Hey there! As a supplier of 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade, I've been getting a lot of questions lately about whether this yarn is suitable for felting. So, I thought I'd take a deep dive into this topic and share my insights with you.
First off, let's quickly go over what felting is. Felting is a process where fibers are matted and pressed together to create a dense fabric. There are two main types of felting: wet felting and needle felting. In wet felting, you use water, soap, and friction to entangle the fibers. Needle felting, on the other hand, involves using a barbed needle to push and entangle the fibers manually.
Now, let's talk about our 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade. The "12D" refers to the denier of the yarn. Denier is a unit of measurement for the linear mass density of fibers. A lower denier means a finer and lighter fiber, while a higher denier indicates a thicker and heavier one. The "AA Grade" means that this yarn meets a high - quality standard in terms of its strength, elasticity, and uniformity.
One of the key characteristics of spandex is its high elasticity. It can stretch up to several times its original length and then snap back into place. This is great for applications like sportswear, swimwear, and lingerie. But when it comes to felting, this elasticity can be a bit of a double - edged sword.
In wet felting, the goal is to get the fibers to lock together. Spandex's smooth surface and high elasticity make it difficult for the fibers to entangle with each other or with other felting fibers like wool. When you try to wet - felt 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade on its own, the fibers will just keep slipping and sliding, and you won't get that nice, matted felt. However, if you blend it with a felting - friendly fiber like wool, you might be able to incorporate some of the spandex's stretch into your felted piece. For example, you could use a small percentage of 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade in a wool blend. The wool fibers will do the majority of the felting work, while the spandex adds a bit of stretch.
Needle felting is a bit different. The barbed needle in needle felting physically pierces the fibers and forces them to entangle. With 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade, the needle can penetrate the spandex fibers, but again, the elasticity can cause problems. The spandex may just bounce back after the needle is removed, and it won't stay in place as well as a more traditional felting fiber. But similar to wet felting, when blended with wool or other needle - felting fibers, it can add an interesting stretchy element to your needle - felted creations.
Let's compare our 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade with some other spandex yarns in the market. For instance, the 105D Spandex Yarn AA Grade has a much higher denier. It's thicker and heavier than the 12D. This means it's even more difficult to felt on its own, but it can provide more stability when blended in a felting project. On the other hand, the 9D Spandex Yarn AA Grade is finer than the 12D. It might be a bit easier to blend with other felting fibers due to its smaller size, but it still has the same elasticity issue.
So, is 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade suitable for felting? Well, it's not ideal for felting on its own. But when used in a blend with other felting fibers, it can add a unique stretchy quality to your felted projects. Whether you're making a stretchy felted hat, a flexible felted wall hanging, or a stretchy felted accessory, our 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade can be a great addition.
If you're interested in trying out our 12D Spandex Yarn AA Grade for your felting projects, I'd love to hear from you. We can provide samples so you can test it out and see how it works in your specific application. Just reach out to us if you're interested in starting a purchase or have any questions about how to use this yarn in your felting. We're here to help you create amazing felted pieces with our high - quality spandex yarn.
References
- Textile Institute. Handbook of Textile Fibre Structure. Woodhead Publishing, 2012.
- Inglesby, C. "The Science of Fibre Properties". Elsevier, 2016.