Wet Felting Workshop

This week’s workshop was all about experimenting with wool through wet felting. After last week’s session working with raw fleece and carding, we moved on to using the prepared wool to explore texture, form, and sensory experiences. It was such a hands-on, tactile process, and it was great to see everyone getting stuck in and making the technique their own.

We started by discussing and comparing different pre-made felt swatches to see how they varied in softness, firmness, and structure. It was nice to hear everyone’s take on what feels comforting or inviting versus what feels unexpected or even challenging to touch.This sparked some really interesting chats about how different textures could be used in our final installation. To help the group visualise how these techniques fit into a larger creative process, I shared images of the installation pieces so far, explaining that wet felting is the process used to create the base material for the designs. We also discussed the broader uses of felt for products to understand just how versatile this material can be.

Once we had a feel for the material, we went straight into the wet felting process. After a quick demo, everyone got to work creating their own small felt samples, layering and shaping the wool with soap, warm water, and rolling techniques. There was a lot of excitement around adding in the coloured yarns and fibres. This led to more discussion about the process of the raw wool from Lucky Ewe's sheep that we saw last week to the coloured fibres we were now using.

The wet felting definitely took some patience which was not everyone in the group was used to! Some people loved the repetitive, hands-on nature of it, while others found it a bit tricky, especially when trying to control the texture and thickness of their pieces. On a whole the group were definitely surprised by just how much effort goes into turning loose wool into a solid, felted surface!

One thing that was really important to me in this session was keeping it open ended, so there was no set task or outcome. I wanted everyone to have the freedom to create colours, textures, and designs that meant something to them. Some people spent the whole workshop perfecting one piece, while others experimented with different techniques and made multiple samples. For this group, I don't think having a rigid structure works particularly well, and I love seeing how much more creative everyone gets when they have time to interpret a task in their own way. Some layered up different textures, while others pushed the material to see if they could make more structured or sculptural shapes. It was amazing to see how many different approaches emerged from the same demonstration, all created within the same environment.

At the end of the session, we had a quick group reflection. Overall, most people really enjoyed the process, especially the hands-on, sensory aspect of working with the wool. That said, some found the rolling quite physically tiring, and there were definitely a few moments of frustration when pieces didn’t turn out as expected. What really stood out to me personally was how quickly the interns picked up the process and started helping each other, explaining the steps and offering advice to others in the group.

My goal for these sessions is that they go beyond just making. They are about learning, sharing, and taking something meaningful away from the experience, whether it’s gaining a new skill, finding mindfulness in the process, or simply enjoying the sense of community. It’s so rewarding to know that everyone leaves with something unique from the day, and the feedback so far has definitely reinforced this.

Next week, we’ll be trying out needle felting, working into our designs from this week as well as creating new pieces. The creativity and diversity of ideas in today’s session were so great and I can’t wait to see where we take things next!