# Felted soap - looking for wool suppliers



## dixiedragon (Sep 11, 2015)

Also instructions would be nice. I've googled and the instructions I've found are kind of vague, and they aren't super specific about the wool they buy. I have never done this and I have NO knowledge of wool, so I want somebody to tell me GO HERE and BUY THIS and DON'T BUY this.
Colors I want:
Black
Reddish brown
White
Red
Orange
Blue
Purple
Green


----------



## dibbles (Sep 11, 2015)

I used 100% wool roving, and I also used a felting needle to poke in any loose flaps. Bubble wrap will work as a felting mat. I got my roving from http://www.mielkesfiberarts.com/ and there is a picture tutorial on that website. I also found that the multicolored roving makes a very pretty felted soap, but it seems that they don't have much available any more. A google search for wool roving should get you some good options.

Here is another link: http://www.pacificwoolandfiber.com/dyed-wool-for-spinning-and-felting.html I used the multicolored fine merino, and also solid colors. You mostly want to make sure whatever you order is 100% wool. And 4 ounces is quite a bit.


----------



## cmzaha (Sep 11, 2015)

I like this company and you can buy sets of colors. www.livingfelt.com  I have also purchased roving at the County Fair
http://feltingsupplies.livingfelt.c...s-Batt-PURPLESBERRIES-Studio-Pack-_p_312.html


----------



## rparrny (Sep 11, 2015)

Here's a YouTube video on how to make them:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzb-DS68diI[/ame]


----------



## DeeAnna (Sep 11, 2015)

I second Mielkes for an online source. I suggest a basic merino wool for starters -- it is a fine diameter wool that felts easily into a smooth firm felt. Corriedale would be my close second pick. The other types of wools felt too, but the finished felt tends to be fuzzier and slightly rougher feeling. They often don't come in the huge variety of colors that merino does. 

My first pick from Mielke's would be the small 25-color Merino sampler: http://www.mielkesfiberarts.com/product/merino-top-sampler/
And my second would be the small Corriedale sampler: http://www.mielkesfiberarts.com/product/fiber-artists-bag-of-candy/

I usually wrap my soaps first with a plain natural color Merino, and then add thin layers and strands of colored wool over the top of that, so you might want to buy a slightly larger quantity of top in a basic color if you want to take this approach. 

If you have a local knitting or fiber arts store, that's another source of interesting materials.

Don't get carried away with the idea of adding non-wool fibers, "locks", or other embellishments to the felt. You want a felted soap to have a tight, flat finish and adding non-wool stuff can result in floppy, dangling bits or an irregular bumpy surface. That kind of thing can be nice on an art piece, but not so nice on a felted soap. If you want more details, then branch out someday into needle felting.

ETA: It's easier to felt over an oval or round soap rather than a rectangular soap or any other shape with sharp corners. I do the rectangles, but it can be a challenge to keep the felt on the corners from getting too thin. Arianne Arsenault grates a freshly made bar of soap, hand forms the shreds into a flattened disk with softly rounded surfaces (exactly like the shape of a crab cake), and felts over that. Then she lets the young soap cure. I can see how this shape would work really well to felt.


----------



## TVivian (Sep 11, 2015)

It looks like you have a pretty nice yarn store in Birmingham called "In the making" they may have a decent un spun  wool selection. I bought my wool at a store like that and it was nice to get it quickly and try it to see if I even liked felted soap. The process is simple, the only unexpected thing was at how much wool it took to really cover the soap. I didn't end up liking felted soap very much (although I love how they look) so it was good that I didn't invest too much $ in supplies.


----------



## DeeAnna (Sep 11, 2015)

Vivian is right -- just a few ounces of top will be plenty to start with so you can see if you like making felted soap. Going to a local fiber arts store will be your best bet to keep the cost down in that case. 

I also agree that felted soap is not everyone's cuppa tea. I make a few as gifts and to give to my honorary nephew (now going on 3 yo) who likes to eat soap. I may take one on our next vacation to the ocean to see if it lasts better there than a not-felted soap. The salt air and high humidity are not kind to my soap.

I can't say I care to use felted soap as a routine in the shower -- the feel of the felt is too soft for me. I really like the more scrubby feel of a bath pouf or exfoliating washcloth. A person who likes to bathe by rubbing the bar of soap against the skin might be fine with felted soap.


