Three easy ways to add wool for felting to your project without using a needle felting technique
You can use pieces of yarn and attach them the way you fasten fringe. Alternatively, you can crochet the hair. Alternatively, you can do without hair at all by making a hat for your doll.
Our designers like using wool for felting instead of yarn because it looks more real and natural. A Chinese crested dog by Tatiana Chirkova is a exellent example of it.
If you know how to needle felt, you can needle felt the wool pieces at the places needed instead of using any of the methods below. The result may look more natural, and possible “knots” resulting from attaching wool pieces is less or even not visible.
However, this article tells you how to add pieces of wool to your project without knowing how to needle felt or using a felting needle.
You can find three basic ways to add wool for felting to your work in our patterns. You can use all three or choose one.
Method 1a and 1b:
The wool is added from the right side of the work the same way you fasten fringe.
1a: This method can be helpful if you work the area where you want to add wool into the back loops of the stitches. Thin pieces of wool are folded in half and secured to the unworked front loops of your work.
1b: Thin pieces of wool are folded in half and secured to the running threads between two rows or rounds and between two stitches.
Method 2
You add wool from the right side of the piece between the stitches without any knots.
1. Insert the hook behind a running thread between two rows or rounds and between two stitches.
2. Fold the piece of wool in half. Pull the looped end through. Remove the hook.
3. Insert the hook into the next running thread and the pulled-through loop of wool.
4. Fold another piece of wool in half and pull the looped end through all loops on the hook.
5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to end. Finish the last piece of wool using method 1b. Pull up all pieces of wool to hide all stitches.
Method 3 (a and b)
The wool is crocheted into the fabric when using this method of attaching pieces of wool to your project.
3a: The wool is on the right side of the piece.
1. Crochet until you reach the stitch that you need to attach a piece of wool to. Insert the hook into the next stitch. Take a piece of wool and put it with its center being above the stitch you are going to work (see the next picture).
2. Yarn over and pull your working yarn together with the center of the wool piece through the stitch. Bring the left tail of wool to the right side of your work.
3. Complete the single crochet with your working yarn.
4. Repeat the steps above to end.
3b: The wool is on the wrong side of the piece.
1. Crochet until you reach the stitch that you need to attach a piece of wool to. Insert the hook into the next stitch. Take a piece of wool and put it with its center being above the stitch you are going to work (see the next picture).
2. Yarn over and pull your working yarn together with the center of the wool piece through the stitch. Bring the left tail of wool to the wrong side of your work.
3. Complete the single crochet with your working yarn.
4. Repeat the steps above to end.
As you can see, you can make your project unique and real using wool for felting even if you don’t know how to needle felt or having the right tools. All you need is wool, your crochet hook and the desire to learn something new!
