Boiled Wool
Boiled wool is a wonderfully characterful knitted wool fabric that’s been intentionally shrunk to create a dense, cosy, and delightfully tactile material. Its felted finish brings that signature bobbly texture and soft, spongy handle, all while preserving the natural stretch and comfort of a knit. Warm, breathable, and full of personality, boiled wool is a go‑to for garments with clean lines, sculptural shapes, and effortless style. Equally suited to sleek, modern pieces or relaxed, cosy layers, this endlessly versatile fabric adds instant charm to any project.
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Boiled Wool: A Timeless Classic with a Modern Twist
Boiled Wool is a knitted wool fabric (not woven) that’s been cleverly transformed during its finishing process. As the name suggests, the fabric is literally boiled and shrunk, which causes the fibres to matt together into a dense, cosy textile with a delightfully soft, spongy feel. The result? A fabric full of character; nobbly, bobbly, tactile, and endlessly versatile.
Unlike woven woollens, boiled wool retains the natural ease of movement from its knitted construction, with a subtle stretch that makes it super comfortable to wear. It’s warm, breathable, and naturally resilient thanks to its 100% wool composition, so you get all the benefits of wool with the bonus of a unique handle and finish.
One of the reasons sewists adore boiled wool is because it’s incredibly easy to work with. The compact structure means it doesn’t fray, so you can skip edge finishes altogether. Many makers even leave linings out of their projects because boiled wool is cosy enough on its own. The fabric’s neat, sculptural qualities make it perfect for showing off creative design details; exposed seams, raw edges, or architectural silhouettes that really let the fabric shine.
From jackets and coats to tunics, cardigans, and even accessories, boiled wool is a true wardrobe hero. Whether you’re making something sleek and modern or going for cosy and casual, this fabric lends itself to projects that are practical, stylish, and full of personality.
Boiled Wool Properties
Warm & Cosy, retains heat beautifully while still letting your skin breathe.
No Fraying, edges stay neat without finishing, saving time and effort.
Slight Stretch, thanks to its knitted base, offering ease and comfort in wear.
Resilient & Durable, naturally strong and hard-wearing, with wool’s built-in bounce-back.
Easy to Sew, beginner-friendly and forgiving, with a satisfying structure.
No Lining Needed, soft and cosy enough to wear as-is.
Design Friendly, perfect for raw edges, outside seams, or bold, sculptural styles.
Sample Packs
With so many gorgeous colours to choose from, order a sample pack and experience the full spectrum!
⭐ Sample Pack: Boiled Wools - Warm Tones (Pack of 9)
⭐ Sample Pack: Boiled Wools - Cool Tones (Pack of 8)
Samples in the Boiled Wool Sample Packs are 6cm x 10cm, smaller than our regular Fabworks sample size.
Samples of individual Boiled Wool fabrics can be ordered on the product page, choose the 'Sample' variant.
Garment Suggestions
With a collection of fabrics where you simply pick your preferred colour, try mixing & matching tones together for colour-blocking projects. This is a must if you can't decide on only one. Find coordinating ensembles to add patch pockets, contrast sleeves and other colourful quirks.
Dresses, tunics, pinafores are all excellent key layering pieces to make for your A/W wardrobe. Cardigans and jackets are a seasonal must, we recommend the following patterns: The Brooklyn Coat, The Amara Vest, The Kusama Jacket, The Phoebe Coat or The Biker Jacket as an accessible simple make.
Basic: Start your boiled wool journey with a super quick and easy tube skirt: 1 seam & an elasticated waist. Equally simple are no-sew drapey wraps: cut to your desired length, work out the spacing for your arm holes and then drape and tuck this around your body to create your own style. Alternatively, unlined waistcoats with a few simple seams are also easy makes, creating easy-to-wear and quick-make garments that you'll be proud to wear!
Waterfall front coatigans, wraps, ponchos and capes are enough for beginner sewists, using this versatile fabric. Customise yours with needle-felted or embroidered pockets or add a fancy trim to the edges. Simple contrasting wool yarn blanket stitching looks great on boiled wool fabric edges.