----------



## dibbles (Sep 11, 2015)

I agree with Vivian and DeeAnna - felted soap isn't for everyone. I don't dislike it, but rarely used it when I made it (this was before I made CP soap, and I bought Canus goat milk soap, which does have nice rounded corners). I made about 30 bars for gifts one year, and did the majority of them in less than a week. My hands were very chapped and sore from so much time in the hot water. Lesson learned.


----------



## galaxyMLP (Sep 11, 2015)

dibbles said:


> I agree with Vivian and DeeAnna - felted soap isn't for everyone. I don't dislike it, but rarely used it when I made it (this was before I made CP soap, and I bought Canus goat milk soap, which does have nice rounded corners). I made about 30 bars for gifts one year, and did the majority of them in less than a week. My hands were very chapped and sore from so much time in the hot water. Lesson learned.



I made 24 over the course of 4 days once and my hands actually started peeling after I did 11 the first day. I wore nitrile gloves after that but the gloves made it hard to get a good grip.

Then, I found out that highly textured thick latex gloves that fit well can take the place of a felting mat and provide the necessary protection.. Still not fun and your hands still get sore but, at least they don't get chapped and you can rub the soap in your hand for the same effect. It takes less time per bar that way too.


----------



## dixiedragon (Sep 11, 2015)

TVivian said:


> It looks like you have a pretty nice yarn store in Birmingham called "In the making" they may have a decent un spun wool selection. I bought my wool at a store like that and it was nice to get it quickly and try it to see if I even liked felted soap. The process is simple, the only unexpected thing was at how much wool it took to really cover the soap. I didn't end up liking felted soap very much (although I love how they look) so it was good that I didn't invest too much $ in supplies.


 
In the Making is like 3 minutes from my house! SQUEEE! I will check them out tonight! I knew they had yarn and knitting and crochet stuff, but it never occurred to me they'd have wool appropriate for felting.


----------



## dixiedragon (Sep 11, 2015)

galaxyMLP said:


> I made 24 over the course of 4 days once and my hands actually started peeling after I did 11 the first day. I wore nitrile gloves after that but the gloves made it hard to get a good grip.
> 
> Then, I found out that highly textured thick latex gloves that fit well can take the place of a felting mat and provide the necessary protection.. Still not fun and your hands still get sore but, at least they don't get chapped and you can rub the soap in your hand for the same effect. It takes less time per bar that way too.


 
Where did you get the highly textured thick latex gloves? I was thinking dish gloves?


----------



## galaxyMLP (Sep 11, 2015)

dixiedragon said:


> Where did you get the highly textured thick latex gloves? I was thinking dish gloves?



Yeah... I needed to say dish gloves. My descriptions arent always the best...

I use these:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Playtex-Living-Drip-Catch-Cuff-Ultra-Fresh-Medium-Gloves-Medium/11027856

They are fabric lined (at least if feels like they are lined with something fabric like?), comfortable, fit very well and have diamond texturing all over the palm/fingers. You can just hold the soap in one hand and rub it onto the other to felt it.  They also make them in small, medium and large which helps to get them fit better. Mine just broke (small tear in a finger from a soap beveler) and I've been using them for almost a year for everything soapy so they are definitely durable!

Make sure to get dish gloves that fit well and are durable though. I tried "wimpy" ones at first and they just make it worse since then your hands are irritated from water getting in them or getting a tear or other things... Plus, then they don't act as a felt mat if they aren't grippy.


----------



## DeeAnna (Sep 11, 2015)

You know, come to think of it, I think I remember seeing small packs of various colors of wool top in Walmart of all places -- in the craft section. Or was it Target? Arrgh! If you don't find anything at "In the Making", maybe try Wally World, Target, or one of the big-name craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby?

ETA: Yep, Wally World. http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=wool


----------



## galaxyMLP (Sep 11, 2015)

I found uncolored wool roving in the section near the yarn in both Joanns and Michaels. Michales sells 2 oz of undyed wool for $6.99. They have other fun colors too but, you get quite a bit less for the same amount of $$.

Oh, and my wally world doesn't have any. But, it might be in yours!


