Felting help needed!

[JackBauer]

I have been searching for instructions but they are all for use with top loading washing machines that you can open and check, or set on agitate.
I have a bog standard indesit front loader, and ideas how I can felt soemthing in it?
I am not sure I have the patience for hand felting as I have a few things I want to do...

[OurLadyOfPerpetualSupper]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'having a few things' to felt.
The only felting I know is either hand-felting or putting a knitted item through a boil wash.
I do have a book on it, so if you tell me what you want I'll have a look.

[JackBauer]

By 'a few things' I mean I have 3 small bags a couple of bowl things and some balls I want ot felt so to do them all by hand separately would take hours, hence wanting to be a lazy mare and chuck them all in the machine

[GentleOtter]

Lob them in and do a 50 wash JackBauer. It works even better if you wash some trainers too. If you want a really dense felt then tumble dry too.

[OurLadyOfPerpetualSupper]

Sorry to be thick -I assume these things are knitted then?
Or have you use fleece wool? (Just nosey).
I'd out them in a lingerie bag or pillow case if using the machine.

[GentleOtter]

Come back Jack! We need to know what you are felting.
(Forgot the pillow case, thanks OurLady - it is not the first time the woollies attached themselves to the normal washing )

[JackBauer]

Sorry!
I have used bog standard DK that has been crocheted (can't knit, can only co-ordinate one hand at a time)

[GentleOtter]

I've recently felted a handbag (from fleece) in the washing machine alongside the normal washing and it came out well. No. It was actually amazing.
Maybe try a test piece first to see how much it shrinks. What sort of wool is it?

[JackBauer]

Cheap wool
Will try some tomorrow ina normal wash and see what happens....wish me luck!

[Littlefish]

Just chuck it in with either a tennis ball or a trainer to agitate it.

I tend to put things in at about 60 degrees first, and then repeat it if I want them to go even smaller.

[OurLadyOfPerpetualSupper]

Afair, the higher the wool content the more successful felting is, so if it's cheap DK as in mostly acrylic, you might be disappointed.

[JackBauer]

Bugger. Most of my wool was hand me down from my mums stash cupboard or from charity shops so I wasn't 100% what it was as all the bands have long gone.
Turns out it is all acrylic, so all that has happened is I have slightly soggy crocheted stuff

[preciouslillywhite]

I hope someone has already managed to get the "can I get felt here" gag in

(my sister did it in the B and Q shed dept. God we were so praaaaaaaaahd)

[JackBauer]