Felt making courses and feltmaking kits

Felt making is a very ancient craft, dating back to the Neolithic Age, and was around long before spinning or weaving with wool. As wool fleece was placed around feet and saddles for comfort and protection and warmth, the moisture from sweat coupled with the heat and friction from movement, resulted in the first felts. Saddle blankets, masks, animal figures, socks, boots, hats and clothing are in evidence all over the world. Some felt relics dating back to the 5th century BC can be found in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. These amazing finds were preserved by the freezing temperatures of the mountains where they were found. These days, some nomadic tribes still make and use gers (yurts) made from felt, and felt rugs are still made in Turkey.
Since the Industrial revolution, felt has been made by large industrial machines, often from a mix of synthetic fibres and wool, and often using a dry needle method, where beds of barbed needles are repeatedly pushed in and out of the fibres until they mesh together and form sheets of fabric.
Machine made felt has many uses (pianos, insulation, pool tables, air filters, washers) but differs greatly from hand-rolled felt, - which has an entirely different quality.

Apart from being warm and insulating, 100% hand rolled wool felt is also naturally water repellent, and fire retardant.
Making felt is a magical craft ideal for all levels of crafting ability. Feltmaking is forgiving in the extreme for beginners, but receptive, transformable and full of endless possibilities for the enthusiast.

To make felt, layers of scoured carded fleece are laid out, and when several layers thick, hot water and soap are rubbed into the mass of fleece until the felting process begins to take place. The tangled wool fibres matt together in all directions, and start to form a dense fabric. Last, comes the "fulling" process, which is carried out after hardening, and further compacts the felt by rubbing, rolling and pounding. The felt is then left to dry, and will have shrunk by 10-20% from the original size of the fleece.

If you are interested in learning how to make felt, then why not come along and learn this amazing craft.
Click here for further details of available feltmaking courses.

My new book "Complete Feltmaking" is now available to buy from this website.
Click here for further details about my felt making book.