e a In EASY TECHNIQUES AND 25 GREAT PROJECTS G ILLIAN HARRI S COLLINS & BROWN f IfSI pUbIi!>hed In the United Kmgoom 111 2006 by & B.( wn 151 Road. london WI06TH An anprll1\ 01 Anova Books Company lid Copyrrght C 2006 CoIhns & Blown Text copyflght C 2(X)6 Gillian Hams All rogtlt<. reo:;en.ed N1 part 01 thIS OUbilCallOfl may be rt!J)l'oduced. slOled ,n a 'etneval <;r-tt!f1l, 01 transm lied In any fOlm 01 by any means electronoe mechanical. photOCOPYIng, ,ecordlng 01 oIherw,se. w,I/'Iou1 the prlOf wrtllen perml$<.lOll olIN! C00VflW11 owner COmmIS'OOOIJlg (d,IOf M.chelle la ()e<,lgn Manager Gemma Wilson ()eo;i&f1'!I' Roser Hammond ptx,. Mark W'nwood Illuslrat'lI' Kana CIlerl Copy W!lOf: Ma'>e Clayton SenIOr Pl'OdoctlOll CoIltrQllef Moma M-Pherson ISBN I 84340 369 2 A CIP catalo(!ue record for thIS book IS available flom the Bnk.h ubrary. 10987654321 ReprododlOl'l by UK Pnnted and bound by WKT Co Umlled. O"na Thl1 bcJOo. can be OIdered d loct flom thl> publ<Shel CoIlldet the marketmg c\epartmerlt. but try your bOOkShOp flrsl. _ i!f'\(lYiIbooks_com J I contents 8 IntrOduction 74 knittc.:.'d fdri ng 154 templates 10 11 story 01 lelt 80 fhrty 156 glmsary 12 woof fleece 84 ICy strtpes 158 resources 16 eqUipment 88 carousel cushIon 160 acknowledgements 92 patdlWOfl<. perfect 20 \ 111 1 pit flu felt 96 I. You 26 pe'at play 30 paper chase 100 1l L'L' dk ti:l ring 34 luU bloom 104 toolh fairy cushion 38 ewe elrod me lOB heart to hearts 42 heart!! I rug 112 under Covel 116 lingle beU 46 3- d 120 pauling trout 54 hIghly strung 58 dolly spotTY 124 :ldv,lIlCI.:d (ceh 11 iqlll:'1 62 culle boolles 126 cobweb cool 66 lea lime cosy 132 nuno f(>l\ Shaw 70 dapper flapper 138 blOOrTlIng shpper5 142 bowl OVer ball 148 field of POPPIes introduction I 've been obsessed with making things from as far back as I can remember. At the age of six, I pieced together a small wobbly pincushion from felt and sent It along with my parents to a dinner party as a gift for the unsuspecting host's daughter - my best fnend Joanna. Although this meagre offering was naively constructed from synthetic felt II was stili soft to the touch, it was vibrantly coloured and appealing, and It didn't fray - an important discovery for any six-year-old. The word 'felt' often conjures up Images of mass- produced multicoloured squares, or perhaps the green sluff found under plano keys or on pool tables. However, as you are about to discover, 'real' handmade wool felt is quite a different material and bears little resemblance to the synthetic variety. Handmade or hand-rolled felt is often made 8 ilHro d ucrion entirely from wool fleece that has been cleaned and combed (carded). The felting process starts when microscopic scales on each fibre of wool move and link together, by rubbing the fleece with soap and water. Once the fibres have clung together, the felt is then 'fulled' into a dense, hardened mat using heat and friction. The fulling process makes the felt shrink quite considerably. Of course, most of you will be familiar with this irreversible process, which may have happened to a faVOUrite wool sweater in the washing machine! A simulation of this washing machine cycle is re-created dUring the feltmakmg process, but in a far more controlled manner, What we are left with at the end is a fire retardant, water repellent. warm and insulating, soft and cosy, breathable, protective, pliable, colourful, non-fraying fabrIC - namely wool felt. With a multitude of applications, It'S no wonder that so many of us love making It. I had two goals In writing this book. The first of whICh was to encompass all aspects of feltmakmg. While wet felting. needle fellmg. and knitted felting differ greatly when It comes to technique, they all start With the same elemem, wool, and they all elld Wit I! the same result, felt. The different ways of making fell lend themselves britllantly to different end results. This book starts With simple flat felting and sculptural felting In 3-d uSing templates, then covers soapless waterless needle felling. moves through felted kOltling. and ends With more advanced projects such as felting onto fabric (nuno felt) , cobweb felting and other Interesting techniques. My second aim was to Inspire, motivate and unleash creativity In as many people as posSible. So often, people come to my courses feelmg sceptical or unsure about their artistic potential and creativity, and I really want to try and get