Thanks Jo. Good quality alpaca is not itchy, but lower grades can be - it's in the breeding and then the grading. Hypoallergenic can be a bit of a misleading term!
Hi Corey. I use prime alpaca fibre from the blanket - not 2nds or 3rds which are sometimes sold or offered for felting. I then lay up a set weight of fibre very evenly and felt it very (very) thoroughly - I think a lot of people stop at the pre-felt stage. Occasionally, especially if the fibre has some coarse fibres in it I will use dog clippers or a disposable razor on the surface, but well worked felt generally doesn't need it. Shellac is not a substitute for well worked felt which should be stiff enough to hold its shape on its own. I don't think sanding would work on hand made felt.
Thank you for your videos. I have just learned of your channel and have watched multiple videos. Your information is very helpful and the demonstrations are superb. Do you have any suggestions on reading material in regards to felting from raw materials? I wear felt hats daily in my work out doors. I mostly wear hats with very tall crowns (7” after shaped) and large brims (4 1/2” min). Playing with the densities and and thickness is going to be very important I think. Thank you again for your wonderful insights.
Hi Levi. Thanks for your comment. I'm afraid I can't help with reading material - I've learned from the Internet and lots of trial and error. I think if you are going for very wide brims then very well worked felt is a must, and you might consider adding a wire (something I've never done!). Have you watched my shellac video? That might also be a help. Good luck!
Hi. They are ceramic tollikers that I make myself. They have a ribbed glazed surface with unglazed bodies so that they can be gripped while using soapy water.
Mike some questions? Do you always use alpaca, what is the band inside of hat made of? I love your tutorials. My goal is to watch each one and take notes. You card the fleece? Can I use hand carder? I to have tried your site and have had no success at finding it. Thanks for your hard work.
Hi Susan. Yes always alpaca - in fact we have just walked our 43 into the barn before it rains for shearing tomorrow, so no shortage of fibre. I card on an old laboratory carder which is a bit over the top, but it cards into a 'cloud' like candy floss which is ideal for felting. One of my videos shows working straight from the fleece bag though - the more evenly you lay out the more even the felt. Hand carding is fine. Hat band and sweat band are millinery Petersham ribbon. Millinery Petersham swirls into a curve easily and is comfortable to wear while keeping its size well. The website may well have died! I'll take a look. Cheers, Mike.
I have about 1 week before I start. I have seen some mix in. Wool. You use only alpaca right? I have my forms and shop almost done, wood carving mostly but you got me hooked. I have dirty, right of the alpaca fur? Not sure what to call it. I don't have to wash it, just pick out veggies and fluff abit, and lay out with no clumps?
One of my videos shows making a hat straight fro the fleece bag with no prep. The more time you take to get an even lay up, the better quality of felt you can produce. However, a little rustic is a good thing!
Hey Mike! I'm sure I missed it in your other video, but here's a few questions for you if you don't mind: As someone who would like to give that a try, what starter material would you suggest someone learning use? In this case I don't have alpacas in my backyard, and I'm a bit unsure of the type of fur/fibre I'm supposed to look for. I'm in Canada so obviously names will vary, but maybe you have a pointer? Second question: When you start your first pile of fabric, you seem to go to a certain height. Is that height always the same, or you just pre-weigh your material and pile it up until you're through the pile? And lastly: Am I right to assume that you place your fabric perpendicular to the last layer everytime you put a new layer down? I see you moving from one side of the table to the other. Thanks! I've been looking at findind something hat related for a long time, and this seems right down something I'd like to try.
Hi. Any wool or fur fibre should felt - sheep, alpaca, rabbit etc. I use alpaca as we keep them so have plenty, but Merino (sheep) is the go-to fibre for most wet felters. There are plenty of alpacas in Canada by the way. An even lay up is key for smooth well made felt with no holes, hence I lay up in thin(ish) layers in different directions to ensure all parts have good cover. I use 5 or 6 oz over a 24" circle - the right amount of fibre over an area is crucial as too thick stops the felt in the centre of the thickness getting worked, and too thin is - too thin. Height of the pile is just how it is - my fibre is carded into a fluffy cloud so sits quite high. A couple of my videos have subtitles where you might find the info you need easier to find. Feel free to ask any questions.
