Felting Wool – How To Choose The Right One

When it comes to buying the wool for your felting project, you can feel really overwhelmed by the enormous choice available on the market. Also, depending on where you’re buying it from, you might get a lot of different options in terms of the sheep race.

So, here’s my suggestion on how to navigate your next wool shopping 🙂 in 3 easy steps.

Step 1: Is your project needle felted or wet felted?

If you’re planning to needle felt something, your best choice is wool batting. This is wool that has only been washed and carded, so the wool fibers are going in different directions, unlike wool tops, that have been combed, and therefore have all their fibers going in the same direction.

When you’re working with a needle, this type of wool is faster to felt and you get a smooth surface, instead of a surface full of visible wool fibers (where you can almost see “threads”), which is the result of needle felting with wool tops.

Also, a harder wool is easier to needle felt than a very soft one. So, for this type of project a fine merino isn’t the best option.

If you want to wet felt, just keep reading 🙂

Step 2: Should your project be delicate and soft, or rigid and resistant?

For wet felting, the choice takes a bit more reflection. But start by deciding whether you want a soft piece or a rigid one.

Let’s say you’re wet felting a pair of slippers, a rug or a vessel of some kind. All of these should be resistant and might need some more structure. They’re generally more rigid pieces. In this case, you should opt for a rougher, thicker wool. I won’t be mentioning any sheep breed, because these vary immensely, according to the country you buy your wool from.

Now, if you’re felting jewelry, a scarf or a piece for a baby, you’ll want it to be delicate and soft. So, your best choice would be a fine or even an extra-fine merino.

Step 3: Your project is wet felted. Should you get wool batts or wool tops?

Some people prefer batts, others prefer tops. There’s no right answer here. I decide primarily according to the shape I’ll be felting:

• Cords and similar shapes are easier to felt with wool tops. If you’ve tried making them with both types of wool, you probably agree with me.
• Balls and oval forms tend to get a smoother surface, if you use wool batts, for the same reason I mentioned in step 1.
• Sheets are easier to felt with wool batts, because you don’t have to spend so much time laying and crossing the fibers. The also tend to produce a more even thickness than wool tops).

Having said that, one thing I like to do, is to mix both wool types in one piece. That kinda gives you the best of both worlds 🙂

And finally, if nuno felting is what’s on your mind, the best choice is an extra-fine merino wool top. Only an extra-fine wool will be able to penetrate the silk and attach to it.

Of course, there’s still a lot to be said about wool, but I wanted to make it as simple as possible, to avoid overwhelm. I hope this can help you decide when you’re buying your wool in the future!

Wool tops (left) and wool batt (right)