across that 'letting go' and HAVING a go is what It'S all about. No matter how Inexperienced you are at crafts, and regardless of your level of creativity, It IS difficult to go wrong. Felt IS forgiVing In the extreme for beginners. and yet receptIVe, transformable, diverse and full of endless possibilities for enthUSiasts and experienced artists. Making felt is one of the few thlOgs In life that rewards lis maker With a warm fuzzy feeling on the Inside AND the outSide! Feltmaklng 15 an art. not a science. My Instrucllons. lips. and tricks In this book are what I have found works best for me, but If you discover different ways of dOing things for yourself, use them! Nothing In this book IS set 10 stone. but I have created a range of proJects that I trust you Will learn from and enJoy. I hope you wlilihen be Inspired 10 experiment a little too and take your fellmaklng forward With your own Ideas. co mplet e fc lr lll 3k i ng 9 history of felt F eltmaking is a very anCient bUSiness. Don't be fooled Into thinking this is a recent discovery - far from It! Making felt from wool was around way before spinning or weaving with wool. Felt has been In existence for hterally thousands and thousands of years and dates back to the early Neolithic cultures. As wool fleece from sheep was placed around the feet and under saddles for protection, comfort, and warmth, the moisture from sweat coupled with the fflctlon and heat from movement resulted In the first felts, and so feltmaking was born. Felted saddle blankets. masks, animal figures, socks, boots, hats, clothing, shields and carpets are In eVidence all over the world, In places as far away as Persia, India and China. Nomadic tribes in central Asia, Siberia, China, and Mongolia soon discovered the protective qualities of felt, and covered their movable tents ('gers' or 'yurts') With it for thousands of years - some continue to do so today_ Groups would work together 10 deSign and make large pieces of felt to be used as shelter for the community as a cool retreat in hot weather and a practical Insulated haven dunng winter months. The worldwide felt phenomenon was also apparent in AnCient Greece, where the Greek soldiers allegedly used wool felt to line their helmets. Not to be outdone, Roman soldiers also used felt in breastplates. To provide Insulation from the extreme cold, Scandinavians have also been using wool , felt and felting for thousands of years. likewise In Turkey, 10 his t o r y of fel t where they stili make felt rugs today. Since the Industrial Revolution, felt has been made by machines In large sheets of varying thickness, often from a mixture of synthetic fibres mixed with wool. There IS a wet method, and also a dry method using thousands of barbed needles on a flat bed, which are pushed in and out of the fibres until they become meshed together and form sheets of fabric. These are the same sort of needles that are used for needle felting In this book. Machine-made felt has many uses. Apart from machine-pressed felt hats (caps, trilbies. bowlers, cloches, and berets), mass-produced felt is used in many other applications for its sound deadening and Insulating qualities. For example, felt is used in planas to deaden the sound by preventing wood and metal banging together. It is also used as an Insulating roofing material, a protective material In packaging, as the cover on a pool table, as an air filter or a washer - and so the list goes on. If you would like to learn more about felt and feltmaklng, various museums around the world showcase relics from ancient Civilizations. Many faSCinating artifacts dating back to the 5th century Be - preserved by the freeZing conditions of the high Altai mountains where they were found - can be found at The State Hermitage Museum In SI. Petersburg in Russia. In addition, there is also a Felt Museum In Mouzon, France, which covers the historic and contemporary aspects of feltmaking.
