Does Frigid Weather Affect Your Felting?

[luvswool and dyestuff]

This may seem like a funny question for those of you in warmer climates, but we have had a serious cold snap in Chicago, and i am finding the frigid, bitter cold weather (12 degrees F today) has affected my felting!  i was working on pods yesterday and the wind was blowing against the windows.  The granite kitchen counter got cold, and I had to constantly reheat my olive soap mixture. Several times, I warmed up my pods in the microwave--something I had never done before!

Does the cold weather present problems for you in your felting?  If so, any tips?

[MTRuth]

Temperature does definitely affect felting. When I was making yurt panels, they felted very easily in July but I never thought I would finish the one I felted in October. Sounds like you have it worked out - reheating in the microwave works great.

[Pandagirl]

I have that problem felting in the basement where it's cooler. I use the microwave to heat up the felt once its at a stage I can handle it ok. But it never lasts long. Like you, I'm always heating the water or the felt. Mostly, the cold affects my joints which doesn't make felting any easier. :-(

I know you don't have a lot of extra counter space, I wonder if a very small heater placed nearby would help if the air was directed at the counter. Just a thought. Since you're right near the water source that may not be a good idea now that I think about it.

Stay warm!

[Teri Berry]

As you have found Cathy - reheating in the microwave works really well, I even do it in the summer! The biggest problem I have in winter is getting things dry, especially bubble wrap, plastic sheets and towels (I refuse to put them in the dryer as I don't think its environmentally friendly). In the summer I just hang them on the washing but in winter I end up surrounded by wet plastic in the house. The other half complained so much I have just bought a pulley maid to rig up in the garage but I don't think it is warm enough out there to get things dry.

What does everyone else do?

[Shepherdess]

The weather sure effects the wool. In the summer the wool soaks up some of the humidity and I find it doesn't grow as much when you wet it. Now it's dry I have to spray my work and fiber while I am trying lay out my work, or try to card, so much static. I finally have a properly warm studio so am hoping I don't have to use the construction heater this winter.

[halay]

I heat water only once at the beginning and never reheat it even though it gets cold during the process of laying wool. I haven't had any problems with that. But it is true that the counter on which I work is never cold.
Teri, I have same problems. When it is not raining outside I hang my plastic bubble wraps on the balcony but on rainy days I'm lucky if I can drain them and need dry towels to mop the moisture.

[felicity]

I've not noticed much of difference in felting in cold weather, but I work with fine wool mainly which felts well. To dry plastics and towels - yes, it's a problem! We have so much rain...

[zed]

I always considered felting a 'winter sport' and never really did much in summer until this year when I could drag my table outside.

We have central heating, but never use the kitchen radiator and I never felt with the heating on, I get far too hot. The kitchen window faces South East so in Winter when the sun comes up it's right in the window.
I use warm to hot water, and after rubbing, rinse the felt in hot water before fulling on the bubble wrap.

I'll peg the felt to the radiator to dry sometimes.

Wool get really staticy in Summer for me.

I agree with Terri about finding places to dry stuff. I have a clothes rail over the bath, so it all goes there when it's raining or too cold out for pegging on the line, towels are spun and put on radiators, netting gets spun and pegged somewhere or other

[luvswool and dyestuff]

Seems you all have found solutions to winter felting. I really prefer summer felting because fresh air is coming in the windows and deck door; and all towels, mats and bubble wrap go out on my sunny deck. Like Teri, I don’t use the dryer but rather find rails and chairs for hanging wet stuff.

[Shana]

I keep an electric kettle handy for a 'warm up' of hot water on my work. My hands are always cold!

For drying, I put a foldable drying rack in front of our central air vents. Not only does it help with drying but it adds a little humidity to the house. So much static!

[Pandagirl]

Drying isn't usually a problem here in winter because the heat is on and the air is dry. I have more problems with lack of humidity making things staticy. I have an extra bar in the shower where I hang the bubble wrap. Then I hang the towels over chairs or on door racks to dry.

[Shepherdess]

I hang them on the corners of the table and over anything that is handy. if I ever get my felting and wool possessing separated I hope to have a line to hang things from.

[luvswool and dyestuff]

Great ideas from all--thanks for sharing. I now have my wet bubble wrap suspended across chair rungs directly over the floor air vent!

[zed]

I forgot Americans don't all have instant hot water/central heating. Most of us have combi boilers that heat the water instantly, no tanks/immersion heaters etc.

I think 80% humidity is standard here.

[Frances]

My counters are very cold this morning so I have put a quilt down on them and then my bubble wrap - hopefully that will help with keeping the cold from the counters away from my felting.