Boiled Wool

My memories of boiled wool bring up pictures of European jackets and alpine hats. Dense, sturdy fabric of matted wool. These days, what passes for boiled wool on the fabric market, in my opinion, is more akin to boucle. Remember those new coats we got to complete our Easter Sunday outfits? If you grew up in the 60’s, you likely had at least one! I used to think of it as ‘curly’ wool. Being spoiled by our British grandmother, we got new ones every spring. Mine was always pink, my sister’s blue. We felt so elegant, with our new white knee socks, white patent leather shoes, fresh white gloves and little flowered hats.

To get boiled wool, I have considered making my own by washing and beating old wool blankets in a hot water cycle. You may have done this unintentionally to some woolen socks or woolen sweaters that mistakenly made their way into the wrong wash load. If you are doing it intentionally, the trick is to get it out while it is the right density before it turns into completely shrunken, stiff felt–although that could get you started on some slipper making! For me, boiling my own wool is still an idea in the works. In the meantime, when ‘boiled wool’ aka ‘boucle’ went on sale last fall, I took the speedier route and bought an array of bright pinks, purples, blues, oranges and reds. I had a vision of mitts embroidered with colourful threads. A little something to brighten up the winter.

I really hate to throw out fabric scraps, so when I cut out my first pair of mitts I used the scraps to cut crazy shapes and appliqued them with bright No. 8 wt. pearl cotton. I didn’t have a pre-planned pattern, just played with shapes, stitches and colours. I already had a good stock of faux fur trims, and also some cozy faux fur for linings. The mitts were constructed using machine stitching, and the embellishment was added by hand. I used a traditional Inuit pattern that has gathered space to keep your fingers warm. They were toasty even on the coldest of winter walks.

The No. 8 wt. cotton thread is a bit heavier and I thought it would show best on this weight of wool fabric, but I discovered that No. 12 wt., although a bit finer, worked as well. (see pics below for the comparison)

With lots of wool left, I ventured into hat making. This time, both the construction and the decorative work were done by hand. I prefer hand work. For me, it gives the added bonus of quiet contemplation and excitement as I see the creations slowly unfold before my eyes.