Hello. How do you make the wool harden ? I made felt but it remains soft. I must admit that I am admirable in front of your technique. I myself try to get started in the making of felt hats and your videos tell me a lot.
Thanks for your comment. The felt 'hardens' as you work it - the more you rub and roll it, the firmer it gets. However, some fibres will not felt well so it might be best to make a small sample that you can really work and roll between your hands to see how it felts. Good luck!
Depending on how high you want the crown, you might struggle to go from a circular lay out like I use, and you might be better to form a hood first by laying out two sides of a resist and then blocking.
Hi you have talked about you how you can shape a fedora from a bowler hat block, but how do you shape a top hat from a bowler hat block? Would you have to make a separate hat block for top hats?
Hi Emma. Top hats aren't really my thing and I'm not likely to try, however I think if I had to make one I'd make a puzzle block that could be dismantled from within the finished blocked hat and make a hood first rather than use this approach. I can't remember what I said in the relevant video but the point is that you can use a plain block rather than a shaped one to make many different styles - a Fedora requires a slightly taller block than a Bowler - if you already have a Bowler block you could make a simple add-on to the base to increase the crown height.
Hi Mike. Question for you. Can shaping a hat be done from a flat fur fabric or does one need to purchase capelines. Assuming it's just an easier process once you have the capelines.
Blocking a hat from a hood or capeline is a quite different process - the felt is already completely made and is just stretched to its final shape on a block - there are quite a few good videos on RUclips. Wet felting this way starts flat, but the felt continues to be made and tightened as the shape is developed. It would not work from a commercial flat felt. I hope that helps.
@Mike Birch Thank you Mike. Very new to this and totally enjoyed the full alpaca fiber video. In fact more than some movies. Lol so what I'm getting out of this is that a flat fur sheet, would still need to be worked on with soap/water to form shape and stiffness? Flat fur sheets are cheaper than capelines.
@Kamillioooo I take it you mean flat felt sheet? I think most felt sheets you will find are synthetic fibres needle felted together, so a non starter for further felting. If you can find natural felt sheet it is unlikely to be thick enough or have enough 'felting' left in it to reduce onto a block the way you can from loose fibre. So, it's either a capeline or hood, or find yourself some fur or fibre and follow the video!
Mike, i got raw alpaca fur, all of it, for three alpacas from a friend. My first pass at making a hat using your me this was a learning experience and the fiber did felt surprisingly well. However, it is very very scraggly and the grass bits and twigs I thought would come out haven’t. Any tips or suggestions? Should I use the shortest fur in the batch? Should I t try and comb and wash it before felting? Anything helps! Love the videos!
Hi Curtis. One of my videos shows making a hat straight from the fleece as shorn straight from the bag. The more time you take to pull the fibre apart to get an even lay-up and pick out the seeds the more even the finished felt will be. I don't mind the seeds and bits of hay too much though as they add character! Before you start, lay the fleece out if it is still in one piece as it came off the animal and remove the coarser fibres around the outside. The base of the neck often gathers vegetable matter and if so remove that too. Each fleece should weigh about 5lbs which is 20 odd hats so you can afford to be selective. Let me know how you get on - have fun!
Mike Birch hey mike! Thanks for the tips! I tried out what you said. I gave it another go and this time I did four layers cross hatched and I’ve worked it on for about two days now, in three or four hour chunks of wetting and rubbing and it felted together much nicer than the first time but it still has a VERY rough finish! My first hat I’ve been trying to go for is something like this where it ends up very Indiana Jones-esque but I’m just finding the finish to be very frayed unlike yours in this video that seems to be very tightly felted. So my question is, can alpaca wool go bad? Or perhaps I should be applying more pressure as I go along? Again, thanks so much for your response!
