30 Minutes of Agitation

Four ounces of yarn scraps remained after knotting the tiny rug last week. Knitted up, it made a swatch measuring 13 1/2" x 13 1/2", once blocked.

I soaked the square in warm, soapy water and rolled and rubbed it for 30 minutes. Happily, this "fulling" yielded a firm, but still drape-y fabric.

("Felting" is the term most often heard to describe the process of agitating wool. "Fulling" seems a better word since I wanted pliable fabric, without the density of a hat or a purse.)

After 30 minutes, the square had only shrunk to 12", 88% of its original size. So much effort for a subtle result!

I can see why devoted felters prefer washing machines to bubble-wrapped rolling pins. Still, one can dream of a knitted, fulled winter coat in one's future.

Bubble wrap, soap, and a washboard were used to reduce a knitted square to 88% of its original size

Knitted square measured 13 1/2 " before being agitated in soapy water

Fabric is more dense after fulling, but still drapes enough to make a garment

Completed 12" square, after fulling (or felting, as the process is usually called)