For 'wet felting', which is what what we did, first you take small patches of wool, either combed or raw, and arrange them in criss-cross pattern around a form--an upside down bowl, for example. Once you've reached the desired number of layers (mine has about 4-5) you wet the wool, and using a silky cloth over it (so it doesn't bind to the wool), encourage the fibers to lock together by 'massaging' them. By continuing to wet the wool (with soapy water to remove the lanolin which is a natural water repellent) the fibers get tighter and tighter, and eventually with no more space left between, create a solid form.
I was surprised by how seemingly free form it is--that these loose fibers can eventually become so tightly connected to create fabric, or even structural panels, simply by rubbing it with soapy water. The possibilities seem endless, ranging from this necklace by an Atlanta artist to this Kasakh yurt from Central Asia.