wool fleece T he wool normally used for feltmaklng IS often referred to as wool lops or roving, although in this txx>k I sometimes just calli! wool fleece. Wool top IS wool that has been taken from the sheep, cleaned (scoured) and combed (carded) so all the fibres face the same way, then wound Into a continuous length. ROVing IS similar, but the fibres do not necessarily all lie in the same direction. Many different breeds of sheep provide us with many different wool tops SUitable for fellmg. Of those readily available, Menno wool tops are the easiest and fastest to fell together because they are finer. Also Menno IS available In the largest palette of colours - a constant source of InSpiration to the feltmaker. Coarser, u n ~ d y e d wools do have their wonderful Qualities too, offering different textures and often a robust felt when finished. Most wools WIll felt together eventually If you persevere. but fmer wools with a slightly finer crimp, such as Menno, Blue Faced leicester, Jacob. and Shetland, will felt that much more easily and quickly. Wools are graded In several different and often confusing ways. The three most common are: 12 wool nt.'CCl' Micron - The most modern and SImple measunng system. which measures the diameter of the wool fibre under a mIcroscope uSing a measunng system based on a mllhonth of a metre (1125,()()() of an Inch). Very precise! Bradford count - A British measunng system dating from the 19th century, which represents fibre f,neness and length by measunng the number of 560-yard skeins spun from one pound weight of clean wool. For example, you will sometimes see wool referred to as '64's', which means It has a Bradford Count of 64; there were 64 skeins of wool produced from one pound of the wool so the fibres are very flOe. If It had a count of 48. only 48 skeins would have been produced and the fibres Will be thicker and coarser. Blood count - An older and rather Imprecise Amencan system referring to the amount of Menno breed 10 the sheep that the wool comes from. Since Menno was conSidered the finest and most SUitable wool for felltng, this grading system refers to It as 'Fine Wool'. A sheep that IS a cross between Menno and another breed will produce wool that is slightly coarser with a slightly larger crimp. This wool would be referred to as 'j Blood Wool'. If the sheep is crossed again ItS wool would be 'Yo Blood Wool', and then 'Y. Blood Wool' and so on. As a general rule of thumb, the higher the wool count and the lower the micron. the finer the wool the grading systems therefore determine each wool's 'feltabllity'. Wools such as Merino, Carnedale, Blue Faced Leicester, Flnnsheep, Targhee and Jacob (to name but a few!) are all graded differently. They all felt well, but at different rates because of their different fibre length and thickness. As an example, Ihe Merino I Ildve used 10 this book IS about 23 micron, and 64 count and is 'Fine Wool'. It has very fine crimp and a short staple length, and therefore felts very quickly. As a contrast. Finn wool would be referred to as ' Y ~ Blood' and IS 27-30 micron With a count of 50-54. It has a much longer staple length and a coarser or larger crimp. Therefore one can deduce that the Finn wool will take longer to felt than the Menno. ThiS IS worth remembering If you are combining different breeds and different grades of wool 10 the same proJect; it may take a lot longer to achieve the deSired result because different wools Will felt at different rates. Once you have purchased your wool tops or roving for felt making. remember to store it away from mOisture - too much mOIsture Will make It coarse and 14 \\' 0 01 n l'ect' harder to work With - but If posSible let air Circulate around It. Storing It In plastic bags for short periods of time does no harm, but do not leave It packed like this for very long penods. You should also take care to repel moths, which may decide to lunch on your stash! Fleece wool tops get harder to pull apart the older they get. and If they are left out In the air for long periods of time they lose their springiness and feel harder and more matted. When thiS happens, they can stili be used for fell making, but the fibres need to be teased apart more than normal before pulling the wispy end fibres off. The key to making successful felt IS to pull the wispy end fibres from the wool tops and then layer them up thinly and slowly. It IS really important not to cut corners by working With wads of fibres that are too thick. As you practice and become more In tune With the process you Will be able to Judge how to use the wool fleece most effectively. While working With wool fleece can be very rewarding, someilmes It can also seem time consuming .. especially for the beginner. If you can't finish a project In one sltllng. It'S fine to leave it In an OPEN plastic bag and go back to It another day. Make sure you don't seal It In a bag as It Will go mouldy and smell. You will more than likely have to re-wet it If you leave It for more than an hour, as the water WIll evaporate QUite quickly.
