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Felting Facts & Tips
Read the garment label to determine the fiber content. If there isn't a label, try a burn test. (Unravel a few fibers and hold them to a flame. Wool will burn with a distinct smell like burning hair. When the fiber is pulled away from the fire it will quit burning.) If you submerge a small piece of wool in chlorine bleach it will completely disappear in about an hour–other fibers will remain.
Look for sweaters with at least 80% wool content as the fabric will still shrink, felt and yield interesting results. The higher the wool content, the better the sweater will felt. Merino wool felts the most when following the guidelines below.
Avoid wool garments labeled "washable." The wool has been treated so the fiber won't shrink and felt.
Looser knits felt better than tight knits because the fibers can rub together more.
Patterned knits felt more densely than plain knits because of the carried yarns on the back of the design.
Wool sweaters tend to shrink slightly more lengthwise than widthwise.
To fix folds that might form during the spin cycle, steam the fabric with an iron, and then hold the fabric flat until it cools and dries. If that doesn't work, rewet the fabric by soaking it for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the water, blot with a towel, reshape and lay flat to dry.
Dense fabrics take two or more days to thoroughly air-dry–longer in humid climates.
Certain yarns yield fuzzy results–shave or trim off the fuzz if desired.
Unappealing knits look better after felting. Bright colors become more subdued.
When felting more than one sweater at a time, combine like colors to avoid color bleeding.
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RECYCLE OLD WOOL SWEATERS into warm hats and mittens for the winter season. This one-size unisex pattern fits most. The hat will fit heads up to 23".