Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
This discussion started in the Bears & Friends forum in the topic called "alpaca girlie by wee scone." We were talking about fur made from wool, and I had used some way back in 1999 on my bear Liam. My bears have changed a lot since then! Here's Liam and Trua:
And here's a full-body shot of the two of them so Liam's fur is more visible:
Liam, on the left, has wool fur in a nice brown shade (I think it's distressed or swirly), and Trua is made with blond mohair. The wool was easy to work with like mohair or alpaca, and Lisa mentioned that it would be a good fur for old-fashioned, distressed teds. I haven't distressed this fur, but perhaps someone has and can tell how it went.
I think that I got the wool fur from Edinburgh Imports. I don't know of other carriers because I haven't gone looking for it! 
Debora
Kiprie BearsHi Debora,
Liam and Trua are so adorable. 
thanks for posting your photo.
I always wondered about wool fur but never tried before.
The wool far on Liam looks very soft and I love the dark brown color.
I can't tell if the far is wool or mohair....
Hugs/Marie
Hi, Marie. Thanks for your kind words! These are bears I made such a long time ago. 
The yellow bear on the right is made with swirly distressed mohair. I still see him every few weeks, too, because he lives with my cousin's daughter.
The wool fur is soft, but not quite as soft as alpaca. It's just a different texture. I only have a small scrap of it left, too small to make a full bear. Maybe I can get creative with it!
Bear hugs,
Debora
Melbourne, AustraliaThanks for that Debora,
I have often wondered about the wool fur, but haven't used yet. Like you, I have only seen it at Edinburgh.
Thinking it would make a lovely cuddly bear though.
:hug: :hug:
Sandi
P.S. Your yellow bear comes up pink on my screen...is it my screen or your photo?
Bears by EdieI've used the wool fur in the past - so long ago I can't even remember which bear - lol - but I really liked it too. I've still got lots of it but don't even know what colors either - maybe I'll have to dig it out and make some bigger bears again for a change! I got mine from Edinburgh too - I seem to remember it being a discount item and therefore much cheaper than mohair. I didn't try distressing it but that would be fun to do for sure.
Bear hugs, Edie
Sandi said: P.S. Your yellow bear comes up pink on my screen...is it my screen or your photo?
Ha-ha! 
Well, he is yellow, but I think it could also be the strange lighting in the photo combined with having to scan it in on a not-so-great scanner.
Edie said: I've used the wool fur in the past - so long ago I can't even remember which bear - lol - but I really liked it too. I've still got lots of it but don't even know what colors either - maybe I'll have to dig it out and make some bigger bears again for a change! I got mine from Edinburgh too - I seem to remember it being a discount item and therefore much cheaper than mohair. I didn't try distressing it but that would be fun to do for sure.
Oh, Edie! If you do make a bigger wool bear and distress him, you must show us! The wool fur doesn't look much less expensive than mohair now, but it probably goes on special periodically. Now I'm wishing I had more of it to experiment on!
Hugs,
Debora
Adorable BearsI used wool fur about 11 years ago. It was lovely and soft but I could no longer buy it. I purchased from a supplier in Australia called Bartfields. They were always very reasonably priced but a little limited in their range. Im not sure if they are still trading.
Susan
Posts: 8,574
hugs
dilu
Bears by Edie
I tracked down photos of a couple of the wool fur bears that I made years ago - didn't have digital photos back then and my scanner is on the fritz so I had to resort to taking digital shots of the photos so they aren't the best but I'll put them on anyway. The gold one, "Higgins", is about 15" and "Frosty, the Snowbear" is 81/2".
I found the wool fur very easy to work with - much like mohair and a lot easier than the alpaca as it is so thick - the backing on the wool was the same as mohair and the pile thickness about the same too.
Bear hugs, Edie
Nova Scotia,CanadaOh, it's very nice!! I never knew about wool fur , can you still buy it Edie? I would love to try it. :hug:
Bears by EdieI have no idea if you can still buy it or not, Sheri - check with Edinbourgh and see if they still carry it - I don't have a recent catalogue.
Bear hugs, Edie
Hi, everyone!
Thanks, Dilu! My bears who are pictured are such oldies, but they are loved by loved ones of mine. I remember that working with the wool fur was very easy, like working with mohair.
Thanks for sharing your pictures of your wool fur bears, Edie! I remember Frosty! And thanks for sharing how the fur was to work with.
Susan and Shari, I know that Edinburgh carries wool fur. Go to this page: http://www.edinburghimports.com/shopping/FabricList.asp. Scroll down until you see the heading that says Wool. There are links to 10 different qualities there. I believe that I used quality WW98 on Liam; it's a 9/16" regular swirly wool pile.
If anyone orders some wool fur and makes a bear from it, please let us see it! 
Bear hugs,
Debora
Posts: 8,574how lovely , I love especially your snowbear....how cute!
Thank you both for the info on the wool fur. Very interesting and something to be tried....
Matilda Huggington-beareYou learn something everyday. I really like the look of this wool fur. I checked out the link. Thankyou for the info.
Wendy 
Wild Thyme OriginalsDebora & Edie.... Oh, thanks for showing us such LOVELY bears! Fabulous fabric!
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals
Posts: 8,574question: did you do anything to pre-treat your fur prior to construction your bears?
Bears by EdieI didn't, Dilu - it is very similar to using mohair, same backing even, just the "fur" part has a different feel - not as silky as mohair. It's not like you are using a real sheepskin with the leather attached or anything! 
Bear hugs, Edie
P.S. thanks Dilu and Kim for the nice comments on my bears!
Kim, thank you for your kind words about my bears.
Edie's right; the backing on the wool fur is just like that on mohair or alpaca, and it was very easy to work with. Now that I've been working with some old upholstery mohair, I REALLY appreciate the nice backing on today's furs.
Debora
Posts: 8,574So we could easily rinse it in hair conditioner prior to use....like I do my mohair....
thanks ladies
di