equIpment T he workspace and equipment requirements for feltmaklng are fairly simple and user-fnendly. A reasonably large table or working area near to a sink is Important. Hoi and cold running water and access to a kettle are also a must. I encourage fell making uSing minimal amounts of water, but bear In mind that the ocId soapy splash should be expected and your workmg area should be protected as necessary. When needle felling no water or soap will be required, so just a small table space in any convement posItion IS all that IS needed. As well as the specific equipment listed here. you will need a selection of different sized scissors and baSIC sewing equipment, such as needle and thread and embroidery thread, for some of the projects. Wet Felting Net curtain/mosquito netting - A large piece of medium-weight polyester nettmg to layover your fibres before you begin wettmg them. This will enable you to start rubbing with minimal disturbance of your design. Soapy water - A mlxlure of warm waler with a dash of washing up liqUid In some sort of bottle so you can dispense II slowly. A clean plastic ketchup bottle is useful when working with larger, thick layers of fibre and a spray bottle for small and delicate projects. You can also use a drtnklng bottle wllh a sports cap. l6 equ lplll elH Dish cloth and bowl - A dish cloth IS handy to mop up excess water and to spread retained water through the fibres. thus eliminating the rtSk of 'overwetllng'. You will also need a bowl to squeeze the dish cloth oul Into, to save runnmg to the smk every five minutes. Soap - Many feltmakers prefer to use an olive 011 or low lather soap. but any soap will do. The alkalinity of the soap IS what is Important here, Since It speeds up the feltmaklng process, and its Slipperiness aids rubbing. An ally soap is kinder to hands, but the lanolin present In wool prevenls hands from becommg 100 dry. When fulhng Items In the washing machine, use ordinary washing powder make sure It does not have fabnc softener In II and Ihat IllS nol a special wool detergent, Since Ihls will prevent felling. Kettle A kettle nearby to produce a constant supply of boiling waler when you need It IS very handy. While you can substitute very hot tap water [over 6CrC (14(JlF>J. uSing water straight from the kettle that is very near boiling point Will produce much faster and better results. Rubber gloves There is no need to wear rubber gloves when rubbing, but you Will need them to prolect your hands when you are pouring boiltng water over your work. - \ , Bamboo blind or matlbubble wrap - When makmg a flat piece of felt. It is wise to work directly on a bamboo blind or a piece of bubble wrap to provide as much friction as possible underneath the felt while you are rubbmg. Also, once the first stage of the felhng process IS complete and the fulling stage begins, uSIng a bamboo blind for roiling is the best opllon for fast and effective results - this IS what I use throughout the book. Bubble wrap can be substituted If necessary, or as another alternatIve. some people prefer to use a washboard and simply rub the felt against II until It starts to shnnk, A smaller bamboo sushi mat is Invaluable for making smaller prolects. Towels - Great for placing under your bamboo mal befOfe you start both to soak up any excess water and to keep the bamboo mat m place dunng the roiling process. Also Important for dryIng hands between rubbing wet fleece and touchIng the dry fleece. Templates & blocks - The thick plastic that IS available from DIY stores or builders' merchants is Ideal for making templates. It retains ItS shape when hot, and you can feel the edge of It. even through several layers of fleece! You can also make templates from bubble wrap, A polystyrene hat block IS great If you mtend to do a lot of hat making, but for a one-oft projeCt, substrtute a headslzed bowl! Polystyrene slipper forms are required for the shpper project tn chapter 5, but If these are unobtainable, you can try uSing rubber wellington boots instead! Washing machine - Most of the knitted projects require 'fulling' or fellmg In the machine, In case you don't have one available, I also outline alternaltves, for hand felling, Needle Felting Dense foam - It is Wtse to keep a rectangle of dense foam to use under all your needle felting. This Will protect your table, and Will protect YOU If you are not workmg at a table! Felting needles - A seleclton of different sized feltmg needles for different types of work (see glossary on page 156 for further details). These are extremely sharp, so use them With caution and take care. A multlneedle tool that holds several needles for use at the same time IS useful for larger areas. Foam shapes - When making larger pieces. either form a core shape USing bunched fleece or cut out foam shapes to work around. cOlllp l er c felr lll akill g 19
