Felting in History (Is Needle Felting Period?)

Felting in the context of the SCA

Many archaeologists believe that felt was the first textile made by human beings.  Felt is made when animal hair, usually wool, is matted using any combination of agitation, heat, moisture and a change in alkalinity to form a non-woven fabric.  Despite its long usage, particularly in central Asia, until recently felt making as a craft was relatively unknown in the modern West, and thus very under represented in the SCA.  Felt making and other related crafts are making a resurgence which is trickling into the SCA too.  However the popularity of various felting techniques and similar or misused terminology has created some confusion regarding what felt is and what types of felted items date to the SCA period.

Types of felt

Modernly there are several main felting methods, including wet felting, needle felting, and knitted then felted (or fulled) items.  

Wet felting is the oldest form of felting and most appropriate for use in the SCA.  It involves layering wool in alternating directions, then wetting, usually with hot water and something to change the alkalinity such as soap or perhaps urine in period, then rubbing, rolling or otherwise agitating the wool until the fibers tangle together and form the desired density of felt.  Within wet felting are quite a few sub categories, several of which developed after the SCA period, such as nuno and laminated felt which involve felting wool onto a fabric base.  Some people will also call wet felted items, boiled wool.  This is not a widely used term, and is a misnomer as the wool is not ever boiled.  Many felt artists are puzzled about where this term comes from as many members of the general public use this term, however it is incorrect. 

Fulling is the process of shrinking a textile in which the fibers have already been intertwined by another method, such as knitting, weaving, nailbinding or felting. Fulled knitted items are very popular today.  Some people call this felting, others assert it is more properly called fulling.   (To be more confusing the latter stages of wet felting is called fulling.)  While there are many examples of fulled extant textiles from around the world, particularly made of nailbinding, it is often hard to tell if an item was purposely fulled or if it was fulled by the elements.  Also, aside from notable exceptions such as Egypt, knitting was not popular until after the 17th century.  Never the less, modern felt artists consider knitted felt to be a different craft altogether from traditional felt. 

Needle felting is another popular technique today.   In the 19th century felt making was mechanized by using large plates of barbed needles to repeatedly poke through wool, forcing fibers to entangle by being drawn through the wool with the needles.  In the 1980’s the needles began being sold individually as tools for home crafting.  There is no evidence for needle felting in SCA period. 

Many people feel more comfortable attempting needle felting or knitted then fulled items for several reasons.  Both techniques require less skill to achieve a desired shape.  Many crafters already know how to knit, and can follow a pattern to achieve the desired shape.  Needle felting allows the crafter to slowly build the shape of the item throughout the process.  However both methods take considerably more time than wet felting to create a similar product.  

What sorts of felt might your persona have?