Or perhaps it’s not felting as tightly because the alpacas I got the fur from hadn’t been shorn in about a year and a half so maybe their fur was too long
@@funnyguydeanM Hi Curtis. A year late, but..... People often gift, or even sell, the lesser quality parts of the fleece to felt with. Second or third quality fibre will not felt well, and contains guard hairs that will not felt at all and will stick out. It is important to use the best quality part of the blanket the same as you would use if you were spinning it to make a next-to-the-skin garment. I hope you have managed to make some great hats!
is this possible to do with horse hair? if so i would like to collect a few years worth of shed hair from my horse, and send it off to be made into a cowboy hat.
Hi Noah. I've just Googled 'felting horse hair' and it appears some types will felt to a degree. It is simple enough to try a small sample to see if it will felt.
Hi I've been trying to find your site, I would love to get a hatblock from you, (I'm in Ireland.) I've not been able to access wetfelt.co.uk or the broomleafarm site you mentioned in previous comments on one of your videos. I'm also interested in the blue craft foam, where do you get yours and what dimensions are the blocks you buy? Thanks in Advance 😉
Hi Sinead. Sorry - just found that RUclips hide some comments for approval! Blue (now grey) foam is from here www.panelsystems.co.uk/product/craftfoam-grey I prefer to work with the foam blocks rather than the abs one now as it is easy to make them to any size very easily. I use the 150 mm thick stuff, and have bought it in something like 1200mm x 600 sheets. They might do other sizes.
My question is what is the radius for your starting circle? I know as you felt it shrinks and I don’t want to start small and not get a good felt either.
@@gestongordon5374 Feel free to ask here. I presume you are in the USA? My other videos might answer your questions. ruclips.net/p/PL7c_s09QxE65o-bmYG5UsFb21Td2cpRJy
Mike some questions? Do you always use alpaca, what is the band inside of hat made of? I love your tutorials. My goal is to watch each one and take notes. You card the fleece? Can I use hand carder? I to have tried your site and have had no success at finding it. Thanks for your hard work.
Hi Susan. Just found that RUclips hide some comments for approval! I use alpaca as that is what we have lots of - it felts very well. hat band is petersham ribbon. Milliners petersham swirls nicely for a good fit. I card the fibre, but one of my videos shows making a hat straight from the fleece bag. the more prep you do, the more even the felt. I have let the website go for now - I might resurrect it at some point. Good luck.
I have about 1 week before I start. I have seen some mix in. Wool. You use only alpaca right? I have my forms and shop almost done, wood carving mostly but you got me hooked. I have dirty, right of the alpaca fur? Not sure what to call it. I don't have to wash it, just pick out veggies and fluff abit, and lay out with no clumps?
Hi Susan. I use only alpaca as we have herd of 40, although we do have a few sheep. I card unwashed fleece - if it isn't washed by the time it's felted it never will be! One of my other videos shows making a hat straight out of the fleece bag without carding. Every alpaca fleece I have ever tried has felted fine - the only proviso being to use the quality part of the fleece as you would for spinning. I think the reason some people struggle with alpaca is because they use the parts of the fleece that should go in the bin. Easy enough to try a sample first of course. For your first attempt I would suggest 4 ounces evenly laid out over a 24" circle. 5 oz. Can be a bit thick. I prefer knowing the weight over a given area rather than the 'how many layers' approach.
@@donutpanicthanks, this is supposed to be blanket quality? She sent brown then stated she was shearing the black and sending. I will try the brown first as I admired your black so much. I admit to being a bit nervous but excited. I have not been able to connect with your website,perhaps our address is wrong. Could you repost for us? I can't Wait to see your next video.
![Rob49 - On Dat Money (with Cardi B) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fTFS58mHJh8/mqdefault.jpg)
Beautiful work and beautiful hat. Great video, thanks. I would like to do the same with possum-metino fibre.
This looks like the hats worn in Bolivia and Peru. I understand alpaca doesn’t itch our skin; it’s hypoallergenic. Fantastic!
Thanks Jo. Good quality alpaca is not itchy, but lower grades can be - it's in the breeding and then the grading. Hypoallergenic can be a bit of a misleading term!
I love your videos. I’d love to know how you achieve such a fine finish. Do you sand of the hats? If so is it done before or after you shellac them?