----------



## TeresaT (Sep 11, 2015)

I don't know about felting soaps; however, I received gorgeous Polworth top from The Woolery for spinning.  They have an amazing selection of fibers (raw fleeces, too!) for every imaginable fiber-related craft.  I have a wish list a mile long for their site.  www.woolery.com.   They have a section specifically for felting.  Even if you don't buy from them, it's worth it to look.  For me personally, it's the FAO Schwarz of fiber!


----------



## galaxyMLP (Sep 11, 2015)

I did have a question, I had a family member request a felted soap but is allergic to wool. Is there any way I can felt with cotton or a synthetic fiber? Its my BF's aunts husband. She loves the felted soap but wants one for her husband who its allergic to wool.


----------



## dixiedragon (Sep 11, 2015)

What is the difference between wool roving and wool top?

Also, did y'all see this article?
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbe...rth-of-fleece/ar-AAdTPpz?li=BBgzzfc&ocid=iehp


----------



## rparrny (Sep 11, 2015)

DeeAnna;544111[URL="http://www.mielkesfiberarts.com/product/fiber-artists-bag-of-candy/" said:
			
		

> [/URL]
> 
> I usually wrap my soaps first with a plain natural color Merino, and then add thin layers and strands of colored wool over the top of that, so you might want to buy a slightly larger quantity of top in a basic color if you want to take this approach.


Any pics of your felted soaps DeeAnna?


----------



## TeresaT (Sep 11, 2015)

dixiedragon said:


> What is the difference between wool roving and wool top?
> 
> Also, did y'all see this article?
> http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbe...rth-of-fleece/ar-AAdTPpz?li=BBgzzfc&ocid=iehp



Top goes thru a wool comb and all the fibers are going the same direction.

Roving goes thru a carder and not all of the fibers (just most) are going in the same direction.  

Best real life scenario I can think of is:

Top is kind of like long silky hair that has just been combed.  Roving is that same hair after running to catch the bus and finger combing it.


----------



## Susie (Sep 11, 2015)

galaxyMLP said:


> I did have a question, I had a family member request a felted soap but is allergic to wool. Is there any way I can felt with cotton or a synthetic fiber? Its my BF's aunts husband. She loves the felted soap but wants one for her husband who its allergic to wool.



No, only wool will felt correctly.


----------



## galaxyMLP (Sep 11, 2015)

Thats what I thought, Susie. I did look it up and found the same thing. I just wanted to check here too just in case I missed something! Thank you.


----------



## DeeAnna (Sep 11, 2015)

Either roving or top will work for felting, but it does need to be wool to felt properly. You can mix other fibers into the wool -- silk, cotton, linen, polyester and other synthetics, animal hair, etc. -- but you have to be careful to not use too much non-wool fibers in proportion to the wool or the felt won't felt very well. 

Here are some pics of my felting. I'm really a beginner -- honest! My teacher is a wizard at felting amazing stuff, and I benefited a huge amount from her advice when I was making the felt inlay for the purse -- it makes me look like I know way more than I do. 

The soaps are all merino or Corriedale wools. The "Prairie Maid" needed to be more feminine, so the base color is natural Merino. The "Coeurer" soap is more masculine, so the base is natural-color Jacobs wool -- it's coarser and more fuzzy, but I liked how it looks a little like wood.

The purse inlay is mostly merino wool with embellishments of synthetic fibers (the turquoise "rivers") and loose locks of wool and silk (the squiggly red/wine bits).


----------



## jade-15 (Sep 11, 2015)

The roving I have (just a few bits to play with) lose their colour - so my purple felt makes everything it touches purple, although the felt has remained the same purple, and the light colours have washed out.
Is this what happens with all colours or is it just the type I've been using?


----------



## dibbles (Sep 11, 2015)

Wow DeeAnna, you are too modest. That is really beautiful work. I could never get the hang of the small contrast on the soaps I did. They always seemed to separate and roll on me. Which is why I started using the variegated roving. It looked much fancier than it was.


----------



## TeresaT (Sep 11, 2015)

jade-15 said:


> The roving I have (just a few bits to play with) lose their colour - so my purple felt makes everything it touches purple, although the felt has remained the same purple, and the light colours have washed out.
> Is this what happens with all colours or is it just the type I've been using?



