Shetland batt 100g

Core Wool or Wool Batt what is best to use?

core wool 2

Making an egg shape do I use core wool or a wool batt?

To make an egg shape I chose to experiment with core wool and wool batt and find out which wool is easier to use.

Generally, at Black dog and Ginger cat for all our felted animals kit Shetland wool tops are used. The wool is lovely, soft, easy to felt and the natural colours make the animals look realistic.

Both core wool and wool batts are cheaper to buy and ideal for creating shapes prior to using wool tops to finish your felt creations. I know a lot of people use these as a base and also for making larger felting items.

To make the egg shape I weighed 15g of each type of wool using my digital scales. For small amounts of wool you could use pocket scales or digital scales for weighing larger amounts.

Pocket digital scales

Core wool egg shape

I used the core wool for my first egg shape. This type of wool is natural and quite lumpy and also may contain a little vegetabCore Woolle matter.

I divided the wool in half and then started to mould and make the shape by rolling and lightly stabbing with my 38 triangular needle. Once the shape started to take some form I then worked on the base and top. Once the shape has started to form add more wool. Keep stabbing and forming the shape until it is the shape and firmness needed.

Core Wool
Working the core wool
Making the egg shape with core wool

Wool Batt egg shape

For the second egg wool batt was used. Wool batt is found in a continuous sheet but can easily be split so bits can be added to your base shape. Like the core wool because it is natural it may contain a little vegetable matter. 

Again, I divided the wool in half and started to roll and mould the shape, stabbing lightly with the 38 triangular needle. Holding the wool firm is essential to get the right shape. Now work on the top and bottom of your egg shape. Once you have the initial shape wrap around more wool and continue to felt until firm. 

Make both eggs the same firmness so you can compare.

Wool batt
Working the wool batt
Making the egg shape with wool ba

Conclusion

Both wools are quite different to use. I did find the core wool more difficult to control and because it is less bulky it made a smaller egg shape. Both wools are ideal when you are practising or if you want to create larger items. If you are covering a wire armature I would use wool batt or wool tops. This is just a basic shape you can make any basic shape in the same way.

Both core wool and Shetland wool batts are now available.