Felting is the process of transforming fibers into fabric without weaving. Through a process of matting, pressing and condensing various fibers, felt of virtually any size, shape, color and consistency can be created.

Wool fibers are placed in overlapping layers at 90 degree angles to each other between two layers of a thin medium that will not adhere to the felt. The fibers are immersed in warm water and rolled for about five minutes. The felt is removed from the water and rotated ¹/₄ turn. The rolling and rotating process is repeated until the fibers have bonded to each other to create a piece of felt. http://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/fulling.shtml

Using this process, one can go beyond the solid color range by adding bits of colorful fiber and snippets of wool yarn in order to create a design. Wet felting makes detail difficult to manipulate, but the combinations of colors and textures are endless.

Technically, making felt from knitting, weaving, or crochet is called "fulling". The fabric is first knitted, crocheted, or woven fairly loosely. This allows the strands of yarn to rub against each other, creating friction and causing the fibers to lock together. The fabric shrinks in size but also gets thicker as the fibers mat together. http://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/fulling.shtml

The classic example of this kind of felting is of a wool sweater being washed in the machine by mistake and then shrinking. Once a fabric is fulled, it cannot be restored to its original structure. Even if the process is stopped before all the fibers have a chance to mat entirely, often the yarn itself will have become denser and less flexible. http://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/fulling.shtml

Controlled fulling, on the other hand, can allow one to create sturdy, warm items that repel water and keep their shape. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulling

• Knitting on the Net: Free Felting Patterns

• Living Felt: Free Felting and Needle Felting Patterns

• Crochet Pattern Central: Felted Items Patterns

• Knitted Pattern Central: Felted Items Patterns

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