Woolworks Curriculum Guide Grades 3-8 Lesson 3: Felting

First Paragraph of The Chapter

"Felt is a non-woven fabric that is formed when sheep's wool is subjected to heat, moisture, and pressure or agitation. Felting is extremely simple to do, and requires no special equipment, making it ideal for a classroom project. As you learned in Lesson 2, felt is derived from two of the wool's most unique properties. Wool fibers are covered with scales that face only one direction. As the fibers travel under agitation, the outer scales will virtually lock together. In addition, agitation causes the keratin in the fibers to become chemically bonded to the other proteins in the fiber, resulting in a permanent bond between the fibers. The addition of soap creates an alkaline environment that helps to speed up this chemical process."