Hi Corey. I use prime alpaca fibre from the blanket - not 2nds or 3rds which are sometimes sold or offered for felting. I then lay up a set weight of fibre very evenly and felt it very (very) thoroughly - I think a lot of people stop at the pre-felt stage. Occasionally, especially if the fibre has some coarse fibres in it I will use dog clippers or a disposable razor on the surface, but well worked felt generally doesn't need it. Shellac is not a substitute for well worked felt which should be stiff enough to hold its shape on its own. I don't think sanding would work on hand made felt.
Thank you for your videos. I have just learned of your channel and have watched multiple videos. Your information is very helpful and the demonstrations are superb. Do you have any suggestions on reading material in regards to felting from raw materials? I wear felt hats daily in my work out doors. I mostly wear hats with very tall crowns (7” after shaped) and large brims (4 1/2” min). Playing with the densities and and thickness is going to be very important I think. Thank you again for your wonderful insights.
Hi Levi. Thanks for your comment. I'm afraid I can't help with reading material - I've learned from the Internet and lots of trial and error. I think if you are going for very wide brims then very well worked felt is a must, and you might consider adding a wire (something I've never done!). Have you watched my shellac video? That might also be a help. Good luck!
Absolutely beautiful! What tools are you using at the end to go around the brim?
Hi. They are ceramic tollikers that I make myself. They have a ribbed glazed surface with unglazed bodies so that they can be gripped while using soapy water.
@@donutpanic Impressive ☺️
Mike some questions? Do you always use alpaca, what is the band inside of hat made of? I love your tutorials. My goal is to watch each one and take notes. You card the fleece? Can I use hand carder? I to have tried your site and have had no success at finding it. Thanks for your hard work.
Hi Susan. Yes always alpaca - in fact we have just walked our 43 into the barn before it rains for shearing tomorrow, so no shortage of fibre. I card on an old laboratory carder which is a bit over the top, but it cards into a 'cloud' like candy floss which is ideal for felting. One of my videos shows working straight from the fleece bag though - the more evenly you lay out the more even the felt. Hand carding is fine. Hat band and sweat band are millinery Petersham ribbon. Millinery Petersham swirls into a curve easily and is comfortable to wear while keeping its size well. The website may well have died! I'll take a look. Cheers, Mike.
I have about 1 week before I start. I have seen some mix in. Wool. You use only alpaca right? I have my forms and shop almost done, wood carving mostly but you got me hooked. I have dirty, right of the alpaca fur? Not sure what to call it. I don't have to wash it, just pick out veggies and fluff abit, and lay out with no clumps?
One of my videos shows making a hat straight fro the fleece bag with no prep. The more time you take to get an even lay up, the better quality of felt you can produce. However, a little rustic is a good thing!
Hey Mike!
I'm sure I missed it in your other video, but here's a few questions for you if you don't mind:
As someone who would like to give that a try, what starter material would you suggest someone learning use? In this case I don't have alpacas in my backyard, and I'm a bit unsure of the type of fur/fibre I'm supposed to look for. I'm in Canada so obviously names will vary, but maybe you have a pointer?
Second question: When you start your first pile of fabric, you seem to go to a certain height. Is that height always the same, or you just pre-weigh your material and pile it up until you're through the pile?
And lastly: Am I right to assume that you place your fabric perpendicular to the last layer everytime you put a new layer down? I see you moving from one side of the table to the other.
Thanks! I've been looking at findind something hat related for a long time, and this seems right down something I'd like to try.
Hi. Any wool or fur fibre should felt - sheep, alpaca, rabbit etc. I use alpaca as we keep them so have plenty, but Merino (sheep) is the go-to fibre for most wet felters. There are plenty of alpacas in Canada by the way. An even lay up is key for smooth well made felt with no holes, hence I lay up in thin(ish) layers in different directions to ensure all parts have good cover. I use 5 or 6 oz over a 24" circle - the right amount of fibre over an area is crucial as too thick stops the felt in the centre of the thickness getting worked, and too thin is - too thin. Height of the pile is just how it is - my fibre is carded into a fluffy cloud so sits quite high. A couple of my videos have subtitles where you might find the info you need easier to find. Feel free to ask any questions.
Hello. How do you make the wool harden ? I made felt but it remains soft.
