Aug. 12, 2024
Start with something simple and inexpensive, gradually increasing the quality and investment as you get better and more precise with your projects.
Choosing wool for wet felting depends on the project outcome you are looking for.
Use this fiber guide to help you choose fibers to use for wet felting.
Fiber choice is a key element in wet felting because the type of fiber used will determine the felting process, the outcome of the project, and what the finished felt looks like.
If you are trying to make a hardy piece like a floor rug that will withstand a lot of wear, then use a coarse, dense fiber.
If you are making a scarf or piece that will be worn next to your skin, you want a fine, soft fiber so that it doesn&#;t chafe your skin.
The first question to ask yourself when choosing a fiber type is what texture you want the finished piece to have &#; rough and durable or soft and delicate.
The form in which you use the fiber is the next thing to consider. Do you want to use a raw fiber that hasn&#;t been washed or a beautifully cleaned roving that neatly lays out in soft tufts?
Rougher pieces that are made for durability (like rugs) can be done with raw fiber or washed uncombed fiber. The finer and more delicate the piece the greater need for clean and well-combed fiber.
Raw fiber is the hair of a sheep or other fiber bearing animal that has not been washed or combed. It is sheared off the animal and has had no other processing done to it. This is often called &#;in the grease&#; because it still has the natural lanolin oils the animal produces.
Raw wool from a Shetland sheep.The raw fleece has been washed, but it is still uncombed, so it may still be clumpy and maintain the locks of fiber that it had when freshly cut from the animal. Most of all of the lanolin oil has been washed from the fiber.
This is the most common way to find processed fiber is at supply stores or online. The fiber has been washed and processed so that it forms a neat and clean rope of fibers that are ready to be hand-spun or felted.
Roving is a term used in referring to a cleaned, combed fiber that is formed into a long skein.Another form of processing cleaned wool is a wool batt. This looks like a sheet of combed wool that is rolled up and looks like a pillow form.
This is great for creating flat felt because the fibers are already brushed to go in the same direction and the sheets can be separated and then layered in alternating fiber directions to create the flat felt.
There is a wide variety of fiber-bearing sheep breeds in the world. The variety means you, as the fiber artist, have a vast array of options to choose from.
Each breed of fiber sheep has a distinct fiber profile or collection of characteristics that determine how it will react to different techniques.
These variables include fiber coarseness or fineness, the length of the fiber, and other factors we will discuss below.
Included are a few other animal fibers that are good for wet felting.
I&#;ve included fibers under the &#;coarse&#; category as examples of fibers that are more rough than smooth, not in describing their micron count or another aspect of the fiber, simply in comparison with other options.
Corriedale is one of the finer wools in the &#;coarse wool&#; category.
While its texture is crisp and durable, it is still soft. The cream hue takes color well when dyeing and receives natural and chemical dyes.
Corriedale Top from The Woolery
Corriedale wool fiber.This wool comes in a variety of natural colors. Every fleece is different, and getting color consistency is difficult.
It felts well and creates beautiful pieces.
It is often used in its natural colors because of the variegation in tones.
Jacob Top from The Woolery
Jacob sheep wool fiber.This fiber has a slightly rough texture; though the fibers are fine, the crimp is loose. The fiber is lustrous and felts into a dense fabric with a slightly fuzzy texture.
Kent Romney Top from The Woolery
Romney sheep wool fiber.The Cheviot breed has a soft, fluffy fiber that is slightly rough in texture.
This fiber sits in the coarser wool category because the fiber ranges from coarse and scratchy to fine and almost smooth.
Because it is often a coarser fiber it is best for items that will not be next to the skin.
This wool takes dyes well, but they come out slightly duller as this fiber does not have much natural luster.
Cheviot Top from The Woolery
With a variegated crimp and high luster, this slippery fiber takes some work to felt, but it creates a nice medium-soft felted fabric.
It takes dye well due to the luster of the fiber.
You may see this breed of fiber referred to as &#;BFL&#;, short for Bluefaced Leicester .
Bluefaced Leicester from The Woolery
Blue-Faced Leicester sheep wool fiber.This fine wool is best for smaller pieces as it is not as durable as some of the coarser wools. It has good bulk and a clear crimp with a slight luster.
