Needle Felting Glossary: Wool, Needles & Fiber Terms Explained

Have you ever shopped for needle felting supplies and wondered what terms like carded sliver, roving, wool top, micron, or staple length actually mean?

You’re definitely not alone.

Fiber arts have their own vocabulary, and some terms are used differently from one shop to another. That can make things especially confusing when you’re just beginning.

So I put together this simple needle felting glossary to explain some of the terms you’re most likely to encounter—and, just as importantly, what they mean when you’re choosing wool and tools for needle felting.

Armature

An armature is an internal framework that gives a sculpture structure or support.

Wire is commonly used for needle felted animals and figures, especially when a sculpture needs long legs, a particular pose, or extra stability.

Some artists build a complete wire skeleton. I usually use wire only where I need it—often in the legs of my standing animals—rather than constructing a full-body armature.

Beginners certainly don't need to start with wire. There are many wonderful projects you can make entirely from wool.

Carded Batt

A carded batt is a sheet or layer of carded fiber.

Because carding blends and opens the wool rather than combing every fiber perfectly parallel, a batt usually has fibers running in a variety of directions.

Batts can work very well for needle felting because the wool is already opened and easy to pull apart, layer, and shape.

Carded Sliver

Carded sliver is the form of wool we prepare here at Bear Creek Felting.

It is a continuous, untwisted length of carded fiber that is easy to pull apart into smaller amounts.

I like carded sliver for needle felting because I can:

• Pull off exactly the amount I need
• Wrap and build three-dimensional shapes
• Blend colors
• Add thin layers
• Separate small amounts for details

You may see people use the words sliver and roving interchangeably, but technically they are not exactly the same thing.

Roving

Roving is fiber that has been drawn out into a long, relatively narrow strand, usually with the fibers running more or less in the same direction. Traditional roving may also have a small amount of twist to help hold it together before spinning.

The term is often used very loosely in craft stores and online, so fiber labeled “roving” can look quite different depending on where you buy it.

For needle felting, the most important thing isn't necessarily what the seller calls it. It is how the fiber behaves under your needle.

Wool Top

Wool top is fiber that has been combed rather than simply carded.

Combing removes many of the shorter fibers and aligns the remaining fibers in the same direction, producing a smooth, organized preparation that is especially popular with spinners.

Wool top can certainly be needle felted, but because the fibers are so aligned, it often behaves differently from carded wool.

For the three-dimensional sculptures I create, I generally prefer carded wool.

Gauge

The gauge of a felting needle refers to the diameter of the needle.

One slightly confusing thing to remember is:

The higher the gauge number, the finer the needle.

For example:

• A 36 gauge needle is heavier than a 40 gauge.
• A 40 gauge needle is finer and useful for surface work and details.

Gauge is only part of the story, though. Felting needles also come in different shapes and barb configurations, such as triangle, star, cross-star, crown, and reverse needles.

That's why two needles with similar gauges can still feel very different when you use them.

Micron

A micron is a measurement of fiber diameter.

A lower micron number means a finer fiber. A higher micron number means a coarser fiber.

Merino, for example, is generally known for being very fine and soft.

But softer doesn't automatically mean better for needle felting.

I often prefer wool with more body and structure because I want my three-dimensional sculptures to become firm and hold their shape. That is one reason I like the Romney-based wool from our own flock.

Staple Length

Staple length is simply the length of the wool fiber.

Different breeds—and even individual sheep—can have very different staple lengths.

Staple length can affect how a fiber processes and how you use it, but it isn't the only thing that determines whether wool will be good for needle felting.

Crimp, fiber diameter, texture, preparation, and the type of project all matter too.

Raw Fleece

Raw fleece is wool as it comes from the sheep before washing and processing.

It may contain lanolin, dirt, bits of hay or other vegetable matter, and sections of wool that need to be removed during skirting.

Here at Bear Creek, our wool begins as raw fleece from our flock before being skirted, washed, dried, picked, and carded in our fiber mill.

Working from raw fleece is wonderfully rewarding, but there are quite a few steps between shearing day and felting wool.

Wool Locks

Locks are individual sections of fleece that retain their natural shape and character.

Depending on the sheep, they may be curly, wavy, lustrous, crimped, or nearly straight.

Locks are especially useful when you want visible texture, such as:

• Curly sheep fleece
• Long animal hair
• Manes
• Tails
• Beards
• Textured surface details

Instead of completely felting the lock into the sculpture, you can attach one end and leave the rest of the natural fiber visible.

Noil

Noil refers to shorter fibers removed during the combing process.

You may occasionally see noils used intentionally in fiber art for texture.

A nep, on the other hand, is a small tangled knot or nub of fiber. The two terms are sometimes used together in craft descriptions, but they aren't exactly the same thing.

For most beginner needle felters, neither is something you need to worry much about.

Pre-Felt

Pre-felt is wool that has been partially felted into a sheet but isn't completely finished or hardened.

It is often used in wet felting, appliqué-style work, backgrounds, and two-dimensional needle felting.

It can also be cut into shapes and felted further.

This is different from the loose carded wool I use to build most of my three-dimensional sculptures.

What Wool Is Best for Needle Felting?

There isn't one wool that is perfect for every needle felter or every project.

I recommend trying different breeds and preparations and paying attention to how they behave.

For the way I sculpt, I want wool that:

• Felts efficiently
• Becomes firm
• Holds its shape
• Is easy to build and layer
• Allows me to create detail

Much of our Bear Creek wool has a Romney foundation, along with other breeds and crosses selected for the qualities I want in my felting wool.

Because I raise the sheep, process their wool, and then actually needle felt with it, I get to evaluate what I call its feltability all the way through the process.

What Felting Needle Should a Beginner Use?

You don't need a huge collection of needles to begin.

I use several different needle styles depending on the job, but a 36 Star is one of my favorite useful needles when working with our wool because it can move and firm fiber efficiently.

As your skills grow, you can add finer needles for detail work and specialty needles for particular effects.

The most important thing is learning what each needle actually does rather than buying every size available.

Don't Let the Terminology Intimidate You

You don't need to memorize every fiber term before you begin needle felting.

Start with good wool, a few quality needles, a safe felting surface, and a simple project.

As you work with different fibers and tools, words like micron, sliver, gauge, and staple length will start making much more sense because you'll be able to connect them with what you actually feel in your hands.

And that's one of the best ways to learn about wool.