[Lesley Silvester]

I've just started this tonight and made a flower. It's great fun so I can see me getting hooked on it.

[SallyintNorth]

Glad you're enjoying it.

Pic of the flower? 

And how long did it take?

[happygolucky]

I remember seeing Kirsty doing some needle felting and it looked so lovely, she made robins.....yes some photos.....I love crafty stuff but do absolutely nothing now...shame as I used to make so many things 

[Bionic]

Lesley, you can't write a post like that without piccies 

[Lesley Silvester]

Lesley, you can't write a post like that without piccies 

Thought I'd just whet your appetites. I'll take piccies tomorrow.

Glad you're enjoying it.

Pic of the flower? 

And how long did it take?

About an hour.


I bought some brooch pins today so I can make lots.

[Mammyshaz]

I would love a go at needle felting, just need some piccies of other people's projects to get me going  Especially pretty flower projects 

[in the hills]

Daughter bought a book, fibre and needle in the summer. She broke the needle within an hour so didn't get very far. Had a go at wet felting a while ago but it all fell apart 


We are looking for a local course at the moment.


Love to see some photos.


Could an eleven year old do it, do you think?

[Bionic]

An 11 year old could definitely do it if she watched her fingers. Those needles can be lethal. A more cautious way of doing it is to buy the needles that are encased in plastic. They have half a dozen needles inside and you push the whole thing up and down and the plastic covers the needles so much less likely to get an injury.


If the wet felting fell apart it could be there just wasn't enough fibre to hold together, or maybe some fleece that doesn't felt well, or maybe just not enough elbow grease. It does take quite a bit of effort to get it to felt by hand, although I think it's worth it. When I was being taught I was told that when you think it has felted pinch it lightly between your fingers. If you are able to pull bits up then you need to process it some more. Does this make sense?

[SallyintNorth]

I did a 'felted vessels' course, and stood by, rather bored, while everyone worked hard at their merino etc.

I had taken BFL tops, and it felted with practically no effort whatsoever, just a good glug of very soapy water and a rub with the fingertips.

It's important to lay the fibres criss-cross over each other, every layer across the previous, is my other tip.

[in the hills]

What a coincidence!!!!


Had spoken to a lady at Montgomery Street Fair, way back in the summer, about her felting classes. She took our email and can you believe she has just got back in touch. She's starting her classes up again and only 10 miles away from us. She is willing to teach my little girl too and because I'm booking in, she will teach daughter for free .... full day class  .


Our wet felting was a bit rushed ..... just a free activity at a farm museum .... so maybe not enough elbow grease.


Is Soay fleece any good for felting, then? Didn't know that some fleece was better than others.


Oooooo .... getting excited now 


Where are the piccies??

[SallyintNorth]

Yes, the different breeds differ in their propensity to felt.  Some felt wet but not dry, some vice versa, some felt as soon as you look at them, some take a lot of work...

I just went to look up Soay for you in the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, and to my dismay discovered that it doesn't give the felting characteristics for each breed  .  BIG oversight, I'd say. 

I believe that Soay is similar to Castlemilk Moorit, and thus would be a greasy, possibly double-layered and/or hairy fleece.  Probably not terribly easy to wet felt.

To test, put some in an old saucepan (not used for food any more) with a very good slug of washing up liquid, and boil.  Then plunge into cold water and swish about, then back into hot, and wring.

If it isn't a hard lump after all that, it won't felt!

[in the hills]

Thanks Sally.


Will give it a go ..... come Spring.


Maybe out felting teacher will know.

[Fleecewife]

It depends a little on how you remove the fleece from the Soay.  If you roo it slowly (removing it lock by lock) then you leave behind the outer coat, and have just the softer under wool to felt (the hairs fall out later).   If you peel it off or shear it, then you have the longer hairs in with the wool.
 
Both will felt but I don't know how much elbow grease you need, if it's more or less than average.
 
I had a friend who made squares of felt from all the rarer breeds of sheep, including Soay, which is how I know it felts.  In fact it's rather nice and makes a soft brown felt.
 
But as Northern Sally says, it's best to try a small bit before launching into a large project. 

[SallyintNorth]

Ooh, interesting Fleecewife... is that felted squares project written up anywhere?

There's an article about Soays and their fleece in Yarnmaker this month, written by a TAS- and Raveller of my acquaintance - and very entertaining and informative it is too   There's also an article and some lovely pics about Icelandics.  I made BH read it, expecting him to fall off his chair when he read the bit about some Icelandics in Iceland having 6 or even 8 lambs!  - but he took it in is stride. I'll have to try another ploy to get him to give me his two... 

[Lesley Silvester]

I joined a craft group today and took my felting stuff. I am now on my sixth flower and have also made a bow, a Christmas tree and a sun, all to become brooches. I haven't taken piccies yet as I want to wait until they are finished. I'm intending sewing beads on as well as the pins.


I paid about £2 for two packs of about six brooch pins in Hobbycraft then looked online. Amazon has bags of around 50 for £1.98, which I've ordered. Wish I'd thought to look first although I am anxious to get sewing.