Shetland Wool Top from The Woolery
Shetland sheep wool fiber.Merino is commonly available at fiber arts stores and online.
It is a smooth, fine fiber that creates lightweight, smooth products. Great for felting pieces that need to be soft and durable.
Fine Merino Top from The Woolery
This fiber is silkier than many types of wool.
The felting process may take longer with this fiber as you work and agitate it to the felted point you desire.
Alpaca comes in a variety of natural colors, from deep browns and blacks to grays, red browns, heather grays, and others.
The lighter colors can be overdyed if desired.
Alpaca Top from The Woolery
When purchasing fibers online or from a fiber store, read the labeling.
There are wools treated so that the fiber can be spun, knit, and washed without felting.
This is called a &#;superwash&#; fiber and will be labeled as such.
This is great news for spinners and knitters because they can make beautiful sweaters and other pieces, and the item won&#;t accidentally shrink if thrown in the washing machine.
However, for the felter, this is a problem when you want to intentionally cause felt.
Other things to consider when choosing fibers to experiment with is that the shorter the fiber length, the less tendency it has to form a good felt.
There is not enough length in the fiber to cause it to tangle and form the felt desired.
The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook: More than 200 Fibers from Animal to Spun Yarn.
By Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius
One of my favorite places to order fiber online is The Woolery.
Needle felting is a craft that turns wool into beautiful, fun, and quirky art using a barbed needle. Wool is probably the most confusing aspect, otherwise it&#; spretty straight forward. My &#;What needle felting wool do I need? Complete guide&#; will help you on making the best choices for your project, and, whilst I can&#;t claim this to be a definitive guide, it is crafted from my extensive experience of needle felting since , across various wool types and techniques. I&#;ve devoted considerable time and expertise to this guide, aiming to simplify your needle felting journey.
Complete guide to needle felting woolYou can learn more about me and my handmade business on the ABOUT page of my WEBSITE as well as a great range of inspiring PATTERNS. At the end of this post, I&#;ve also included a helpful list of links to tutorials, a few recommended books, and a carefully crafted table guide for needle felting wool that you won&#;t want to miss, all based on my own experience. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or me at .
For more information, please visit Jiatong.
Needle felting is a popular form of crafting that involves matting, condensing, and shaping wool fibers into various shapes using a specialized barbed needle. As you poke the fibers with the needle, they tangle and become denser, forming a firm and textured material. This technique allows for great creativity, making it a favorite among crafters looking to make everything from simple flat designs to intricate three-dimensional figures.
Learn how to needle felt in The Felt HubChoosing the right type of wool is crucial for needle felting. Each type has different properties that can affect the ease of felting and the final look of your project.
Not all needle felting wool is created equal and for anyone new to needle felting it can be frustratingly confusing. However, all you need is one or two good needle felting wools in your craft box to create a multitude of wonderful needle felting projects. This guide will take away all the painful confusion so you can get started instead of ruminating for hours over which wool is best for needle felting. I have kept it simple and tried to answer the most frequently asked questions. At the bottom of the post you will find my easy guide to wool and my personal favourites. You will see a lot of British wool on the list because, well I live in Britain so it makes sense to use what we have around us. If any shops or books are mentioned it is because I love their products and I highly recommend them. I am not affiliated to them in any way.
Worldwide, it is estimated there are distinct sheep breeds and around 60 of those are in Britain alone, more than anywhere else in the world. No wonder it&#;s confusing! Read about the history of British wool HERE
Herdwick sheep on the Cumbrian FellsShort answer is no but most wool can be wet felted, or incorporated into wet felting. You will find my handy guide to needle felting wool at the bottom of this page.
Core wool means different things to different people and that is where most of the confusion lies. Put simply, it just means what you use for the centre or bulk of your project and it can be any medium/coarse wool. If your top layer is going to be a different colour or you are using a fine wool; Merino Corriedale or similar. Core wool can be used to needle felt your basic shape and then covered with dyed wool. However, for many projects, it isn&#;t necessary and if I am making a hare or a sheep then the whole thing will be made from natural Jacob, Shetland or Swaledale tops which is coarse and felts really easily.
