Shrink rate? Wet Felt Makers need to know!

The magic of wet felting requires three things.

1. Animal fibers (preferably from sheep) 2. Water (with a bit of soap) 3. Agitation of the fibers (preferably by your hands)

During the felting process the piece will shrink as the fibers move and interconnect with each other. The process continues to move and shrink those fibers ever closer and tighter together until they form a new cohesive unit such as a hat, wool yardage, boots, wall pieces, etc. The fully felted fibers have been transformed from their original state of loose, individual, scaled fibers into the oneness of something new. No knitting, no weaving, no crocheting!

Because shrinking happens during this process, as the felt maker you have to know your own personal shrink rate. Your mood of the day, your body strength etc., the breed of wool, the intended purpose of the piece—ALL can affect the shrink rate. For instance, if I want to felt a wall mural with a finished size of 24'“ x 36” I would have to start with a layout size of approximately 35'“ x 53”! Generally my shrink rate is about 45%. That is important for me to know when creating pattern sizes for scarves, clothing, sculptural pieces and so on.

Shrink rate is just one of the many ideas you will learn about while having fun Felting at Home!

During this new tutorial, you will create your very FIRST Felt Sampler. Your initial layout will start out 10” x 10” to make a beautiful landing pad for your phone, or a spot for your mug of tea, or a wall-art piece. It is also perfectly sized to make figuring out YOUR personal shrink rate easy!

So take the first steps on your felting journey…

https://www.spiritedhandsstudio.com/shop/felting-at-home-video-tutorial-includes-kit

Click the above link to purchase our newest video tutorial that includes a kit that I mail off to you!

Happy creating.