Jade-15, I don't know if this will work, but you might give it a shot.  Dyed yarns sometimes bleed because either the dye didn't set correctly or there is just too much dye.  Since yours stays the same color purple, I'm guessing it was never set correctly.  Put a bit of it in a pot or microwave bowl you won't use again, and soak it in cold water add some vinegar to the water, swish it around and make sure the roving is thoroughly saturated with the vinegar water.  (There should be a good bit of water in the pot/bowl.) Heat it to very hot, but not boiling, then remove from heat, cover and leave it alone until the next day.  Squeeze all of the water out of it and then use a bit of dish detergent to gently wash it.  The vinegar and heat should have set the dye overnight and you shouldn't be getting any staining in the soap bubbles.  

(These are sort of modified instruction on how to set dye in spun wool.  I'm trying to convert a 100 gm hank of yarn into a cotton ball of roving in my mind as I give the instructions.  Please forgive me if this is confusing, I hope you get the gist of it though.)


----------



## DeeAnna (Sep 11, 2015)

Jade -- The colors in my wool have not run or faded at all. I wonder if the person who dyed your wool was using stuff like Kool-Aid and other non-light-fast colorants. ???

Dibbles -- I had felted some soaps before taking the class in which I made that purse inlay, but I never was happy with the results. Like you, I had trouble with lumpy bits that didn't felt down nice and flat and my added strands of color didn't adhere well to the base felted layer. It was frustrating -- I don't know how many videos I watched but I never could pick up the feel. 

In that class, I learned to use thin layers of wool to build up the colors -- a little like watercolor painting using thin, transparent washes of color. What I had been doing before was more like oil painting using a big heavy brush and lots of pigment. I don't think more experienced felters necessarily need to do this 'watercolor' thing, but it really has helped me improve my technique.

I first loosely wrap the soap with a base color of wool, making sure my corners are well wrapped (my nemesis!) I don't want too much wool on the soap -- it is possible to wrap it too thick so it takes forever to felt. My goal is to get at least two thin layers of wool covering all parts of my soap. You want each layer to go in a different directions -- side to side, and top to bottom, and/or diagonally. If you wrap so the fibers lay all in one direction, the wool will not felt as nicely. 

Next, I wet the wrapped soap with warm water and gently pat the wet wool to encourage it to compress and flatten into place. The feeling is like patting a tender plant into the soil -- firm, but not harsh or hard and definitely no rubbing. After the wool is beginning to think about staying more or less in place, I start to add my design. To add a squiggle of color, I first pull off a small strand of roving or top and gently tease it wider and looser until it's a wisp so thin I can see through it -- this is the "watercolor wash of color" thing. I lay this wisp of (dry) wool on the (wet) wrapped soap and pat it into place. The water in the base layer will help the wisp adhere. Add more wispy layers as desired.

When all embellishments are in place, I continue to pat and squish the wool until I can no longer pull up separate fibers of wool when I pinch up a bit of the wool and gently try to pull the fibers apart. At that point, I have a "prefelt" that can tolerate more handling, so I start to rub and roll the soap in my hands rather than just pat. This will encourage the fibers to felt more and more until the result is a nice, thick felt. If I start to rub or roll the wool before it gets to the prefelt stage, the wool can roll into thick wads, pill up into ugly ropes, thin out along the corners and edges, and generally refuse to felt well. 

Hope this helps!


----------



## TeresaT (Sep 11, 2015)

DeeAnna, you amaze me!  You always teach me something.  I only know "oops" felting and needle felting.   I assumed that needle felting was how everyone felted their soap.  I always thought felting soap was a really strange thing to do. REALLY STRANGE!  Why did anyone want to sit and stab a hard bar of soap a million times?  (Needle felting: not good.  Needles: too long.  Lap pillow: too thin.  Teresa:  Too angry)


----------



## doriettefarm (Sep 11, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Either roving or top will work for felting, but it does need to be wool to felt properly. You can mix other fibers into the wool -- silk, cotton, linen, polyester and other synthetics, animal hair, etc. -- but you have to be careful to not use too much non-wool fibers in proportion to the wool or the felt won't felt very well.
> 
> Here are some pics of my felting. I'm really a beginner -- honest! My teacher is a wizard at felting amazing stuff, and I benefited a huge amount from her advice when I was making the felt inlay for the purse -- it makes me look like I know way more than I do.
> 
> ...



