Question about felting yarn / felting

Hi everyone,

I’ve never knitted, crocheted, or felted anything before. Well, okay, a long time ago I once washed and spun a knitted sweater without mercy—it ended up small and felted *smile*—but I mean, that was on purpose.

I downloaded a pattern for a cat bed. Now I was thinking, if I knit it with felting yarn and then wash it in the machine, it’ll shrink a bit but become pretty stiff. Or am I over-simplifying things? Will it still be cozy?

Michaela, I also tried felting for the first time just last year—I made slippers for the whole family.
Yes, it does get stiffer and firmer than before, and most importantly, it shrinks by about a third.

Cats will surely still find it cozy. I just threw the felted piece into the washing machine at 40 degrees along with other items (without fabric softener and using liquid detergent!) and then pulled it into shape. You should definitely do this while it’s still damp.

I scoured the internet for lots of tips beforehand and then just went for it. And it worked wonderfully.

For one pair of slippers, I had to wash the pieces again at 40 degrees so they’d shrink a bit more. That worked out well, too.

I wish you the best of luck. Just go for it!

Important note: It will shrink by about 1/3 after felting!

Dear mifas,
add a few tennis balls to the washing machine too—that’ll help it felt even better; the item will get really kneaded thoroughly.
If you’re making the cat bed in different colors, be sure to add one or two color-catching cloths to absorb any excess dye—especially with reds or very dark colors combined with light ones.

Felt is no longer fluffy, but it offers incredible stability and thermal insulation. That’s why it’s also great for rugs, chair cushions or, as in Central Asia, even entire yurts where nomads brave the freezing winters. Your cat will love the bed. I’ve made some myself, with great success. Your cat will elevate you to superhero status!
Warmest regards and Happy Easter!
Your Steffi

Okay. With 4 cats, that makes me a 4-time superhero :D

Thank you both so much!

P.S.: Good tip about the yurts. I’m going to order a few more right away and crochet some nice year-round shelters for my two teenage pets. ;-) Good thing I get to work on Easter Monday. You know what I mean? ;-)

Raaah! NOW THAT’S an idea! I’m going to pass it on to my friend (a pubescent girl, so it could also be crocheted in pink).
Giggling greetings from
your Steffi

Well then, have fun, Michaela, crocheting and felting. You can show us the finished piece here once it comes out of the washing machine.

I wanted to add one more thing about felt—traditional Russian winter boots (valenki) are also felted. They’re 7 to 10 mm thick and keep your feet warm even at -40°C. So yes, felt keeps you warm :-).

Wow. Those would be my kind of shoes... I just Googled them. I especially love the shoes with the embroidery.
Is that sheep’s wool?

Wow. I just Googled those shoes. They would’ve been perfect for me when I was on Spitsbergen last year. The embroidered valenki are great. Are they traditionally made from sheep’s wool?

@Steffi, yes, made from sheep’s wool. They’re really perfect for cold weather and snow, but they just don’t make your foot look particularly pretty :-D.

Oh, I wouldn’t care either way. I mostly walk around in hiking boots anyway. They’re not exactly elegant either ;-)

Oh, I wouldn't care. I mostly walk around in hiking boots anyway ;-) The main thing is warm feet!

I don’t think you could even go walking in them—they’re completely stiff and more for somehow getting by than for actively taking part in life :-D.

So once again, perfect for teenage kids who hang out in the yurts with their phones :D

LOL! I'm cracking up :-))))))