Project designed by Anne Vickery.
Materials:
6 ounces of combed wool (different colors, optional)
hot water
laundry soap flakes
large square of scrap material
paper
scissors
pencil
cookie sheet
washboard
Steps:
- Trace your hand on paper and cut along the outline for your paper pattern.
- Lay the paper pattern on top of a piece of cloth and cut out an identical cloth pattern (figure A).
- On the cloth pattern, layer wool into a felting batt with the fibers in each layer lying cross-wise to the fibers of the next layer (figure B).
- Flip wool and pattern over and place on a cookie sheet.
- Again, cover cloth pattern, wetting it down to the shape of the pattern. Using a solution of 1/4 cup laundry soap flakes mixed with 2 quarts hot water, pat and form the wool together around the pattern.
- Felt the wool by pressing on it until the fibers begin to "felt" or cling together . Next squish the sides together to attach to the bottom of the mitten
- "Full" the felt by rubbing it on a washboard to shrink and shape it (figure C).
- Let dry and remove cloth pattern to complete.
Wool TerminologyFelt: (verb) To cause to adhere and mat together as the fibers, for example, in paper.
Card: (noun) A wire-filled brush used to disentangle textile fibers or raise the nap on a fabric.
Raw Fleece: Sheep's wool naturally comes in different shades like brown, gray, black and cream, and when a sheep is sheared, this wool comes off in one large piece called fleece. Raw fleece has not been washed or processed since its removal from the sheep. The ability to felt a piece of fleece varies with the sheep breed, so if you are planning to purchase raw fleece, remember to ask if it is good for felt-making.
Carded Wool: In order to remove the dirt and separate the wool fibers, you must card raw fleece with carding tools. When raw fleece has been carded, the wool fibers are left lying in the same direction. Wool can be carded into quilting batts or into strips.
Combed Wool: Combed wool comes in natural or dyed ropes with all fibers lying in the same direction. In most craft stores, it can be found in the doll section, where it is often marketed as doll hair.
Full: (verb) To shrink and thicken woolen cloth by moistening, heating and pressing.
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