Advanced: Asymmetric skirts featuring 3 yokes and 3 skirt pieces are ideal for more advanced makes using boiled wool. As featured in From Stitch To Style, a Great British Sewing Bee book (2016), inspired by Japanese fashion school Bunka, for those who understand the true construction of clothes. The skirt looks like a puzzle when all the pieces are laid flat, but once constructed the geometric shapes combine to form a softly flowing and elegant contemporary skirt. 2 metres of fabric required for this make.
To add the finishing touches, simply add oversized press stud fasteners or edgy leather buckle fastenings, or close with a chunky belt or brooch.
Other Uses
Create matching accessories for your winter wardrobe. Boiled wool is perfect for creating cosy, hats, caps, scarves, mittens, fingerless gloves and wrist warmers, headbands, ear warmers and the warmest cowls and snoods. Let's not forget matching bags and purses!
Boiled Wool Example Garments
Neat Blazers & Jackets
Smart & simple, but not too formal
Cardigan Styles
Simple, easy-wear, throw-on
Asymmetric Skirt
A style for advanced sewists for a couture look
Further Reading
Benefits of Sewing with Wool
Wool is natures super fibre! Find out why this natural wonder is a firm favourite at Fabworks.
Caring for Boiled Wool
Boiled wool is naturally low‑maintenance and rarely needs washing. Most of the time, a simple airing or gentle steam is all it takes to refresh your garment. Want the full care guide? Click the link below
FAQs: Boiled Wool
Boiled Wool is a knitted fabric (not woven) that has a dense and almost squishy feel to it. As the name suggests, this fabric is boiled (shrunk down) during the finishing process to create a nobbly and bobbly cosy fabric that offers ease of movement (due to its knitted construction) and differing properties to woven woollen fabrics, whilst still retaining all the benefits of the wool composition.
Boiled wool is naturally low‑maintenance and rarely needs washing. Most of the time, a simple airing or gentle steam is all it takes to refresh your garment. Want the full care guide? Click here
Boiled Wool is a popular go-to for many sewists due to its flexibility and ease of wear. Due to its knitted construction, technically Boiled Wool qualifies as jersey fabric, just in a slightly different form than you may be used to seeing jersey. When buying clothes off-the-peg you will more often than not find that boiled wool garments are catered to less formal styles such as cardigans, vest jackets, and waterfall front outerwear. Its structure is relaxed and although you can create boxy styles with straight lines, it is unlike classic woven woollens which are suited to tailored styles.
Boiled Wool does not fray! No fraying means easy wear, and usually easy to sew with, too. Boiled Wool is reversible! With its face and reverse sides the same, use this to your advantage with open/unfinished seams and garments that do not need lining.
Jersey needles are not required when sewing Boiled Wool, however we do recommend a sharp needle of size 90 or 100. Nor do you need any special threads! (When you add a Matching Thread to your order we'll send you a spool of standard Gutermann Sew All 100m thread). Remember, the properties of knitted fabrics are different to woven fabrics, and in turn will allow you to create less formal styles that are still cosy and with added ease of movement.
If you own a big cosy pullover or thick warm cardigan, they are probably made using boiled wool fabrics. The texture is definitely woolly, but not itchy like wool tweed can be. Its nobbly & bobbly finish is created as the fabric is washed and shrunk during manufacture, creating a dense, cosy finish. The nobbliness and bobbliness adds depth to plain colours and makes a clean and smart style that suits unstructured garments, as well as being warm and naturally insulating
For Fabworks to be able to offer Boiled Wool fabrics we have sourced this fabric directly from a European merchant who stocks this fabric as regular/repeatable. With stock supported colours, this fabric's availability is unlimited, within reason - great for those who need a regular supply or whom may have missed out on a recently sold out colourway. In true Fabworks fashion we don't ever compromise on quality and are proud to bring this fabric to you as OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (approved for having no harsh chemicals and safe to use against human skin) and it's guaranteed mulesing-free! The cost for fabrics with such specifications are significantly higher than deadstock/waste fabrics from the fashion industry. Rest assured, your self-bespoke boiled wool makes will be plush, cosy, colourful, available to re-order at any time, with consistency.
Yes, you can order an individual sample of any of the colours within the boiled wool collection, just choose the sample variant on the product page. If you simply can't decide or would like to view the full spectrum order a sample pack.