Knit, Hook, and Spin: A Kid's Activity Guide to Fiber Arts and Crafts
xii Man-Made Fibers RAYON Rayon was the first fiber created in a laboratory It is made from cellulose which is found in wood pulp made from ground-up trees It is dissolved with chemicals then squirted through a spinneret It comes out as a thread or filament Rayon threads are spun or woven to make clothing as well as used to reinforce the rubber in automobile tires Today most rayon fiber is made in large factories in India SYNTHETIC FIBERS Synthetic fibers include acrylic polyester and nylon They are made from small molecules of chemicals found in petroleum petrochemicals They are made by a process called melt-spinning The liquid pet rochemical mix is heated then pushed through a spinneret’s tiny holes It comes out in strings of hot plastic syrup It hardens as it cools These plastic threads can then be knitted or woven to create fabric or carpet Today most synthetic fiber is manufactured in Southeast Asia and China There are many new fibers being created now in fact they are being invented at an astonishing rate Some are made of recycled materials such as plas tic bottles blue jeans or old pieces of clothing Some are made from natural materials such as tofu liquid banana plants milk sugar cane stalks and seaweed Others are synthetics that glow in the dark or even emit music Expect more new fibers in the future Maybe you will invent a new fiber or create one from something ordinary
1 Because you can make felt without any equip ment such as a loom it was the first fabric people invented For about 8,000 years people have been making felt with wool because it is so simple to make and can be used in many ways Felt has air trapped between the fibers which makes it a good insulator for heat and cold It also absorbs sound so it is used in musical instruments such as drum sticks pianos and xylophones Felt wicks absorbs moisture and doesn’t dry out fast making it perfect for creating ink markers or felt pens Today synthetic felt is made from petroleum based fibers that are pressed and melted together with heat and pressure It is commonly found in craft stores Felted synthetic fibers are also found in other items such as disposable diapers and tea bags Many things that used to be made of felt are now made from plastics and foam You can make your own felt from wool Use wool roving from a yarn store or 100 percent wool yarn Wool roving is wool fleece that has been washed and THE FIRST FABRIC Felting Yurt houses in Central Asia were traditionally made of wooden poles covered with layers of felt The houses lasted five to ten years then new ones were made A yurt took all the wool from up to 190 sheep The size of a family’s yurt depended on the size of its flock which determined the amount of wool they had to use
2 combed It can be natural colors or dyed If you want to felt yarn be sure it is all wool and contains no synthetic fiber such as acrylic If the wool yarn is called superwash it has been treated with chemicals to keep the natural scales from opening so it can be laundered in a washing machine without felting That means it won’t make felt for you either Another good source for wool to use in craft projects is from discarded clothing An old wool sweater can be unraveled to make lots of projects Check secondhand and thrift shops for wool sweaters Roving is sometimes also sold as carded wool fiber Carded means it has been brushed until the hairs run mostly in one direction Felting wool requires hot water soap and rubbing friction
People have covered bars of soap with felt since the Mid dle Ages The wool felt covering makes a bar of soap last longer and it also takes the place of a washcloth Felt-covered soap is a natural scrubber that everyone can enjoy and it takes very little effort to make Materials 2 3 handfuls of carded wool fiber or roving Basin of hot water Bar of soap Leg cut from a nylon stocking Hand towel Felted Soap Pull the wool fiber apart into strips about 1 inch wide Wet the fiber and wrap the soap bar com pletely overlapping the wool strips to make sure the entire soap is covered Use thin layers of wool If it gets too thick you may get wrinkles and folds and those areas won’t felt easily Wool fiber Soap Wrap fiber around the soap 3
