India Flint - Handmade Style: Felt

contents

techniques

projects

Introduction

Felt is the simple and magical outcome when wool, moisture and friction are combined. It is probably the oldest known textile, perhaps discovered by accident after the first wolf crept in to join the humans sheltering in caves and began shedding hair. In a world without vacuum cleaners, the fluffy hairs underfoot would build up, forming drifts here and there. As these were soft and comfortable, our ancestors may have collected them to make their sleeping quarters more cosy, and then marvelled that warmth, moisture and friction could transform fluff into firm, useful fabric.

It is possible that early humans then began to gather the soft undercoats of animals, caught on twigs and bushes, from which to produce this useful textile. The original wild sheep known to early humans had strong guard hairs, with softer fur underneath, a little like that of a Border collie or German shepherd dog. Domestication of sheep and selective breeding for softer wool have produced the range of fleeces we know today.

There are many stories about the possible origins of felt. One has it that one of King Solomons sons, observing the woollen coats enjoyed by sheep, cut the wool from one of his flock, and then tried and tried in vain to fashion himself a coat from it. Finally, in a rage, he urinated on it and jumped on it, finding to his amazement that a firm cloth was formed. Urine was still used in nineteenth-century Britain as an assistant in the fulling (shrinking and firming) of cloth, as well as an important mordant in dyeing and a wool conditioner.

There are very few old felt remnants left, the reason being that felt is a utility fabric, and was most likely in use until worn out. When something of substance did remain, the old became the base for making the new. Also, wool is easily composted and breaks down if returned to the environment (many farmers use waste wool as an excellent slow-release fertilizer, rich in nitrogen, to mulch young trees).

antarctic hat variation With fleece curls inside and a .

The Pazyryk felts (housed in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia) are the oldest known remnants, dated to between 600 and 200 Bc, and were preserved under exceptional circumstances in regions of permafrost in the Altai region of Siberia. They were dyed blue, red and yellow using plant dyes, and the colours remain vibrant to this day. The rmqi mummies found late last century in central Asia also wore items made of felt.

Wool felt is still used today to make boots (valenki ) in Russia, houses (yurts and gers) and for buffering the dampers on pianos. It is used for carpets, bags, filters, for protecting ice hockey players, as saddle packing and for making soft, warm coats and hats, ideal for European winters. In recent years, felt has enjoyed a revival, as fashion designers have discovered the amazing properties of this versatile cloth, warm and non-fraying, which can be moulded to the human body, used thickly or lightly, draped or crisply formed. Felt can be made by hand in spaces as small as a table top, or commercially produced in huge factories. It is a simple and yet deeply satisfying craft.

About felt

Anyone who has accidentally included a favourite fine merino jumper in a hot machine wash will know only too well that the process of felt making is ongoing and irreversible. The strength of felt lies in the structure of the wool itself. A single filament of wool is actually stronger than a thread of steel of the same diameter. It has small scales on the surface, just as human hair does. When wool fibre is wetted, the scales lift and the fibre swells. If there is friction, the fibres creep closer together. As the fibres become dry again, the scales flatten, locking on to any fibres that may be crossing them.

The more wool fibres are agitated, the faster they creep closer together. Once they are dried, their grip on each other is very strong and will not be loosened until the cloth is moistened again. (Dreadlocks are constructed using a felting process.) This is why felt must be dried in the desired shape, and why woollen clothing should be dried on a support without the use of pegs (otherwise the marks will show until the next soaking).

Wool is a miraculous material, highly elastic and also fire resistant, and able to hold up to 25 per cent of its dry weight in moisture before it begins to feel damp. It is a protein fibre, is chemically neutral and can be dyed using many plant varieties as well as chemical dyes (including synthetically coloured foodstuffs such as drink concentrates and jelly powder). Wool can also be used to bond with other fibres, including silk, cotton, flax, hemp, ramie and soy silk, in the felting process.

Yurt

Traditional yurts (known in Mongolia as gers) are domed tents that have been used by nomadic Mongolian people for thousands of years. Easy to assemble, dismantle and transport, they are also very sturdy, and able to withstand storms. Three-quarters of Mongolians still live in yurts, many of them in permanent yurt settlements.

Yurts are constructed of poles covered with a thick layer of felt (and sometimes reinforced with canvas). The thickness of the felt can be adjusted to suit the temperature, and the bottom of the felt can be rolled up for ventilation. At the centre of the dome is a hole for ventilation and light.

Washing wool

Contrary to popular belief, wool can actually be washed in hot water. The trick is not to vary the temperature of the water by more than 5C (9F) between successive baths or to agitate the wool. Once extremes of temperature and agitation or friction are introduced, felting is inevitable.

What fibres can be felted?

Only wool makes true felt, as the structure of the felt depends upon the scaly structure of the wool fibres. Only sheep produce wool. Other fibre-producing animals include (but are not limited to) goats, alpacas, camels, rabbits, cats and dogs all of which produce hair, not wool. Their product varies in usefulness; for example, the long, soft winter coat shed by horses and ponies in the springtime will not felt at all (even when blended with wool). Rabbit fur is the foundation of many felt hats, but is bonded using a highly toxic glue for durability. Industrial felt is usually made of synthetic waste products, bonded using a flat-bed needle-felting technique.

Various breeds of sheep produce wool suitable for felting, with different breeds giving different effects. Wool is classified as fine, medium or strong according to its thickness (usually expressed in microns; . The Australian Merino is the optimum breed for clothing felt, as it produces the finest wool (a British breed of sheep with strong wool could have a micron count up to twice that of a Merino). Merino wool is available throughout the U.K., Europe, Asia and North America.

In northern Europe, Friesian and Gotland sheep are popular for felting. In middle Europe, the Austrian Bergschaf is much used. In New Zealand, the locally bred Perendale is good for durable, sturdy felt. Stronger wools from breeds such as Leicester Longwool, Romney and Border Leicester are suitable for floor rugs. Merino crosses of these breeds will often produce good-quality, easy-felting wool.