How to felt - by ARNE & CARLOS

[@rae717]

Hello A&C and all inhabitants of the Land of Knitting! I am so proud of my first felted slippers from your book. I live in Ottawa, Canada, and I used the diamond panel pattern. The result is beautiful! Since our winters are long and I wear the slippers everyday, I wanted to protect the bottom with latex as you suggest in your book. However, I found the hobby store latex to be a little on the expensive side, so I went to the local home renovation store and bought a tube of clear silicone (for sealing windows and doors) to squeeze onto the bottom of the finished slippers. Larger tube, much lower cost, great results! I am loving your long chats and demonstrations you've just started. I sit by the fire in the evening while I knit and listen to your patter. Wish I could join you on your Norwegian Voyage in September, but maybe another time. Thanks for all the inspiration!

[@944gemma]

If you have a hot glue gun, that works on the soles of slippers also. Just a few dots or stripes and you are good to go.

[@teresapatterson1253]

Another project to add to my wish list. Thank you Carlos for presenting felting as exciting and easy 💕

[@ARNECARLOS]

😊

[@livinginthenow]

"...and eventually you will be able to felt like you've never done anything else." I don't know why, but that really tickled me. Thanks Carlos. 🤣🤣🤣

[@ARNECARLOS]

You are welcome😄

[@olijfje4063]

Dear Carlos, I have knitted and felted my slippers with succes. Like you said If the slippers appear to be overfelted and are really small, you can solve this problem by putting them on. Now I have slippers which only fit my feet😄 I have pictures of my slippers but I do not know how to add them to this message.

[@Stuartette]

I love the nature shots! It’s so pretty up there!

[@alejandravera3198]

Que originales !!! Me encantan !!!!! Desde argentina . 😀🤗

[@cathypearson1889]

I knitted and felted a bag once, I can't wait to knit some slippers!

[@ARNECARLOS]

Have fun!

[@kellyhipkins5616]

I so love how you stated when you felt lols there's no going back lols

[@tinkhat5311]

Thank you so much I alway wrapped the yarn around my finger and left a mark.your way doesn't leave a mark and it's faster thank you so much

[@roxannavaldovinos1945]

I'm late to the party but I wanted to see the sock come out!

[@MakeItSo1111]

Thank you for this!!! I didn’t know you could felt in a front loader! I just love you guys!!!

[@ARNECARLOS]

Great!

[@tbrew8222]

You can take some control over it by doing it by hand in a sink or bucket. I do this to my sweaters (to wear) because I intentionally buy larger just to shrink in hot water and tighten the weave. Switching to a cold dunk at the right size helps lock it in. If it is not felted enough, I later use warm water rather than hot, and manually agitate with a (clean new from dollar store) toilet plunger and sometimes scrub areas with a brush to bring out more fibers to interlock in the plunging process. Like he said, it does not have to be hot. Heat helps shrink weaves though, and anything but cold is easier on the fibers.

[@ARNECARLOS]

Thank you!

[@velmad3091]

I have never felted. Looks like a fun thing to do. Thanks for the vid 🙂

[@wildgooseberrytea]

I always thought that felting is created through rapid change of water temp + excess of soap. So basically when you do it in winter, cold winter water getting warmer in the machine is already enough. And lots of soap too!

[@minjiwoo8335]

I've always wanted to try felting. This seems so easy. I must try! Thanks for the tutorial :)

[@ARNECARLOS]

You are welcome, have fun!

[@blasebaker]

Thank you! Now I know how to felt.

[@ARNECARLOS]

You are welcome, glad to be able to help.

[@iChillypepper]

The sacrificial jeans technique 😂

[@SuperDesignChick]

Floor washing soap? Not laundry soap or wool wash?

[@U2cantrustme]

Shoot I have a top loader machine, dont think my results will be as good as yours since yours drops down and goes back up for a ride lol. Mine would just swirl around the bottom of the machine, wonder what a I can throw in to help the process. Anyone else try a top loader washing machine - how was the result and what did you use inside your washer? Thanks Arne & Carlos I get a kick watching you guys.

[@bettherndon7773]

I don't have any trouble with my top load machine. I do throw in 3 old tennis balls to help with the felting.

[@SMey54]

What is specific about the floor soap that makes it different than laundry soap? Is it more caustic or harsh? Wonder how that will work on my "he"washing machine.

[@tbrew8222]

Harsher soaps open up the "scales" on the hairs more and helps them tangle and matt into a dreadlock. it also cancels the natural lubricating oils in animal fibers. You can always add more lanolin later in a water soak after its done and held its desired shape/ size a while.

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

The floor washing soap and dishwashung soap is degreasing more than a soap for your kin or a soap for your clothes. Ammonia is a great degrsaser and is the active ingredient in ms y cleaning product. The other ingredient to are there often to make it smell better and to rinse out more easily. You can use tiny amounts of ammonia to felt but do not use too much. You will need to use gloves or to rinse your hands immediately.

[@dwlmoy]

Very exciting and alittle nervous that what you never do with a beautiful knitted sweater, you are now going to deliberately do with the slippers... aargh... thankyou and wish me luck

[@ARNECARLOS]

Good luck!

[@piecesofjoyliberty2064]

does the yarn have to be 100% wool to felt after knitting?

[@ARNECARLOS]

You can felt with other fabrics but you should look up how to. This method is for wool

[@jacquigriffin5973]

Would have liked to see the result when it comes out of the machine.

[@ARNECARLOS]

Jacqui Griffin The result when the slipper comes out from the machine is shown in the beginning of the video, Carlos is actually holding up the "before" and the "after" slipper, which he also mentions as he compares them to each other.

[@sandrapolichino8806]

Could you use tennis balls?

[@TG-mx5wb]

Do you toss them in the dryer or air dry them?

[@ARNECARLOS]

Air dry

[@hysteric-and-hysterical]

Do you put it in the dryer?

[@ARNECARLOS]

You felt it in the washing machine.

[@teresaolofson1377]

WHAT TYPE OF detergent do i need? i use a homemade one from castile soap borax and washing soda...my washing machine does not agitate much...its some kind of new model using less energy etc...will that be the main thing that felts is extreme agitation ...the spin cycle does nothing to felt am i right....and soaking will do nothing...yoru saying it needs agitation for two hours?

[@ARNECARLOS]

Hi Teresa, in the blog on our website there is more info.

[@triciamcintosh6964]

Hello! Can you felt more than one item in the washing machine at a time?

[@tbrew8222]

Yes! but beware of color transfer if you do not want it. they may pick up eachothers loose fibers and felt them into their own.