I STARTED WORKING WITH ULTRA-FINE MERINO WOOL CLOSE TO THREE YEARS AGO.I USE  ULTRA-FINE MERINO FROM 'CASALANA 'IN SERPENTINE ,  WA
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WAS WITH SPINNING IT AND KNITTING.
SOON AFTER I TRIED MY HAND AT DYEING IT AND THEN FELTING IT.
FOR SOME STRANGE REASON THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT FELTING WORKED WELL.
AFTER THAT NO SUCCESS. I COULD NOT GET ATTACHMENT TO THE SILK OR MUSLIN I USED OR TO ITSELF.
CHANGED METHOD OF DYEING, FELTING ROUTINES, WATER TEMPERATURE, SOAPS, SURFACES WHERE I PLACED THE WORK TO BE FELTED ETC ETC .
AFTER BEING VERY CLOSE TO GIVE UP I TRIED PLACING MERINO 18.5 UNDERNEATH  ,I MEAN IN BETWEEN THE FABRIC AND THE ULTRA-FINE WOOL.
  HA!  THAT WORKED!
GOING BACK ,I HAVE TO EXPLAIN HOW I USE THE ULTRA-FINE SO IT BECOMES CLEAR WHY IT IS DIFFICULT TO FELT.
I START WITH FLEECE THAT I GET DIRTY .
I BUNCH IT UP AND TIE WITH A RUBBER BAND IN BUNDLES OF A SIMILAR LENGTH.
THEN I PROCEED TO WASH THE BUNDLES AVOIDING WETTING AND TOUCHING THE PART ABOVE THE ELASTIC BAND WHICH IS THE PART CLOSER TO THE BODY OF THE SHEEP BECAUSE IT FELTS VERY EASILY WHEN TOUCHING OR RUBBING IT AND THEN IT CANNOT BE SEPARATED AND CANNOT FELT IT AS I LIKE.
AFTER  WASHED AND AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE THEY GET INTO THE DYE POT WITH WATER WELL BELOW BOILING POINT, WITH DISHWASHING LIQUID AND VINEGAR.
JUST BEFORE GETTING IN THE BATH I CUT THE RUBBER BAND AND SUBMERGE GENTLY AND AVOID TOUCHING ANY FURTHER.
THEN I PREPARE MY DYE IN A SEPARATE GLASS CONTAINER AND WHEN THE POT HAS AROUND 20 OR MORE BUNDLES I ADD THE DYE FIRST AROUND THE EDGE OF THE POT . I LIKE TO GET A VARIEGATED BUNDLE WITH DIFFERENT SHADES OF THE SAME COLOUR ALONG THE FIBRES.
NO PLAIN OR EVEN COLOUR FOR ME! AS UNEVEN AS POSSIBLE IS MY FAVOURITE STYLE.
THEN ADD MORE DYE MIXED WITH THE POT WATER THAT GETS ADDED AROUND WITHOUT ANY ORDER.
WHEN FINISHED PUTTING THE DYE VERY CAREFULLY I TURN THE WOOL AROUND AND POUR WATER WITH DYE OVER THE WHITE BUNDLES UNDERNEATH .SOMETIMES I HAVE TO MIX MORE COLOUR AND ADD MORE TO THE WHITE BUNDLES.
THE WOOL STAYS THERE IN THE WATER UNTIL THE WATER IS CLEAR.THAT MAY TAKE 20 MIN TO LONGER AND NO BOILING.
ONCE THE WATER IS CLEAR THE HEAT IS REMOVED AND LET COOL DOWN IN THE WATER.
WHEN COOL I DRAIN THE WATER AND RUN COLD WATER OVER IT AND SQUEEZE EACH BUNDLE. EVEN WITHOUT THE RUBBER BAND THE STAPLES TEND TO REMAIN AS A CLUMP 
THEN IT GETS BOUNCED A BIT ON A STRAINER AND THAT WAY  SOME OF THE CRIMP IS RECOVERED AND IS BACK TO BE VISIBLE.NO FELTING HAPPENS!
I LAY MY ULTRA-FINE LIKE THAT IN A CLUMP.  I GRAB PART OF THAT CLUMP AND SPREAD THE FIBRES JUST A BIT AND TRY TO PRESERVE AS MUCH OF THE TEXTURE AS POSSIBLE AND THE SIDE THAT HAS A STRONGER TEXTURE GETS PLACED FACE UP OVER THE 18.5 WOOL I HAVE PREVIOUSLY LAID VERY THINLY IN TWO LAYERS CRISS-CROS.
WHY IS IT HARD TO FELT?
1.-THE ROVING OR TOPS WE BUY HAVE BEEN PROCESSED AND STRETCHED  SO WHEN WE AGITATE THE WOOL DURING FELTING THE  CRIMP COMES BACK AND CAUSES INTERLOCKING OF THE FIBRES AND SHRINKAGE.
  A) WHEN I LAY MY ULTRA-FINE THE CRIMP IS ALREADY VISIBLE AND HARDLY CAN SHRINK ANY MORE
   B) THE SPIKES OF EACH FIBRE IN ULTRA-FINE ARE SO MINIMAL IN SIZE THAT INTERLOCKING IS HARDLY ACHIEVED.
  C)I PLACE THE U-F WOOL WITHOUT CRISS CROSSING JUST PLACE OVER THE 18.5 .  D) FELTING HAPPENS IN THE WAY THAT THE 18.5 WOOL ATTACHES ITSELF TO THE  FIBRES OF THE U-F AND TO THE FIBRES OF THE FABRIC UNDERNEATH.AND THAT WAY I CAN ACHIEVE A PIECE OF FELT.
IF I PLACE A VERY THICK STAPLE OVER THE 18.5 THE MORE SUPERFICIAL U-F WOOL WILL REMAIN LOOSE ON THE SURFACE!

I HAVE FELTED U-F MERINO WOOL BY CARDING IT AND PLACING IT CRISS CROSS IN THE NORMAL WAY OF FELTING. IT WORKS! '''BUT'''THE PIECE LOOSES THE VARIETY OF COLOUR I GET WITH MY DYEING TECHNIQUE AND LOOSES THE SHINING AREAS THAT ARE WHERE THE CRIMP HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN THE STAPLES. IT LOOSES INTEREST, COLOUR INTEREST, TEXTURE, SHINE AND SOFTNESS.
IT MAY HAPPEN THAT THE PIECE WILL NOT BE AS STRONG AS A FELTED PIECE WITH TWO OR MORE LAYERS CRISS CROSS . THAT IS A POINT THAT CAN BE DEBATABLE WHEN CONSIDERING THIS FELTING TECHNIQUE.
HOWEVER ,LIKE IN MANY OTHER ARTICLES LIKE SHOES, CROCKERY ,ETC THERE IS A SPECIFIC USE FOR EACH PIECE, EXPENSIVE AND DELICATE GETS USED LESS AND MORE SELECTIVELY.
THE SAME CAN BE ARGUED FOR THIS TECHNIQUE AND ITS RESULT, IT PRODUCES A MORE DELICATE FELT THAT WILL BE USEFUL ONLY FOR PIECES THAT WILL NOT BE USED IN GARMENTS FOR  HEAVY USE.
I HAVE CALLED THIS TECHNIQUE 'PAINTERLY FELTING'