Australian Knitting - July 2019

28 AustralianKnitting

FFeatFeaturet

Warm and fuzzy

S titch with S tyle

t some point, each of

us has had the dreadful

realisation that a treasured

jumper has ended up in

ing machine, or worse still,

othes dryer. The end result is

always a much thicker jumper usually

several sizes smaller! So rather than

berate yourself for not being the

ultimate laundry goddess – take a step

back and remember that instead, the

shrunken fuzzy jumper makes you a

textile artist!

Felting is considered to be one of

the oldest textile forms, and there

are many references to felt in ancient

writings. Myths suggest that during the

middle ages Saint Clement, who was

to become the fourth bishop of Rome,

was a wandering monk who discovered

felting by accident. After stuffing his

sandals with ‘tow’ (short flax or linen

fibres) to make them more comfortable,

he discovered that the combination of

moisture from perspiration coupled with

pressure from his feet matted the fibres

together to produce a strong felted

cloth.

Since felt is not woven and does not

require machinery such as a loom for

its production, ancient man produced

it relatively easily. Some of the earliest

felt remains have been found in the

frozen tombs of nomadic horsemen

in the Siberian mountains and date to

around 700 BC. These tribes made

clothing, saddles and tents from felt

because it was strong, flexible and

resistant to harsh weather, but also

By Catherine Lees

Felted vessels and brooches from textile artist

Gill Brooks http://www.handmadefelt.com.au