I am totally salivating over that purse DeeAnna!  Love the chunky leather straps and hardware . . . reminds me of a really expensive halter or bridle for equines.


----------



## doriettefarm (Sep 11, 2015)

DeeAnna - inquiring minds must know if the purse was a kit or custom job?  I'm actually allergic to wool so can't wear all the pretty wool sweaters without an undershirt.  But I really dig the size, shape & hardware on that purse so might actually try felting something that's not soap.


----------



## jade-15 (Sep 12, 2015)

Thanks Teresa and DeeAnna, I was hoping it was just the type I had bought.
 - small packs from my local craft store to play with. I have found a few online stores devoted purely to wool for felting, so I hope that they will be colour fast (now that I know it's possible!).  I'll also try setting the rest of the purple.


----------



## DeeAnna (Sep 12, 2015)

Hi, Doriette -- It's my own design from start to finish.  The bridle leather shoulder strap and the metal hardware are usually used on horse tack and harness, so that's why they have that chunky look. Here's a shot of the lined interior with an outside open pocket and an interior zippered pocket. Yeah, I was pretty happy how this one looks. Always room for improvement, but all in all it turned out well.


----------



## doriettefarm (Sep 12, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Hi, Doriette -- It's my own design from start to finish.  The bridle leather shoulder strap and the metal hardware are usually used on horse tack and harness, so that's why they have that chunky look. Here's a shot of the lined interior with an outside open pocket and an interior zippered pocket. Yeah, I was pretty happy how this one looks. Always room for improvement, but all in all it turned out well.



I am so impressed, just speechless!  How long have you been doing leather work?  It's really beautiful and just my style . . . simple clean lines but with bold character.  The strap and hardware definitely screams halters/harnesses which I love.  

Any chance you'd consider making another one (just name your price)?  Also curious if you think it would be possible to incorporate horse hair in with the wool portion.  I have some special horse hair that I've been saving since July when I had to help my best equine buddy cross the bridge   Something like this would be the perfect memento because I could use it every day.  I also considered a horse hair bracelet but I'm just not much of  a jewelry kinda gal.


----------



## rparrny (Sep 12, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Either roving or top will work for felting, but it does need to be wool to felt properly. You can mix other fibers into the wool -- silk, cotton, linen, polyester and other synthetics, animal hair, etc. -- but you have to be careful to not use too much non-wool fibers in proportion to the wool or the felt won't felt very well.
> 
> Here are some pics of my felting. I'm really a beginner -- honest! My teacher is a wizard at felting amazing stuff, and I benefited a huge amount from her advice when I was making the felt inlay for the purse -- it makes me look like I know way more than I do.
> 
> ...


Beautiful work Deeanna, the only felt soaps I've seen so far were butt ugly IMHO, yours are georgeous!  How do you manage to get that wool around a square soap?


----------



## DeeAnna (Sep 13, 2015)

How do I get the wool around the edges, you ask? Sometimes I don't!  I have to pay close attention to keeping those corners covered!!! The patting and squishing step at first is helpful, because at that stage I can still can pat and squish the not-yet-felted wool around and encourage it to stay as thick as possible on the corners. It's the hardest part of felting over a rectangular bar, which is why I'm tempted to try Arianne Arsenault's approach of forming the soap into a softly rounded "crab cake" shape and felting over that -- her video is the one you gave in Post #4.


----------



## JayJay (Sep 13, 2015)

DeeAnna -- your work is simply gorgeous!  Seriously.  I am speechless.  

And those photos are just perfect. They look like something found on the webpage of a fancy boutique.


----------



## Deedles (Oct 7, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> Hi, Doriette -- It's my own design from start to finish.  The bridle leather shoulder strap and the metal hardware are usually used on horse tack and harness, so that's why they have that chunky look. Here's a shot of the lined interior with an outside open pocket and an interior zippered pocket. Yeah, I was pretty happy how this one looks. Always room for improvement, but all in all it turned out well.



Gorgeous! 
http://www.soapmakingforum.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


----------

