Lambswool can come from a variety of sheep breeds, and therefore, the amount of softness may vary somewhat. Wool that has been washed, carded, and perhaps dyed is sold as batts or sliver. Shetland is a lovely fine wool with just a bit more bulk and crimp to it than merino. Thank you, Mothering, for the past twelve years of support and community. Sliver is similar to batts in that the fibers do not all run in one direction, but sliver comes in one long, continuous rope instead of a sheet. Freshly shorn, unprocessed wool straight off of the sheep is called fleece. That is why I buy local wool from small farms and from heritage breeds when I can. How can you know which to choose for your wet felting project? Because the fibers are a bit smoother than other wools, blue faced Leicester can take longer to fully felt, but the soft texture is pleasant to work with and it yields smooth, solid felts. Batts are like thick, fluffy sheets of crisscrossing fibers. Any curls in the wool remain and can be used for fun, creative decorations, like hair, in a felting project. Believe it or not, there are approximately 1,000 distinct breeds of sheep worldwide, each with slightly different wool qualities. If you’ve never worked with lambswool before, I’d recommend beginning with just a small pack of lambswool to see if you enjoy working with it. It can be a little hard to find at craft stores, so if it becomes your favorite, you may want to consider purchasing it directly from a farm and learning to process it yourself. The bulk of Merino wool production is 20-23microns. Merino wool is an especially good choice for felting handmade soaps. The wool from Merino sheep is often considered to be the softest of … Staple length varies from 30-90mm. Another really fun option with wool is adding waves or using different types of wool that will felt up in different textures. Merino is easy to find, easy to work with, and comes in an array of beautiful colors. The Corriedale is internationally farmed, in Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America, Southern … When needle felting, you’re searching for wool that will enable you to produce fine details, (You can learn more about combining wet and needle felting. way softer than corriedale. It would take a long, long time to test out all of the assorted wools available today. It, like merino, is incredibly soft, fine, and light. For felting, steer clear of any blends that are not 100% wool. Then, of course, there are the various stages of processing for each wool, wool blends, and don’t forget about the other popular fibers often used in felting, such as alpaca, cashmere, and mohair. I really enjoy working with Shetland and it is a popular wool available in many natural and dyed colours. Locks is the term for wool that has been washed, cleaned of debris, and perhaps dyed but not carded or further processed. For the best viewing experience please update your browser to. rosygirl, thanks for the info on mulesing. A woolen spun yarn can be incredibly soft, if spun of soft wool: a merino, or cormo, yak, bison, or camel underdown, for example. Merino wool is a very soft, fine wool that is a favorite of wet felters. Lambswool comes from the first shearing of a young sheep. Think outside of the box and have some fun! When you begin your search for the perfect wool, you’ll likely come across some that are labeled as a. , are perfectly fine for both wet and needle felting. Leicester is a longer, lustrous wool with a staple length between 3 and 6 inches. I've only fondled the HPY, not knit anything with it yet, but I've made several things from Manos del Uruguay, which feels very similar. Well, I already know that I love PF. Shetland wool is naturally produced in various shades of white, brown, gray, and black and has more crimp than merino wool does. They are generally accepted as having the finest wool around. as a result, merino pills and felts more easily, but with proper care (don't put it in hot water, add soap, and agitate, lol) will hold up very nicely. I also happen to run this site and write the majority of its content! Over thousands of years (just like dog breeds) humans and the environment have selected animals and fleece for different needs. I look forward to many more. Just your typical non-theistic, liberal, blended family. Merino wool simply comes from a merino sheep, which primarily hail from the mountainous regions of New Zealand and Australia. Location: In the great big laundry mountains. It was my understanding that it is mostly done on merino sheep because they have loose skin, and are bred that way in order to produce more wool. http://www.corriedale.org.au/Page.as...dents%20Report. Fine merino is less than 19.5 microns, superfine is less than 18.5 and ultrafine merino is less than 15. Corriedale wool, which I think of as “average”, is 28-30 microns. Luckily, other crafters have already experimented with many of them and a few favorite wools have risen to the top of the list. Fleece needs to be processed, a lengthy task, before using. Roving is often easier to come across than batting or slivers and will indeed work for wet felting (it’s the most commonly used form), but you need to remember to lay out the roving in layers that run in opposing directions so that it will felt correctly. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. But a more coarse wool, corriedale, romney, or some of the down breeds, … Corriedale wool, which I think of as “average”, is 28-30 microns. When wet felting, you just need a wool that felts relatively easily and that you enjoy working with. the breed itself should, in my opinion, be eliminated or selectively bred to reduce that trait. This is definitely an area with room for creativity. We use cookies to improve your experience on this website and so that ads you see online can be tailored to your online browsing interests. This will allow you to get a feel for the techniques and experiment with designs without having to worry about wasting a high-quality wool should something go wrong. By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of data and cookies. PLus the mohair content give it strength. OH, and the legs twist, because the unbalanced single makes the fabric bias. It typically has an odor (not pleasant), contains bits of debris, and is greasy. You can purchase naturally colored merino wool or opt for beautifully dyed merino wool. The moral of that story is to always sample – spin some singles, ply, wash and dry.If you’re planning on processing Merino fibre directly from the sheep (I haven’t yet) they have very, very greasy wool.