Felted Crochet Wool Rug

Felted Crochet Wool Rug with Laura Berlage

Have you ever accidentally felted something in the wash—oops! Or have you seen felted knits and wondered if you could do that with crochet? This class not only unlocks the process and tricks for felted crochet but also lets you felt in the wash and by hand on purpose to make a beautiful, durable wool rug. And guess what, you can machine wash that rug later, for happy bare feet for years to come! If you know how to make chain and single crochet stitches, you’ll be good to go. Once you get the knack for it, you’re stash of odds-and-ends wool yarn will soon be put to use making more. Bring some of these leftovers from your stash to Zoom class, and Laura will be happy to help coach you and what would or would not work well for incorporating into your rug.

Approximate finished project dimensions: 23 x 32 inches. (Unfelted dimensions about 29 x 37 inches).

This class is presented in collaboration with John C. Campbell Folk School and Lessonface. Class capacity is 12 students. Kits are sent two weeks prior to class. If you register after this point, your materials kit will be sent as soon as possible, but it may arrive late for the first session.

Class Materials

Your class registration fee includes a materials kit with a value of $157 shipped to your door. Residents outside the USA will pay the difference in shipping.

The kit includes:

• Adequate yardage of your color choice wool from our farm’s sheep and 4 skeins Icelandic lopi
• PDF download of pattern and felting instructions
• Access to video tutorials of me demonstrating the key steps in the process

Color Choices:

Students will have a choice of color themes, around which I’ll assemble their kit. If possible, during registration or soon after, students should let me know their color them preference.

• Blue
• Greens
• Autumn Earth Tones
• Wine—Red/Purple

Students will also want to provide:

• Size N crochet hook (yup, it’s big)
• Tapestry needle for burying ends (if you like that technique)
• A washer and dryer (if you choose to use a laundromat, that’s fine, just repeat the steps you learn for this part when it works for you)
• Non-detergent bar soap (for hand-felting, doesn’t need to be much, homemade soaps work well too)
• A utility sink (bath tub could also work if you don’t mind kneeling, or a large bin)
• A couple older beach or bath towels
• A space to block your rug that is water-resistant (this could be the top of a chest freezer, a tile floor, or a table covered in plastic)

Overview of Class Sessions

Crocheting the rug

First Session (2 hrs.), greetings and get-to-know-you. What is felted crochet and basic outline of the steps. Planning out the colors of your piece. What yarns work well and which don’t. Getting started and crocheting as much as possible before session ends.

Students will be expected to finish crocheting their rugs except for the border by the next session.

Second Session (2 hrs.), check in on rug progress, troubleshoot, celebrate successes. Teach border process and why 20% fewer stitches to help prevent rippling edge. Stitch away and outline how to machine wash, dry, and block for the first half of wet felting process.

Students will be expected to have their rug finished and machine washed, dried, and blocked by the next session.

Third Session (2 hrs.)—Hand wet felting. This is a great time to release any pent-up aggression! We’ll also get the piece back in the dryer and complete the final blocking. The rug finishes off air drying, and everyone will have their own rug to celebrate and have the knowledge and skills to make more.