Need Felting Help

#1

This weekend I made a cell phone case that is suppose to be felted. The girl who taught me to make it gave me a hand out of how to felt. I did everything that she told me and it didn’t felt. It might be that the water wasn’t hot enough or maybe my washer is too high tech and just won’t work right for me. Is there anything else I can do or is there a way to felt without using the washer.
Please help and thanks in advance for your advice

#2

what kind of yarn did you use? cannot be superwash wool, and if it has wool content, a safe bet that anything over 75% wool should felt.
how loose were the stitches? felted items are usually knit loosely so the stitches have “rub room”.
what water level did you use? to get the most agitation, use the lowest water setting.
how long did you leave it in the washer? I’ve ran my items through as many as 6 agitation cycles before I achieved the felted effect I wanted.

you can felt by hand by rubbing the object vigorously while dunking/soaking it in a container of hot water, but it might take long. then again if it’s a cel phone cover, since that’s really teeny, it might not take too long.

#3

I can’t remember the exact name of the yarn it was like Manos uragray or something like that. It was a class I took and the teacher told me that it felts really well. My stitches weren’t to tight I don’t think I was right on gauge with the pattern. I used to lowest water level. I’m gonna try it again tonight and see if a couple more rounds will get it felted if not amybe I will do it by hand
Thanks for the advice
Lindsay :XX:

#4

Manos del Uruguay should felt nicely. keep us posted :thumbsup: .

#5

I also stick a towel (others use jeans) in the washer when I am felting. Since the cell phone case is probably pretty small, you may just need something else in the machine with it to help with the agitation.

Candice

#6

Putting it inside a zippered pillow case or lingerie bag may help with agitation. Plus, it helps keep the fuzz out of the washer hose.

You could felt this by hand, since it’s so small. Scrub it around between your hands and then dunk it into cold water and back into the hot. This is called “shocking” and it can speed up the process.

Manos is incredibly lovely yarn and it should felt well for you.

#7

When I felted Manos, it took at least 20 if not 25 minutes. I check every 5 minutes, reset the washer if I have to, I even drained some water and added new hot water after 15 minutes.

Cindy :XX:

#8

Thanks for the comments everyone the girl who taught me to make it is gonna felt is for me tonight I just have to take it by our LYS cause she lives close to there and she works there on the weekends. I want to make another one and try felting again I just am gonna do it when no one is home so I can make sure no one uses hot water and it is all for me. Cindy I will keep in mind about draining some water out and adding more hot that might be what works for me
Thanks everyone
:XX:

#9

Felting by hand.
I use the double sink. Or large bowls, or bucket, 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap.add hot tap water and place piece in the sink, to soak.
Get a sink , of cold water ready. Hold the piece in the hot soapy water, rub it between your hands, rub it on itself and change direction of rubbibg. Keep rubbing the piece untill it starts to mat together, which can take several minutes.
Dip the piece in the cold water and keep rubbing, watching to see if it is felted as desired.If it isn’t felted enough, let it soak back in the hot soapy water and repeat the whole process as much as you need to achieve your desired feltedness.
Rinse the item in cool tap water and press out as much water as you can.
Then I roll the piece up in a towel to get out as much water as I can. Then shape and let it dry…