Coarse British wool tops are ideal for needle felted animalsI will then add a few finishing touches and detail with a different colour wool, un-dyed where possible as I like the earthy, natural finish. Where a different core wool is really useful is when you are creating life sized animals, or using a more expensive dyed wool as your top colour for birds, realistic animals, Christmas baubles, fruit, dragons, Easter eggs, gnome hats etc. These types of projects would be much easier to needle felt with a core of coarse wool and then covered with a top layer of bright Shetland, Corriedale or Merino.
Short answer is no. Core just means the inside of your project and, because most of my critters are small (usually no bigger than 15-20cm), I just use the same wool inside and out. It&#;s much less of a faff and it stops the wool, from the different colour core, poking through the top layer. My preference is natural, medium to coarse wool top (sometimes called roving) for most of my animal projects and needle felting kits and I usually encourage new felters to do the same, especially if they are going for a firm shape. For example, if I am making a grey hare or grey sheep then I will use my grey Jacob wool top (or similar) throughout only adding different wool for surface detail and contrast. Core wool is best used for realistic dogs, cats or other animals; for finer top coat of Corriedale or Merino where a different colour or blend of colours is required. Also, larger pieces such as life size hares or other animals would be more cost effective with a cheap core wool to build the bulk of your project. Shetland carded batts are a good option or a loose core. Visit tutorial HERE or watch the short VIDEO TUTORIAL
Brown woodland hare created using Shetland Moorit wool top no core White Jacob top and carded batt used for surface details and whiskersSheep body using just grey Jacob wool top no coreThere is actually another type of core wool that is that is used almost like a toy stuffing, made up of shorter, lumpy wool fibres. It is perfect for soft sculpture and bigger rounder shapes and is ideal for wrapping wool batting around to create pumpkins, garden bases , mushroom tops, bee hives and all manner of soft sculpture where you want a particular look. They can be created in no time, are super simple and really effective. It can also be used for spinning and wrapping around a wire frame, although carded slivers may work better for some armature projects.
Visit tutorial HERE or watch the short VIDEO TUTORIAL
Create a simple soft shape from core wool takes less than 5 minutes and wrap the carded batt around it<br>&#;Shroom houses with a soft core garden base and roof. House is natural white Jacob top which needed to be much firmer.
WATCH VIDEO TUTORIAL; working with soft core wool.
Life size Snowshoe Hare has a soft core of Shetland carded wool batts.
There is no right or wrong answer and it all depends on the wool you are using , what you are making and personal preference. The biggest problem is that a lot of people start their needle felting journey with Merino wool which is just not suitable. It&#;s is too fine, doesn&#;t felt easily and makes the whole project hard work &#; more on Merino below &#; then, thinking that all wool tops are the same they will change to carded wool (also great for needle felting), or give up on needle felting altogether, which makes me very sad.
A coarse wool top ( sometimes called roving) is a joy to work with, felts up quickly and easily and is really cost effective. I use it for almost all of my needle felted animals and in the majority of my needle felting kits. I have been doing this for nearly seven years and have yet to find anything better for my needs. My HANDY GUIDE TO WOOL TOPS is further down the page.
Grey Jacob and Shetland Moorit wool both give a beautiful earthy, natural finish to needle felted animals and no need for a separate core wool.
Hares made from Grey Jacob top and Shetland Moorit topCarded wool is also great for needle felting and carded slivers (long legths) are ideal for working around a wire frame where the finished project tends to be much softer. Carded wool sheets (batting) are also perfect for wrapping around a core base to create lovely soft sculpture like the fox and mouse shown below, pumpkins, gnomes and larger life size pieces. However, I don&#;t use full wire frames very much and favour wool tops for most of my projects. The fox and mouse below were both created using a wire frame (armature) using carded batting sheets. Mouse is grey Jacob batting and fox is my own blend of Corriedale batting and wool top.
Pumpkins made using a lumpy core wool and covered with carded batting sheets. Traditional and Winter Wonderland Pumpkin needle felting kits are on the WEBSITE
It&#;s only nine minutes long and explains the different types of wool (including core wool) and how I like to use them.