S llll e at ThiS basic technique introduces you to the art o[ [eltmaking and acts as a platform on which to build new [elting skills. Learning how to handle the fleece and how to manipulate the fibres in order to shrink and harden the felt will shape you up for chapters to come! Experiment with different water temperatures and time of rubbing and rolling as you work to get a feel for the feltmaklng process - while creating some fantastic projects at the same time! e t The basic techniques will start you off on your feltmaking pursuits. The key thing here is to obtain wispy fibres that will be layered on top of each other - do not use great wads of fleece' The layers will always be applied in alternating directions, either horizontally or vertically. When welting the felt , it should be thoroughly dampened, but not soaking weI. The harder you rub, the quicker the results. 22 si mp le n :H fc lt 1 Choosing fl eece Once you have selected your c%ur of WOOl tops. hold a long length of fleece In Dfle hand about lOcm (4I n) from the end and wdh the other hand, gently pull wISpy pieces of fleece away with your finger I1ps and the fleshy base of your thumb. Keep your hands apart - holding the fleece with your hands too near to each other W111 prevent the fibres from commg loose and separating 2 Laying Ollt fl eece Lay fleece di rectly onto the bamboo mat. keeping all the fibres running In the same direction to form the first layer. By a 'layer'. f mean laYing down enough fleece to prevent you from seeing whatever IS underneath - be that the table or mat or netllng. You Will need 10 bUild up two or three layers of fleece, depending on how hardy your finished piece needs to be. Conllnue With the next layer, by applymg lleece in the opposite direcllon. ThiS Will help the fibres tangle together when you start (0 rub. Do not bunch the fleece up Into a lumpy uneven wad - keep II as even and fine as you can and bUild the thICkness up slowly. 3 Designing with fl eece To make a mo\.l. pull off a small ''f'Igth 01 f bre. Spread and separate II bet-l<een your lingers. working with the fleece as loosely as you can. To make a c IOe. pu away ill strand of fleece and cOIl 1\ so the ends overlap. WOfK with SImilar coIoors on lop of ooe another to add depth and LIllere5t Remember that your work 'Ii II $lVmk and ltIat IndiVidual elements WIll be defined as thIS shrinkage occurs. so keep yos desagns as lOoSe and open as POSSible. Keep it Loose 4 Wett ing lay the netting on top 01 your neece, laking care not to dl<,:urb your carefully laid out deSigns. USing either ill spray gun or another sort of water dispenser. sprinkle warm soapy water atrO!.S the entire des'gn area. AVOId over-welling your WOfk: you can ill ways add more water IItte by little. but you shouldn"t need to gel the mop out l Creating tight. compact spots. spirals. lines. motifs or designs Will make life difficult dUring lne rubbing stage. The little f.bfes w I not rTlO\Ie around and tangle With thOse undt..>fllealh, so they Will only tangle and eventually felt With themselves. Keep your designs open and loose to save a great deal of Iin;e and effort' 5 Mopping lip Spread the water through Ihe f,bres and up any excess by Wlpmg over the nett.ng With a cloth, wtlng.ng out excess water .nto a bowl. There is a fine hne between 'too wet' and 'not wei enough', so conllnue thiS process untl' your fleece leels like IllS completely 'stuck- flat or matted When II IS J)fessed, lhere Should be no puddles of water, but at the same I,me, there should also be no alt p:x:kets of spllngy fibres. Once the whole area IS wet, you can peel baCk the netting to adlust the placement of any elements of Ihe design that may have moved around dunng the wetting process_ fel rlll3 ki ng 23 6 5wdlin<Y <> Rubbing a bar of soap over the netllng WIll help to make the next step of rubbing the fleece much eaSier In addition. and more Importantly, the alkahn ty of the soap will encourage the felt ng process to c;larl by makul8 the rnlcroscoptC scales on the wool fibres start to swell and move open. In my experience, the soapier the betler. although some feltmakers feel l ha\ too many alf bubbles In the lather may Impede the felting process. 