Maori wool

[halay]

Hi, ladies, does any of you know anything about maori wool? I found it listed in the catalogue from an Italian shop. It says it's a blend of New Zealand wool, 27 mic. www.dhgshop.it/item-fibers-carded-batts-maori-wool_0_0_1_2_14.php I would like to know how it felts and what is it suitable for.

[RobinG]

I was poking around the internet looking for info about Maori wool. The first few things I found said best for needle felting. But then I found this interesting post:
www.dyeinghousegallery.com/en/bergschaf-maori/


And I found this description on another site: "Maori wool is a blend of New Zealand wools. It is in a batt form and about 27 microns in fineness. You'll find it similar to a Corriedale wool. It's useful for felting-- both wet-felting and needle-felting, and felts easily. This is a "stronger" type wool that may be used for sturdy items like slippers, bags, book covers, and 3D vessels."

I'd be interested to hear what someone with actual experience with this wool has to say.

[halay]

Thank you Robin, useful information for start.

[felicity]

Nada, I know that Russian felters use it for slippers and bags, sometimes blended with Berghauf (not sure about spelling).

[MTRuth]

Marilyn used maori wool in this post:
feltingandfiberstudio.com/2015/11/01/4th-quarter-challenge-monochrome/

I'm sure she'll answer soon with her experiences in using it.

[Pandagirl]

Hi Nada, yes I have used Maori and it is coarse and felts nicely, but usually needs shaving. While I only used it for a background, I can t really address it’s sturdines for a wearable. Try a sample.

[Shana]

Hi Halay, the Maori is a blend of Coopworth and Corriedale (both from New Zealand, hence the "Maori" tag). It's one of my mainstays in the studio as it needle felts and wet felts beautifully! It's got a shorter staple, which makes it a little fuzzy but it also felts fast. I think it's just about perfect for solid objects.

And it comes in 80 colors!

I also tried the Maori/Bergshaf blend and was not a fan. The Bergshaf is "hairy" and takes longer to felt than the Maori counterpart. Better for wet-felting but not suitable for clothing because of the itch factor.

Hope that helps.

[halay]

Thank you Shana, very useful information.