Felting has all the Feels
I love felt for so many reasons. I appreciate felt for its link to our ancient ancestors, for its everydayness, and for its sensory elements. Let’s learn a little bit about its history and about how you can explore the awesome world of felt-making with us!
Felt is considered one of the oldest forms of textiles in the world, with the oldest known felt dating back to the 5th century BCE. People began making felt by manipulating natural materials in order to create usable objects. Due to its tendency to decompose, evidence of ancient felt is difficult to find. Nevertheless, it is a really fulfilling experience to engage in the same methods of garment construction as our ancient Viking or Celtic ancestors.
Original felters used animal wool or fur, mostly from sheep, in order to create their textiles. Wool, like your own hair, has little scales which open up when exposed to hot water and an alkaline environment (think soap). When these scales pop out, they catch on each other, and when rubbed together, they entangle tighter and tighter until they form a dense cluster of fiber. The result of this process is a piece of felt that is strong, water resistant, heat resistant, and can regulate body temperature.
Today we have three main ways of making felt. Wet felting is the oldest method which uses hot water, soap, and agitation. Needle felting developed in the mid 19th century using small sharp barbed needles which catch the fibers and entangle them together. Knitted felting begins with a knitted, crocheted, or woven piece which is then hand or machine washed to shrink into felt.
You might have made felt unintentionally by throwing that favorite sweater into the washing machine!
Making felt by hand is extremely satisfying because it engages our senses in so many ways. You can feel the pull of the wool in your fingers, and you can smell the mix of material with water and soap.
Give it a try yourself at one of our creative events! Learn more here about past felting projects like Woolly Fest, our wonderful celebration of fiber arts, felting collaborations with organizations like the Contemporary Arts Center, and our Funky Fiber Spiders Event. Check out our Events calendar for future felting opportunities. And don’t hesitate to reach out to us with your questions about how to get felting!
