Sunday, January 18, 2009

I need felters feedback, please!

For as many sweaters as I have sold, I am still a novice when it comes to felting. I have made a few things for my family & friends, but have a lot to learn. I know that if I want a tight consistent felt that I can count on Merino, but if I want a nice thick, soft diaper cover that lambswool is great. I also love a good blend with angora because it is soft. I used many blends in my quilts.

Does anyone know if silk is ok in a wool blend? If something were 70% wool & 30% silk would it felt ok? Would it still be able to be lanolized & used as a diaper cover with silk in it?

I want to hear from you now. Tell me your thoughts on wool! Give us your advice! Ask your questions too, and hopefully a felting pro will take us under her (or his!) wing :)

6 comments:

Jilly said...

Hi there

I'v heard the word lanolized in connection with wool sweaters - can anyone explain what this means?

Resweater said...

I can! Lanolin is something that sheep produce naturally. When you add lanolin back in wool it makes it nearly waterproof. You can buy straight lanolin, & add it to your wash, or there are wool washes that already have the lanolin added in. My son wears wool longies at night over his cloth diapers, which are wool pants made from sweaters. When they are lanolized they don't leak if he wets.
Sorry if this is too much information, but Wool is naturally antibacterial, so they can be used many times between washes without having any smell at all. When it gets wet you can just dry it out.
I also believe lanolin makes the wool softer. I love the smell of freshly lanolized wool!

Unknown said...

No silk in a diaper cover... it will wick like cotton!

Resweater said...

Thanks Jody, that's really good to know!

Jilly said...

Thanks Jody

I'll see if I can find some at the hardware store. My berets are pretty waterproof when they've been felted but I'd like to give it a try.

Resweater said...

You can buy pure lanolin at pharmacies (nursing woman put it for their nipples), but it is cheaper to buy online. You use very little of it, so a little goes a long way. There are also "wool washes" that contain lanolin to save a step.