What is felt? How is wool blend felt different from craft felt?

Spiritual -  "And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the Mother of Jesus was there.  And Jesus also was invited...to the marriage" (Gos: Jn 2,1-11).  For the first time, we see the Blessed Virgin in her maternal function as Mediatrix of all graces.  The Cana miracle, Jesus'  first was worked precisely because of her intercession which was so powerful that it made Jesus anticipate His hour.  "My hour is not yet come," the Savior had answered His Mother, and Mary was neither dismayed by this apparent refusal nor did she insist on her request.  Secure in the knowledge of her Son and full of loving confidence in him, she says to the servants, "Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye."  her humility, consideration for others, faith, and trustful abandonment win Jesus, and to show us the greatness of her power over His divine heart, he grants her wish; the miracle takes place.  Divine Intimacy

Sewing - SewHealing sells a variety of colors of  felt produced by a company called National NonWovens. WoolFelt comes in two blends, 20% wool/80% rayon ( 71 colors) or 35% wool/65% rayon (56 colors). Felt can be purchased in squares: 9" x12" or 12" x 18" and ranges from $.70 -  $1.80 a square.  Hair accessories, hand-made dolls, pin cushions, needle books, and baby booties are just a few projects that work so well using wool blend felt.

 







  
FYI,  Felt is a non-woven cloth."Non-woven fabrics are sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments, mechanically, thermally or chemically.  They are not made by weaving or knitting and do not require converting the fibers to yarn."  Using wool and other blends of fibers, such as nylon or rayon, felt is made by the process of matting, or pressing fibers together often using heat and steam.  The exact origin of felting is not known.  In Turkey, the remains of felt have been found dating back at least to 6,5000 B.C.  A couple of legends from different cultures describing how the technique was developed include:
    a.  Saint Clement and Saint Christopher, fleeing from persecution, packed their sandals with wool to prevent blisters.  At the end of their journey, they noticed that the movement and sweat had turned the wool into felt socks.
    b.  Sheep, goats, camels and other animals herded together in Noah's Ark shed their fleece, trampling it
underfoot during the voyage.  Noah was surprised to find that the floor was carpeted in felt.

Why buy a wool blend rather than pure wool or acrylic (craft) felt?

1.  no "itch" factor and much softer than pure wool felt or acrylic felt
2.  less dense that pure wool felt, easier to work with
3.  wool blend holds up to wear and stress as pure wool does; will pill only if subjected to lots of stress
4.  nominal amount of elasticity and will not be pulled out of shape as easily as pure wool
5.  unlike 100% wool, rayon does not build up a static charge
6.  blends generally resist insect damage and retain the mildew resistant qualities of wool 
7.  generally, blends wash well and spots can be easily removed.
8.  acrylic felts are made of plastic and will not fade with normal usage
9.  acrylic felts will pill and fuzz A LOT, are stiffer, and have a "see-through" factor
10. seams are easily prone to tearing when using acrylic felt compared to stable seams of wool or wool blend