Today we got to see the amazing process of felt making. Felt is essential for the winterizing of gers as it serves as insulation from the harsh cold. It takes wool from about 80 sheep to create enough felt to insulate a typical ger (good thing there as so many sheep in Mongolia). After the wool has been sheered, it is prepped by a fast, repeated whipping with what looks like a switch. The wool is then collected onto a canvas sheet and sprinkled with water after which it is tightly rolled. Once the wool is rolled, the roll is attached by rope to a horse who then drags the felt roll around. The roll acts as a sort of wheel and rolls as the horse drags it. The pressure applied by the rolling is the "magic" ingredient in the felt making process, compressing the fluffy wool into a much denser (and super warm) felt.
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