Extremely basic felting question

[Mama Rana]

Is wool the only yarn that can be felted? Wool makes me itch no matter how soft (angora, alpaca, doesn't matter), but I'd love to make a nice felted hat and a purse.
Can I use anything else?
TIA

[renabe]

I'm pretty sure wool is the only fiber that will shrink up and coil around itself tight enough for the felted effect. You could always felt it, then line the hat with a thin cotton

[flapjack]

I'm curious about bamboo- it has a cellular structure that isn't unlike wool, so it could be worth trying a swatch.

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by flapjack

I'm curious about bamboo- it has a cellular structure that isn't unlike wool, so it could be worth trying a swatch.

Huh, that's an interesting thought. I'm depressed about the idea that only wool can be felted.
How do they make those craft felts? They're not wool....

I could line it....
I think I might make a trip to the yarn store and see what they can recommend....

[Mel38]

My felting instructor (no, I really did take a class in felting! ) who said that any hair-like fiber with cuticles can theoretically be felted. So any kind of hair or fur, really, could be felted. I don't know how they make the craft felts! I wonder if they are pressed together somehow.

FWIW (I found it interesting anyway), she said that the cuticles are like a pine cone. They are tightly closed when they are dry, but they open up with warm water and then the agitation (either your hands or the machine) get all these cuticles hooked to each other. Soap just serves as a lubricant to get them all tightly hooked to each other.

[pradiata]

Alpacas aren't sheep - more like llamas (really cute, too!).

I've heard only animal fibers will felt - I've been looking for vegan felting options and this is what I've been told.

But have also heard that cashmere and silk will felt. I'm super-sensitive to wool too, but have never had a problem with really good cashmere (my budget has problems, tho! lol).

[VikingKvinna]

Originally Posted by pradiata

Alpacas aren't sheep - more like llamas (really cute, too!).

I've heard only animal fibers will felt - I've been looking for vegan felting options and this is what I've been told.

But have also heard that cashmere and silk will felt. I'm super-sensitive to wool too, but have never had a problem with really good cashmere (my budget has problems, tho! lol).

Cashmere is an animal fiber -- it's from the Cashmere goat. Silk comes from silkworms, so technically that's an animal fiber too.

[pradiata]

that was pretty confusing the way i wrote that before, wasn't it? made it sound like cashmere and silk weren't animal fibers. o well. better go outside and run around for awhile to get my brain working again.

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by pradiata

Alpacas aren't sheep - more like llamas (really cute, too!).

I've heard only animal fibers will felt - I've been looking for vegan felting options and this is what I've been told.

But have also heard that cashmere and silk will felt. I'm super-sensitive to wool too, but have never had a problem with really good cashmere (my budget has problems, tho! lol).

Whether they're sheep or not, it's still a type of wool, no?
I don't know if I've ever tried cashmere, but I can wear silk. I might try to find some silk yarn at the Yarn Store around here.....