Felting in Rhodes

There are very few places where you can see a holistic and organic manufacture of wool products. BOYA is one of them. The word BOYA means wool in Sesotho and crafter Stef Roux and Susan Koelz concentrate on producing felted and spun wool products from their workshop in Rhodes.

BOYA's doors are open to customers and those curios to see how raw wool from local farmers is transformed into beautiful finished products. The age old process, from washing, combing, hand carding , drum carding to finally spinning or felting is all done by hand. Visitors are invited to participate in any aspect of the process and to get lost in a "world-of-wool".

To contact Stef 084 8630796

Wool arrives at BOYA directly from the farmers in a raw unclean state. Here Anna and Stef sort the wool into different bins depending on colour and type. (Raw wool image)

From here it is washed outside and left to dry thoroughly under the trees

Either hand carding or drum carding follows depending on the type of wool. Merino and Dorper drum cards better where as the finer wool types like Letelle asks for gentle hand carding. (hand carding - drum carding images)

The spinning or felting follows, spinning is done on old spinning wheels by local women.

The age old felting process was discovered, the tale goes, by accident. Shepherds who had to travel long distances wrapped sheep's wool around there feet. With all the friction and probably wetness the wool would felt.

Today, layers of unspun wool are packed out, soapy water and a lot of rubbing is applied to get the wool to felt. (Felting in process image)

The finished products are each very unique completely hand made and personal.

The list is endless of what could be made out of felt but for now BOYA concentrates on making home interior products and clothes.

Looking forward to meeting you at BOYA in Rhodes .