a few days: see how long wet felting takes to dry.
Ready to move on when: Pinch the surface: if single fibers lift, keep rubbing; if the fabric lifts as one piece, it has felted and is ready for fulling.
Common mistakes at this stage
- Cutting the layout or resist to the finished size and forgetting shrinkage.
- Using superwash wool, which will not felt.
- Drying the piece on direct heat, which shrinks it further.