Tried to look in the glossary…but what the heck is felting???:knitting:
Newbie question...I'm sure it's obvious
Felting is what I did for the FIRST time last night! What FUN!
Felting is a method by which you break down the wool fibers in a knit item and then they “meld” back together into a more “fabric”-like material. This is used a lot for bags (although mine first go was just a rectangle). You can do it in your washing machine or in the sink. Hot water (and just a tad of mild soap), some agitation and wa-laa.
I KNOW someone will explain this better than I, but in the meantime, just google felting yarn and you’ll find TONS of how-to and pix on the subject. Additionally, there are many threads here in the forums where people discuss this topic.
You may have done it by mistake by washing a wool item too hot and with too much agitation. It shrinks way down. Felting is planned shrinking. 
It can be used to good advantage to make many beautiful things. You can felt to different degrees, just a little, or so much that the knitted stitches disappear completely. It’s another knitting magic.