Felting- Process

FELTFeltingprocess

ContentsAbstract

Hainsworth

Carding

Spinning

Weaving

Felting

Dyeing

British wool

Woollen stool

Felting the Woollen stool

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AbstractBeing able to see the production of felt right through from its raw state as wool to the finished material is really fascinating. Traditionally done by hand, the felting proc-ess has changed very lit tle since it first came about. Although these days it can be done on a much larger scale.

This booklet shows both of these methods; A visit to one of the oldest textile mills in England showing an insight into felt production on an industrial scale. The traditional woven process, known as pressing, which is used to make the Woollen stool. .

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HainsworthHainsworth textile mill has been producing quality felt since 1783. Supplying to an array of dif ferent areas of expertise, from the fabrics used to cover pool tables to the jackets worn by the queens guards.

The felt they produce dif fers from the traditional pressed felt, as the fibres are woven to create the felt. Taking a journey through the factory shows the production on an industrial scale

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CardingCarding is a mechanical process that uses large rollers covered with wire pins. These rollers separate the fibres, combing through any clumps to straighten them. All fibres be-come uniformly straight and facing the same direction..

As Hainsworth produces woven felt, af ter the carding process the wool is then separated and rolled onto bobbins to become slubbing.

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SpinningThe rolls of slubbing are then taken from the carding machine to be spun into yarn. The bobbins move side to side spinning the cloth tightly, this creates the yarn.

This yarn then needs to be moved from the smaller bobbins and spun around the larger wheel which is known as a beam. Many bobbins will make up one beam.

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WeavingThese large beams are then placed onto the machines which weave the cloth, known as looms. The cloth passes from the beam, the yarn is kept separate by hundreds of nee-dles. It is then weaved, this is done by a needle taking one strand of wool across the width of the beam, which is then pulled down to create a horizontal fibre. Any excess along the sides of the newly woven cloth is cut of f as the rolls of wool are received by a beam at the other side. The woven cloth is then stored, waiting to be felted.

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FeltingThe woven cloth is now ready to be felted. As the sheets of woven wool are so long when they are placed into the felting vessels, a rope is created by stitching the ends to-gether. The sheets are then wrapped around a few times and the felting process begins.

The wool is washed in warm soapy water which makes the woollen fibres shrink and bond together, creating a strong tightly woven piece of felt. The felt is then spun to get rid of excess water and dried.

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DyeingThe felt can then go on to be dyed. The long rope of felt is wrapped around the dye ves-sels and spun in baths of dye. Af ter the felt has been fully saturated it is then taken to the drying machines, these machines also press the felt to give it a perfect finish.

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Hainsworth uses a variety of sheep’s wool within the factory. One specific area sources only British wool; this is the woollen coffins, new to Hainsworths. With the carbon footprint playing such a large part in out sourced wool, and British farm-ers get ting lit tle income for the by-products of their sheep, it is important to support them where possible by buying into locally sourced produce.

British wool

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This British wool is used to make the Woollen stool, it is taken from Hainsworth textile mill at the very early stages, before any felting begins.

In contrast to the woven process used within the factory, the traditional method of press-ing is used. A non-woven process done by hand, that felts the wool to create the unique three dimensional pod shape.

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Woollen Stool

Before the felting process begins the wool fibres are cleaned and separated. These fibres are then laid onto a circular resist (a circular disk which holds the shape). As its a three dimensional shape being created, only one layer of wool is applied at first. The fibres are laid so that they are half on and half of f the resist, and finished with smaller fibres ap-plied to cover the middle. Usually the wool would be layered until the desired thickness is achieved.

Felting

Pictures taken from; National Design museum, Fashioning Felt.10

Soap and warm water is then added to the woollen fibres and massaged slightly in order to irritate the wool. This process encourages the fibres to begin bonding to one another.

Felting


The resist is then flipped onto the other side, and the over hanging wool is brought back onto the resist. The process then begins again, until roughly four layers of wool is covering each side of the resist.

Felting


Once the layers are completed, the felt is massaged further between two pieces of bubble wrap. It is then wrapped up in a bamboo mat and rolled until the resist begins to buckle.

Felting


A small incision is then made in the felt to remove the resist. The felt is then rolled again until the wool feels properly felted.

Felting


The now felted pod can then be rinsed out to remove the excess soap and lef t to dry.

Felting

Pictures taken from; http://janesdailyblah.blogspot.co.uk/2008_04_01_archive.html http://thestationspin.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/felt.html

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Felting; process

Becky Taylor

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Felting- Process