The Knitters Bible0

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FULLING

Fulling is thc process of washing woollen fabric to produce a felt-like fabric. It is often mistakenly callcd felting, which is worked on carded unspun wool, whilst fulling is worked on a finished fabric. Fulled fabric is soft, spongy and has a brushcd appearance; any garmcnt that is fulled will be morę dense and warmer than one that is not.

Fulling can only be worked on yarns that are 100 per cent wool; it doesn t work on synthetics. cotton or wools that have been treated to be machinę washable. The treatment withstands exactly the changes that are nceded to fuli a garment. During fulling, the wool expands, fibres mesh together and individual stitches close up so it is hard to see fulled stitches. The finished fabric will also shrink by up to 10 per cent in length and width.

Hand or machinę fulling?

The two methods for fulling a fabnc are by hand or washing machinę. By hand offers the most eontrol. you can stop and check the fabnc at every stage By machinę is less hard work. and you can fuli a number of items together. but it is not as easy to eontrol.There is no single recipe for fulling. each yarn reacts differently and may be easier or harder to fuli. To expenment. knit several identical samples m the yarn you are usmg makmg a notę of needle size and gauge (tension). Keep one sample aside to compare with the fulled samples.

Hand fulling

Fulling depends on extremes of temperaturę, from hot to cold. agitation by kneadmg and the use of laundry soap or soap flakes. Do not use detergent or washing powder. Dissolve the soap flakes m hot water and immerse one of the samples.

Start kneadmg the fabric without pulling. stretchmg or rubbmg the knittmg together. Remove the sample from thc water frequently to check the fulling process. Rmse the soap out in cold water and puli the sample gently. If the stitches still move apart easiły. contmue the fulling. Keep up the temperaturę of the hot water. Stop when the fabric is dense and has a fuzzy appearance Rinse the soap out and squeeze to remove exccss water. Roli the sample up m a towel to soak up any remammg moisture and then lay it out flat. away from direct heat. to dry. Make a notę of how long it took.

Try another sample but rmse it morę often m cold water or knead it m hotter water. These thmgs will make a diffcrcnce to how quickly the sample fulls. Ovenwork one of the samples until it is matted and distorted to see the diffcrcnce between correct fullmg and mattmg. Keep notes of everythmg you do as you do it.

Knit Perfect

/ Ałways test samples of coloured knittmg such as fair isle and mtarsia to make surę all the yams are colourfast.

/ Fulling only works on I00 per cent wool: work a sample before you knit your project to make surę your yarn will fuli.

y Fulled fabnc can be cut and sewn like a woven fabnc. The stitches will not fray or unravel. Garments that are too large can be taken m wrth darts or tucks or shortened by cuttmg off the bottom edge and finishmg it with blanket stitch.

/ Start by hand fulling. it is easier to eontrol. It wil be morę work but you will not run the nsk of rummg your project in the washing machme. Wear gloves to protect your hands from the hot water and soap.

y Brush the surface of the knittmg when dry with a stiff brush; use a gently pulling or lifting action rather than a vigorous back and forwards motion.

Machinę fulling

Wash the samples with soap m a fuli load.They need fnction to be fulled correctly so add towels to fili the machme. Run them through on the shortest hot wash/cold rmse cycle but do not spin dry. Remove from the machme whenever possible during the cycle to check their progress. If they haven't fulled correctly. take one sample out and put the others through the same cycle agam. Repeat until you have achieved the effea you want. By removmg samples at each stage. you have a record of when the perfect fullmg moment happens.

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