Same wool, different processes. Wool tops are made in long lengths (usually around the thickness of your wrist), quite dense with the fibres brushed in the same direction. Carded wool fibres are much shorter and brushed in lots of different directions, resulting in a much loftier wool. Click HERE for the wool shop.
Natural wool topsCarded sliversNot for three dimensional projects or anything with a lot of bulk that needs to be firmly felted. Merino is a beautiful wool, when used for the right application &#; especially wet felting, top coats, long animal fur and pictures &#; but I have lost count of new felters that have contacted me asking why their needle felting project isn&#;t felting properly or is full of needle marks and is taking an age to shape. I can almost guarantee that they are using Merino or have started with a needle felting kit that uses Merino. It saddens me when this happens because it is really disheartening to start a new craft, often with much trepidation, and not be able to complete it. It stops many new would be crafters in their tracks because they think their lack of know how is to blame. Such a confidence shaker and definitely a case of &#;It&#;s not you it&#;s the wool&#; and I am at a bit of a loss as to why Merino is used in many needle felting kits?
I am often asked about Merino and the practice of mulesing. My advice is to check that any Merino you purchase is from a country that doesn&#;t practice sheep mulesing; a horrible and painful practice used to control fly strike. The fly species that harms sheep only exists in Australia and New Zealand so Merino from non-mulesed sheep is easy to get hold of. Notably South America, South Africa and Spain. My rule is if a supplier doesn&#;t know where their Merino is from then I don&#;t buy from them.
Curly locks can be used for almost any project, to add texture and interest. Teesdale and Wensleydale are really popular and come in a raft of colours. You can also make your own out of knitting yarn and I have created a short video HERE on how to create your own. I must admit I am a bit of a curly locks hoarder and I like to open the drawers and just admire my stash; I know I&#;m not the only one who does this&#; There are lots of fabulous lock sellers online and I have popped a few of my faves below. Or, why not make your own with simple wool yarn. Click HERE for video tutorial.
If you want to create needle felted (or wet felted) pictures then pre-felt is the perfect base. Pre-felt is partially felted sheets of wool which are lightly carded and felted. It is stretchy and pliable and makes a great base for wet felted and needle felted pictures, allowing you to lay out and layer all your fibres on the top before wet felting or needle felting. You can make your own by wet felting a couple of layers of wool top or carded wool but is is also available to purchase online. My favourite is natural Shetland pre-felt which I add to my picture needle felting kits and use for my own projects. You can find it in my wool shop.
Needle felted onto 25cm pre feltSimple needle felted picture on Shetland pre feltThe possibilities for needle felted pictures are endless I have added pearl beads and French knots to this one called Asleep Under The Cherry TreeToo fine for bulky needle felting but, like Merino, good for blending with a coarser wool for different textures, wet felting and top coats.
Anything that works, including Merino. My Herdwick sheep, naturally have a long coat of Herdwick but for dogs and cats Merino and Corriedale is good. I spray mine with hairspray to keep everything in place. Some say it can discolour white wool, over time, but I have never found it to be an issue. CLICK FOR TUTORIAL
It makes sense, wherever possible, to buy local or from the country you are in. The carbon foot print is reduced, you are supporting your community and the economy, and traceability is much easier. Much of our wool is from animals that are used for their wool and meat but that doesn&#;t mean that they are not cared for and, for the overwhelming majority of farmers, animal welfare is a top priority. We do live in an imperfect world so there will always be rotten apples in the barrel. All my wool suppliers are British, family run businesses (some large some small) and I have never had a question on traceability or ethical farming go unanswered.
In global terms, UK sheep farms are small, having on average approximately 350 sheep. UK sheep are raised naturally outdoors on pasture. As a result, the scale and method of UK lamb production is such that it is not considered an &#;intensive&#; farming activity by animal welfare campaigning bodies.
Sheep are required to be shorn of their wool once a year for their own comfort and health. Hence, wool is a naturally occurring by-product. Every year British Wool puts over 800 people in all parts of the UK through our two day shearing training courses that are tailored to their existing level of experience and skill. It goes without saying that shearing in accordance with best practice industry standards ensures that the process is stress free for the animal (as well as maximising the value of producers&#; wool). Please visit our Shearing pages for further information.
For further information, please or .
