Page 1 of 1

Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:41 am
by fernicus
i found a local shop that sells beautiful roving and got so excited i picked up 3oz in grey-brown, light brown and dark brown. ripped them into my desired length, palmrolled palmrolled palmrolled... at this point id say they were a bit thicker than a sharpie. i crumpled them, threw them in a pillow case and into the washer to felt... BUT they ended up being about pencil thin (thinner in some parts ). would it be possible to maybe wrap them in more roving and re-felt them to make them thicker? or would they probably just unravel?

thanks for the help ladies =]

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:07 pm
by MrsEss
Are they still wet? Chances are they'll fluff up a bit once they're dry.

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:29 pm
by fernicus
all dry and no fluffage =[ i might just purchase some black roving on etsy and retry... this was only a $6 failure lol

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:42 pm
by LittlePinkFaery
You need to make them thicker than you think :) my first few were thin. Don't split the width more than 3 times.

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:55 pm
by MrsEss
Yeah, Andrea has a point. Roving felts together, locking all the fibres in closely so they do shrink & become thinner, you could braid them together & do another (coldish) wash, braided roving can look nice.

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:24 pm
by LittlePinkFaery
Also, maybe your wash is too hot?

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:31 am
by fernicus
i think the wash may have been a bit too warm... ill try again and make them thicker still and maybe try felting by hand instead. i have really thin hair as it is and usually only get about 30 sections , keeping my fringe and sideburns out. so i think if i make thicker DEs, maybe it'll look full like i want it

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:33 am
by fernicus
DreadstarMonstar wrote:Yeah, Andrea has a point. Roving felts together, locking all the fibres in closely so they do shrink & become thinner, you could braid them together & do another (coldish) wash, braided roving can look nice.
i think i might try this. as well as wrapping them with more and refelting.

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:09 am
by LittlePinkFaery
How about just starting again? It is possible you will never be happy with the originals. I sold n the ones that were too thin, they actually looked really good in falls.

I generally put them through a 30 wash twice, drying completely inbetween.

It is trial and error, took me a few sets to get the right size and shape I wanted, and to get the right amount of pre felting. I was always a hand felt in hot water kind of gal until I tried this method, I far pref it now as I love the wiggly look.

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:11 pm
by MrsEss
See, I do two or three cold wool washes, depending on micron count & whether they're to be straight, wibbly or uber wibbly ;)

Re: Roving dreads too thin after felting in washer

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 11:34 am
by fernicus
im picking up a whole pound of black roving today i believe. so ill have plenty to play around with and figure out what i want them to look like. ill try all of your advice tho! ill try to post pics when i finish the set.

also, the lady im getting the roving from has an etsy i believe so ill get it from her to post here if anyone wants.