How do I know for sure which yarns will felt? Will any wool except super wash felt? Any yarn besides wool felts? I’m just making more dog toys, and wanted to give felting a go for the first time, and want to make sure I start on something where size doesn’t really matter in the end.
Felting yarn
100% wool felts as long as it isn’t super wash. Most other animal fibers will also felt. How much and how quickly they felt varies.
Sometimes a blend will felt, but personally I’d stick to 100% for best results. Mixing fibers can work well, but you may get uneven results. I can tell you that Cascade 220, Patons Classic Wool and Knitpicks Wool of the Andes all felt very nicely.
You’ll have the best results with all wool, not superwash. A 50% or 70% wool blend yarn can felt, but it may take longer so you have to keep an eye on it.
Tangental question: I know hot water is usually used to felt, but is it possible to felt in cold water? (I don’t think it is, but just wanted to confirm with my “knowledge” with the experts.)
Agitation is one of the key needs for felting. I’m not sure about hot water, but I always use it along with a pair of old jeans.
You need a water temperature change to felt too, along with the agitation. I think. You can try it in cold, maybe on a sample square first.
Okie dokie. Thanks muchly.
Good question, glad you asked and got it answered for us both.
Thanks everyone else too. I had a good general idea of felting but wanted to be sure before I start with my yarn. Like I said, I’m just making more dog toys (like they need more right?), so the end result isn’t huge. I figured they’ll love anything I give them to destroy!
One thing about felting is even using 100% wool yarn does not mean they felt at the same “speed” so to speak. For example, I found Paton yarns felt really fast, learned that one the hard way ending up with a handbag for a doll (not quite, but you know what I mean! 
) and the Knitpicks yarns seem to take quite awhile to felt. I always machine felt, with hot water, a tiny bit of detergent and I use old towels instead of jeans. I know some people like to hand felt, but seems a lot of work to me so into the machine it goes! lol
Thanks for the tips. I definitely have a first timer’s advantage being here. 