I must admit that I am admirable in front of your technique. I myself try to get started in the making of felt hats and your videos tell me a lot.
Thanks for your comment. The felt 'hardens' as you work it - the more you rub and roll it, the firmer it gets. However, some fibres will not felt well so it might be best to make a small sample that you can really work and roll between your hands to see how it felts. Good luck!
Could you do a tutorial on how to felt a hat that's a little pointier? Kinda like a witch's hat or the hat Snufkin wears in moomin.
Not my style I'm afraid - Plenty of others out there!.
Does the soapy water have any long term effect on the hat and when dry do you use a stiffner?
ruclips.net/p/PL7c_s09QxE65o-bmYG5UsFb21Td2cpRJy
Mike, I’m wanting to make a stovepipe top hat, any pointers? Thanks! -Tyler
Depending on how high you want the crown, you might struggle to go from a circular lay out like I use, and you might be better to form a hood first by laying out two sides of a resist and then blocking.
Hi you have talked about you how you can shape a fedora from a bowler hat block, but how do you shape a top hat from a bowler hat block? Would you have to make a separate hat block for top hats?
Hi Emma. Top hats aren't really my thing and I'm not likely to try, however I think if I had to make one I'd make a puzzle block that could be dismantled from within the finished blocked hat and make a hood first rather than use this approach. I can't remember what I said in the relevant video but the point is that you can use a plain block rather than a shaped one to make many different styles - a Fedora requires a slightly taller block than a Bowler - if you already have a Bowler block you could make a simple add-on to the base to increase the crown height.
@@donutpanic now I understand thank you Mike Birch that was quite helpful
Hi Mike. Question for you. Can shaping a hat be done from a flat fur fabric or does one need to purchase capelines. Assuming it's just an easier process once you have the capelines.
Blocking a hat from a hood or capeline is a quite different process - the felt is already completely made and is just stretched to its final shape on a block - there are quite a few good videos on RUclips. Wet felting this way starts flat, but the felt continues to be made and tightened as the shape is developed. It would not work from a commercial flat felt. I hope that helps.
@Mike Birch Thank you Mike. Very new to this and totally enjoyed the full alpaca fiber video. In fact more than some movies. Lol so what I'm getting out of this is that a flat fur sheet, would still need to be worked on with soap/water to form shape and stiffness? Flat fur sheets are cheaper than capelines.
@Kamillioooo I take it you mean flat felt sheet? I think most felt sheets you will find are synthetic fibres needle felted together, so a non starter for further felting. If you can find natural felt sheet it is unlikely to be thick enough or have enough 'felting' left in it to reduce onto a block the way you can from loose fibre. So, it's either a capeline or hood, or find yourself some fur or fibre and follow the video!
Mike, i got raw alpaca fur, all of it, for three alpacas from a friend. My first pass at making a hat using your me this was a learning experience and the fiber did felt surprisingly well. However, it is very very scraggly and the grass bits and twigs I thought would come out haven’t. Any tips or suggestions? Should I use the shortest fur in the batch? Should I t try and comb and wash it before felting? Anything helps! Love the videos!
Hi Curtis. One of my videos shows making a hat straight from the fleece as shorn straight from the bag. The more time you take to pull the fibre apart to get an even lay-up and pick out the seeds the more even the finished felt will be. I don't mind the seeds and bits of hay too much though as they add character! Before you start, lay the fleece out if it is still in one piece as it came off the animal and remove the coarser fibres around the outside. The base of the neck often gathers vegetable matter and if so remove that too. Each fleece should weigh about 5lbs which is 20 odd hats so you can afford to be selective. Let me know how you get on - have fun!
Mike Birch hey mike! Thanks for the tips! I tried out what you said. I gave it another go and this time I did four layers cross hatched and I’ve worked it on for about two days now, in three or four hour chunks of wetting and rubbing and it felted together much nicer than the first time but it still has a VERY rough finish! My first hat I’ve been trying to go for is something like this where it ends up very Indiana Jones-esque but I’m just finding the finish to be very frayed unlike yours in this video that seems to be very tightly felted. So my question is, can alpaca wool go bad? Or perhaps I should be applying more pressure as I go along? Again, thanks so much for your response!
