What roving works best for needle felting?
Shopping for needle felting supplies, but not sure what fiber to buy? In this post, PenFelt Studio founder LeBrie Rich describes the fibers that work best for needle felting, so you can stock your stash with confidence.
Buying roving for needle felting
The word ‘roving’ refers to a long narrow bundle of fiber. Rovings are produced at fiber mills that process raw fleece into yarn.
Fiber sold for needle felting is often (but not always) in the form of roving. But roving is also used by spinners and wet felters - how can you tell the fiber will work well for needle felting? Here’s what to look for.
Carded Wool - great for needle felting
Carded wool has been through a carding machine, which brushes the fibers in all directions. This creates “chaos” in the wool - the fibers are like an airy net. Carded wool felts quickly and conceals the poke marks that the felting needle makes.
Notice that this carded wool has some lumps and bumps. That nubby texture is normal and desirable for the needle felter!
COMBED TOP - AVOID for needle felting
Roving that has been combed looks shiny and smooth - kind of like a horse’s tail. Combed top (or ‘wool tops’) has been through a machine that pulls all the fibers in the same direction. This texture is best for spinning and wet felting.
Combed top will felt, but after all your hard work the texture of your felt will be hairy and pockmarked unless you use a very fine needle.
The sad truth about most roving sold for needle felting
Unfortunately, most fiber sold as “needle felting wool” is combed top, which is frustrating to work with and yields poor results. Here’s an example from a felting set sold on a well-known e-commerce site. This will definitely not be an amazing needle felting experience because it is clearly combed top. :(
The best thing you can do when shopping for roving is to buy from a reputable source. Shop in person at a fiber festival, or online from a site specifically geared towards fiber arts. Look for the signature nubby texture of carded wool and avoid smooth shine of combed top. Happy felting!