[marigold]

could you use spaniel dog hair to make felt too ?

I wouldn't bother with the spaniel fur Russ unless you don't mind the smell of dog. I've spun dog hair and the smell NEVER comes out no matter how often you wash it.
You can make very fine felt too which is lovely for lining things to add insulation. You can felt onto cloth as well to thicken it up - cotton oneside felt the other - although the cotten would look a bit shrunk up

[sagehen]

You're gonna be busy this summer then Russ  If you have a wattle and daub house, what do use for lintels? And can you drill the walls for fittings?
Marigold I was offered some dog hair for spinning - a huge bag of it. I dithered and mentioned something about the smell, and got a big tuft of it shoved under my nose, with the offer to 'sniff it, it doesn't smell' *gag*! I managed not to breathe at that time, thank god, but I realised at that moment that I know some strange people 

[RUSTYME]

the house is built with a timber frame , the timbers being about 6"x6" and larger . The wattle and daub is then fitted and daubed in the small squares (3'x3') that the frame makes . They tend to be called Tudor style houses or black and white timber frame houses nowdays .
 So the frame is the lintel over doors and windows etc .

the pic above gives an idea of the type of thing . That will be very similar to what I build in fact. I have almost got enough trees earmarked for that now . If I get a few more I can make it a bit more adventurous...but I like it as it it is in the picture really , simple .

cheers

Russ

[sagehen]

Oh yes, of course *smacks forehead* For some reason I was thinking of a celtic roundhouse  That will look lovely Russ.

[marigold]

Ah Russ - will you come and build me one after? the one in the picture is lovely
 

[sagehen]

Hmm just realised that my earlier message might have been misconstrued to mean that the celtic roundhouse is lovely. I mean the one you will build will be lovely if it's anything like the house 

[RUSTYME]

my one will look very similar to the one in the pic, it will just be the diagonals in the panels that will be slightly different in mine.  It will only be a very small place by todays standards , about 30'x 12' .
But that will seem huge to me as I have lived in a 28'x10' static caravan for far too long . the house will have an upstairs making much more space . Only two bedrooms and a small bathroom upstairs , and a living room and kitchen downstairs . The living room and kitchen will be divided by a smoke bay/chimney thus giving a chimney for a rayburn type range in the kitchen, and an inglenook  in the livingroom . I can add a wing later on if I want more space , but it will do me for now .

cheers

Russ

[woollyval]

As a person who makes felt for a living I can comment a lot on what felts....and what does not!!!

Its true that any wool will felt.....eventually However some if really good and some....well lets say knit it!

Blue face and cotswold are fantastic for wet felt! suffolk and the other down type breeds are hopeless!.....(but great needlefelted!)

Other good ones for wet felt are North Ronaldsay, Shetland, Merino, corridale, gotland and Hebridean.

Needle felt wise anything can be needle felted!

We have 2 big wet felting tables 4' x 3' and are about to install a 60 inch wide needle felting machine!

Hope that helps

[sagehen]

You obviously have more experience than me with felting, but it's basically what I've said anyway, bar the BFL fleece, but then again, from experience, I've personally found the fibres a bit too short for wet felting by hand. I mainly use shetlands, since there's loads of them around here anyway, and they're pretty good for most fibre crafts.

[clickowls]

Thankyou for your advice on felting.  I will try the BFL fleece and some Jacob fleece and see how I get on. A baptism of fire, need to give it a go so I can get some children to try it out on Friday!

[sagehen]

Only way to do it is to try  Good luck and have fun! 

[clickowls]

I have made my first felt ball today with the Jacob wool, looks like a ball - how do I know when I am gently moulding it with the soap and water and working the wool that it is ready?  How solid should the felt ball be?  The one I have done is still soft, not really soft but the fibres are not going anywhere?

[sagehen]

Well done  Not too sure what you mean by the fibres not going anywhere? Here's a link to help you with the felt balls..

http://members.peak.org/~spark/feltballs.html

and another one for kids, with photos...

http://www.boogaj.com/homeschooling_maddie/2006/01/felt_beads.html