Felting wool?

i_used_to_be_cool · 04-28-2008, 01:44 PM

Anyone know anything about felting wool? I'd like to make a mattress pad for between Jack's sheets & mattress, but I don't know anything about it. How do you felt it? Once you felt it, do you still need to lanolize it?

Carol in Maryland · 04-28-2008, 02:08 PM

Basically, to felt wool, you wash it in hot water, rinse in cold, dry in the dryer. It is a bit difficult to predict the exact finished size. Lanolizing is only necessary when the wool eventually dries out. You can just buy a wool blanket or throw and do this, or you can knit something out of pure wool and then felt it.

i_used_to_be_cool · 04-28-2008, 02:35 PM

I was going to buy some yardage (I can't knit) of wool fabric. Would I have to make seams on the edges? It won't unravel will it?

Carol in Maryland · 04-28-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_used_to_be_cool

Would I have to make seams on the edges? It won't unravel will it?

Depends on the weave. A loose weave might ravel even if felted. Yardage is usually 54" wide at most, so you might want to consider buying a wool blanket.

i_used_to_be_cool · 04-28-2008, 03:33 PM

Will it shrink that much? The mattress is only 27" wide. Maybe i'll look around & see if I can find a wool blanket. Thank you so much! I'm so clueless.

mhurst · 04-28-2008, 05:00 PM

Have you looked into just buying one? Felting isn't hard, but it is not always predictable. Most fabrics do not shrink evenly.

Let us know what you do.

bugginsmom · 04-28-2008, 06:31 PM

I've never felted wool, but we bought all of our mattress toppers from this site:

Shepherds Dream

i_used_to_be_cool · 04-28-2008, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bugginsmom

I've never felted wool, but we bought all of our mattress toppers from this site:

Shepherds Dream

I'd love to buy one of those, but I can't afford to spend that.... especially if I can make something similar for less than half the price. It ain't easy being green! I threw a request up on Etsy. Maybe i'll get lucky & someone will make one for me that's affordable. Then I won't have to learn anymore about felting & lanolizing. I was just telling DH tonight that if we won the lottery (we don't even play the lottery, LOL) we'd have the greenest house ever. He wants solar panels, lol.

bugginsmom · 04-28-2008, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_used_to_be_cool

I'd love to buy one of those, but I can't afford to spend that.... especially if I can make something similar for less than half the price. It ain't easy being green! I threw a request up on Etsy. Maybe i'll get lucky & someone will make one for me that's affordable. Then I won't have to learn anymore about felting & lanolizing. I was just telling DH tonight that if we won the lottery (we don't even play the lottery, LOL) we'd have the greenest house ever. He wants solar panels, lol.

My DH wants solar panels too. We are going to need a new roof in about 5 years and he keeps making side comments about putting panels in. Oh, did I mention he wants a windmill too? LOL!

i_used_to_be_cool · 04-29-2008, 04:12 AM

Ooh, a windmill! I gotta add that to the list, LOL.