Or perhaps it’s not felting as tightly because the alpacas I got the fur from hadn’t been shorn in about a year and a half so maybe their fur was too long
@@funnyguydeanM Hi Curtis. A year late, but..... People often gift, or even sell, the lesser quality parts of the fleece to felt with. Second or third quality fibre will not felt well, and contains guard hairs that will not felt at all and will stick out. It is important to use the best quality part of the blanket the same as you would use if you were spinning it to make a next-to-the-skin garment. I hope you have managed to make some great hats!
❤️❤️❤️
Would you do teaching if someone came to you?
is this possible to do with horse hair? if so i would like to collect a few years worth of shed hair from my horse, and send it off to be made into a cowboy hat.
Hi Noah. I've just Googled 'felting horse hair' and it appears some types will felt to a degree. It is simple enough to try a small sample to see if it will felt.
Great job!
Thanks!
@@donutpanic you’re welcome
Hi I've been trying to find your site, I would love to get a hatblock from you, (I'm in Ireland.) I've not been able to access wetfelt.co.uk or the broomleafarm site you mentioned in previous comments on one of your videos. I'm also interested in the blue craft foam, where do you get yours and what dimensions are the blocks you buy? Thanks in Advance 😉
Hi Sinead. Sorry - just found that RUclips hide some comments for approval! Blue (now grey) foam is from here www.panelsystems.co.uk/product/craftfoam-grey
I prefer to work with the foam blocks rather than the abs one now as it is easy to make them to any size very easily. I use the 150 mm thick stuff, and have bought it in something like 1200mm x 600 sheets. They might do other sizes.
how much wool did you use in weight?
I usually use around 5 oz
My question is what is the radius for your starting circle? I know as you felt it shrinks and I don’t want to start small and not get a good felt either.
ruclips.net/video/cYKAnkIhfTU/видео.html
Do you happen to have Instagram or Facebook? I’d like to pick your brain a bit more
@@gestongordon5374 Feel free to ask here. I presume you are in the USA? My other videos might answer your questions.
ruclips.net/p/PL7c_s09QxE65o-bmYG5UsFb21Td2cpRJy
Mike some questions? Do you always use alpaca, what is the band inside of hat made of? I love your tutorials. My goal is to watch each one and take notes. You card the fleece? Can I use hand carder? I to have tried your site and have had no success at finding it. Thanks for your hard work.
Hi Susan. Just found that RUclips hide some comments for approval! I use alpaca as that is what we have lots of - it felts very well. hat band is petersham ribbon. Milliners petersham swirls nicely for a good fit. I card the fibre, but one of my videos shows making a hat straight from the fleece bag. the more prep you do, the more even the felt. I have let the website go for now - I might resurrect it at some point. Good luck.
I have about 1 week before I start. I have seen some mix in. Wool. You use only alpaca right? I have my forms and shop almost done, wood carving mostly but you got me hooked. I have dirty, right of the alpaca fur? Not sure what to call it. I don't have to wash it, just pick out veggies and fluff abit, and lay out with no clumps?
Hi Susan. I use only alpaca as we have herd of 40, although we do have a few sheep. I card unwashed fleece - if it isn't washed by the time it's felted it never will be! One of my other videos shows making a hat straight out of the fleece bag without carding. Every alpaca fleece I have ever tried has felted fine - the only proviso being to use the quality part of the fleece as you would for spinning. I think the reason some people struggle with alpaca is because they use the parts of the fleece that should go in the bin. Easy enough to try a sample first of course. For your first attempt I would suggest 4 ounces evenly laid out over a 24" circle. 5 oz. Can be a bit thick. I prefer knowing the weight over a given area rather than the 'how many layers' approach.
@@donutpanicthanks, this is supposed to be blanket quality? She sent brown then stated she was shearing the black and sending. I will try the brown first as I admired your black so much. I admit to being a bit nervous but excited. I have not been able to connect with your website,perhaps our address is wrong. Could you repost for us? I can't Wait to see your next video.
@@susandillon6834 Fibre from the blanket is exactly what you want. I'm looking forward to hearing how you get on.