If you want to inject some colour into your projects then Shetland and Corriedale (a Merino Lincoln cross) are my favourites but there is a huge range available and lately I have been looking for natural plant dyed wool which is not an easy task. These two dyed wools are ideal for any project that needs colour, be it landscapes, brightly coloured Christmas decorations or a vibrant topcoat. You can also blend colours to create different effects using your hands or a blending brush. If you don&#;t have wool blending brushes, dog slicker brushes work really well. Dyed wool and bundles are available HERE
Corriedale and Shetland pastelsCorriedale and Shetland pumpkin spiceYou can but it&#;s a struggle and a chore and the result isn&#;t nearly as good as wool. Plant fibres, like bamboo, don&#;t felt well because the fibres are much smoother, whereas wool has tiny scales that interlock when rubbed, agitated or compressed with a felting needle. A few years ago I put together a test &#;vegetarian&#; needle felting kit, using only plant fibres, bamboo mostly. I then sent them out to a few customers for testing and each said that it was really difficult to work with and the end result was quite poor. Although plant fibres alone may not needle felt well they are still lovely to use for many other projects, especially when mixed with wool or added to finished wool projects. Bamboo, and especially silk tops add a lovely luxurious texture, contrast and sheen to your project. I use a lot of silk in needle felted pictures, on pumpkins and gnome beards and hats.
You can and availability is increasing. Vegetarian wool, also called slaughter free wool, means that the when the animal dies it is not sent to slaughter and does not end up in the food chain. I love the organic, vegetarian wool from the Doulton Border Leicester flock. It is a lovely coarse British breed wool that felts beautifully. Ellie refers to them as &#;sheep that live to grow old&#; and even has a seperate area for her OAP sheep. You can find her on ETSY or via her WEBSITE and she also sells the most gorgeous vegetarian knitting yarn.
Definitely. The more you needle felt the more you are breaking down the wool fibres. If you over felt, by repeatedly poking the wool in the same spot for too long, the fibres will eventually break down and start to go soft. If this happens it is best to start again with fresh wool.
Only four things are needed and you are good to go;
This chart is so useful and if you are ever unsure whether a wool is suitable for needle felting then just look at the micron count. This is the measurement used to determine how fine or coarse the wool is. The lower the micron number the finer the wool. For example: Jacob is 33-35 microns &#; coarse and perfect for needle felting. Whereas Merino is 23 microns, fine and not so good. Most of my animal needle felting kits use Jacob, Shetland or Swaledale. Of course, as you become more confident, you will develop your own preferences and the best way is to try a few yourself. Here are some of the most popular (although not exclusively) in a handy chart.
My favourites *
WOOLORIGINTEXTUREMICRONGOOD FOR NEEDLE FELTINGJacob *EnglandCoarse25-35Yes. Earthy finishShetland*ScotlandMedium/If you are new to needle felting and handling wool you probably won&#;t be able to tell. It&#;s easy for me as I have been handling wool for a long time and can even name some of the sheep breeds by running the wool through my hands. If you are finding it difficult to needle felt, and it feels smooth and silky, the chances are it is a Merino or other fine wool with a low micron count.
This is just a guide to impart some of the knowledge I have gained since but I hope it helps you in your needle felting journey. Just experiment and have fun because there really is no right and wrong. Many people start with a needle felting kit which usually has everything you need to complete your first project. Just try not to start with one that uses Merino as it will make the learning curve harder.
Free Download
Getting Started: Do&#;s And Don&#;ts
Felting Needle Guide
Easy Tutorials
Video Tutorials
YouTube Channel
Patterns
While I only recommend products I&#;ve personally used and believe in, I must disclose that some links may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission. However, not all links are affiliate; some direct to small businesses I&#;ve personally endorsed. Your trust is vital to me, and I prioritise honesty in all recommendations.
The Field Guide To Fleece &#; Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius
British Sheep Breeds &#; Susannah Robin Parkin
Complete Photo Guide To Felting &#; Ruth Lane
Little Felted Animals &#; Marie Noelle Horvath
Beginners Guide To Needle Felting &#; Susanna Wallis
A Masterclass In Needle Felting Dogs &#; Cindy-Lou Thompson
Quick Guide To Felting NeedlesCopyright Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts
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