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Post by felicity on May 1, 2013 22:34:35 GMT
Has anyone tried a wool called Cap-Merino (Kap-Merinowolle in German)? It's carded merino with very short fibers. I've read some very positive comments about it in blogs of different feltmakers and ordered some from a German supplier Wollknoll. Tried to felt it today and have a mixed feeling. Positive points - it felted in no time at all and I felted in (easily!) a rather tricky fabric with tight weave. It made a very smooth and even felt, no fluff. Negatives are more subjective - the feel of wool is somewhat strange, very flat and "blank", no lively springy feel of proper wool, more like a cotton wool... A sample is drying yet. It would be great to know about anyone's experience with this wool!
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Post by Shepherdess on May 2, 2013 1:26:34 GMT
I haven't come across this one before. short fiber merino is usually a fast felter and is not easy to find and usually expensive. Short fibers have more ends per ounce so its faster to felt. do you have a couple of links to where you've seen it talked about?
from what I could see goggling it seems to be a short fiber merino and the cap pare is cape on the English site and seems to be what the call the originating flocks of merino. It is very expensive.
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Post by zed on May 2, 2013 8:27:10 GMT
This is going off at a tangent slightly, but when I hand blend merino tops, if there's a lot of blending, I notice the fibres break and sometimes I'm left with really short tufts. I know it's not the same thing, but I wonder if it actually helps the felting be easier?
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Post by koffipot on May 2, 2013 11:38:14 GMT
Sounds like it Zed, as Ann says there are more ends to mesh into one another.
Not wool I realise, but I have used Yak which has a very short staple - 2" max - and that felts v. quickly. I have to say it's a wonderfully soft fibre lying somewhere between camel and cashmere, and not too expensive. It's beautifully soft, I think it's only the name which makes it a less popular choice.
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Post by felicity on May 2, 2013 13:22:56 GMT
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Post by zed on May 2, 2013 15:35:11 GMT
I can't find anything about a Merino with shorter staple length (2.6 to 3.9" is standard). There's a Great Cape Merino www.merinocompany.com/Page_Products.asp?page=337&pr=349And South African Meat Merino, but their wool is coarser. Maybe it's just the name given to the short bits left over after combing Merino into commercial tops? The yarn room prices are almost twice the wollknoll prices.
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Post by zed on May 2, 2013 15:41:41 GMT
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Post by felicity on May 2, 2013 16:45:43 GMT
Yes I think (or read somewhere) that it's chopped. I was wondering if somebody worked with it and if yes what they think about it...
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Post by Shepherdess on May 3, 2013 1:18:20 GMT
I will look at the blogs when i get home and have a bigger screen. Google short finer merino there are several places. Always expensive. We need world of wool to cary it so irs resonabley prices sory for rhe bad typing i am on my phone
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Post by MTRuth on May 3, 2013 1:24:07 GMT
I have used short fiber merino but not Cap. I like the short fiber for beads, cords and anything that needs a really smooth finish. I have used it for hats and it works well. It does have a different feel than other wool when felted.
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Post by felicity on May 3, 2013 6:53:24 GMT
Thank you! I will post some samples when I finish them.
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Post by zed on May 3, 2013 9:06:22 GMT
Ann, that wollknoll site seemed quite cheap, it was €29 for 1kg, I think, which is quite cheap at £24 or £2.40 per 100g
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Post by felicity on May 3, 2013 9:44:09 GMT
I think even with the delivery cost the price is reasonable. Main point is whether you need it at all! I am not sure about myself! By the way if somebody are interested to try I can send a little by ordinary letter. Let me know in private message please.
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Post by amanda99 on May 3, 2013 11:03:01 GMT
I have used the carded Merino from Norwegianwool.co.uk - very short fibres and almost felts as you look at it!! It sounds quite similar and they have a great range of colours. Amanda
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Post by felicity on May 3, 2013 12:44:19 GMT
Thank you Amanda! Yes, colours are just fantastic! Wollknoll's colour range is very limited...
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