The Basics of Cashmere Wool Felting

What is Felting and Why Does it Occur?

Because cashmere and wool fibers have scales and crimps, it is possible for them to interlock with one another when external force is applied with right amounts of heat and moisture. Continuous application of this force will finally cause the fibers to blend into rigid fabric.

How is Felting Used in Cashmere and Wool Products

Since felting is literally beating fibers into fabric, by controlling the degree, many different styles can be achieved.

Normally, light felt is required when clean pattern is priority and it’s usually done on worsted products, which are thin and delicate.

Medium felt is typically applied to woollen scarves. If you’ve ever wondered why a wool or cashmere woollen scarf is so soft with that downy appearance, that’s because it has been felted to a degree that doesn’t make it too stiff yet stable in dimension. And you can also notice that the pattern on the scarf is not as clear as light felt, which is a unique property of woollen products.

Heavy felt is an extreme case to form the most rigid wool or cashmere fabric. This type of fabric is used in comparatively heavy-duty items like carpets, boots, hats, toys, even in Piano hammers.

Mongolians have been using felt fabric made from coarse wool to cover their yurts for thousands of years. (END)