24 ..; illlpil.' n,1( fe lr '-._ - 7 Rubbing Keep the netting as flat as you can while you rub. The agltahon from the tubbing encourages the fibres 10 entangle, so use both hands and plenty 01 pressure don', tICkle II' Some hbres may come through the netl lng. but If you find an abundance, simply remove the excess by peeling back the nettmg while holding your fleece down underneath With the other hand al the same lime, Continue rubbing for about ten minutes. You w !1 know wilen you are done once you are able 10 slide your hand across the tleece design and the fibres no longer move. When your pIeCe IS well held together. rinse II In warm waler unlll mOSI of Ihe soap IS out It may stili be a IIltle delICate, so don'lleave II under a running lapl Squeeze out all excess water. 8 Il..olling LIp your felt ThiS part of the feltmg process IS lhe fulling part, which is when the felt really starts to harden and shnnk Roll the fell up In the bamboo mal as tightly as POSSible. Don't WOlry If It dIStorts a bit as you roll II up II w I all fIallen out In the end 9 R. olling t he ll1at Because your felt will shrink In the drrectlOn In whICh It IS rolled, II IS Important Ie Ie It In all dlreo.:llOns to p!'event uneven Shnnkage. Roll the mal back and forth WIth fm. even pressure atxlut 20 limes. Unroll, 1 .. 10 the !)Ieee 90". and repeal. Conllnue \,in'I)'OIl h a ~ moved through a lutl 3f1'. !nen turn )QUI felt Cfl/CI and repeal the roIbn8 process. Rinse your proteCt WIth very ha: water. Leave II to cool slightly. then shock II under a heeling cold tap. Repeat *he r ~ process. making sure the fell 15 nnsed thcMooghly and all soap IS rernoved. WMe IllS SlIIi warm. repeat the roIling pfOce'iS untilihe PIece has 'ihrunk to the deSlred SIze. lay 11.11 to dry In a warm place an IrOll set on the wool seiling can be IB!d to speed up the drying process beginner 26 p e t a l pl ay eta ay This simple and flowery hair tie is an Ideal beginner project. Make two pieces of flat felt, cut them Into flowers, and adorn with a scattering of colourful sequins and beads. The pretty project IS so versatile, It can also be made Into barre!!es and brooches. Materi als Menno woof lops: Small amounts of pi nk, orange, yellow, purple, turquOIse and pale green A matching half elast iC or small barrette Small selection of beads and sequi ns Fine needle and thread Fabric or craft glue Size Approx. 8 x Bern ( 3 ~ x 3\1:: ln) 28 pet al pla y 1 Make up a square measUri ng about 20cm (SI n) with tlNO layers of pink fleece and one of orange on l op. Remember the fell Will shrink. Add a WISPY layer of yellow fleece radiating out from the centre. 2 Neill to It. layout a similar size square with two layers of purple and one of turqUOise over the top. Then add fine wIspy layers of pale green radlallng out from the centre. 3 Cover both squares WIt h a piece of netll ng, wet. soap and rub. 4 Rinse both squares In warm water and roll In a bamboo mat in all dlrecl lOns on both Sides, as descnbed on page 25. 5 Pour boi li ng water over the felt. Leave to cool slightl y, and then nnse WIth cold water. Repeat the hoi water rinse and then repeat the roili ng process. The felt should have shrunk and become a 101 harder. Make sure all soap has been removed from the squares and leave them to dry. Press them flat If necessary. 6 Draw a 7.Scm (3In) dlameler circle on a pIeCe of paper, cui oul as a template and place It over the centre /lOInt of the bl ue fell . Cut out the bl ue Ci rcle. Make a second Ci rcle 6.5cm (2 I hm) In diameter and repeal for the orange fell. 7 To lorm the petals. make a senes of cuts 2.5cm ( I in) long from Ihe edge towards the cent re, spacing Ihem equally about every 12mm (lhm) around each Circle. Then Simply round the outer end of each petal With a small pair of sharp SCissors. If you find It eaSier, you could mark the petals out With small pins or a chal k penCi l before you start to cut 8 Place the flowers on top of )(Ie another With the blue one underneath and sew them t(.llelhef USlI1g a fme needle elM thread, stItch a selechon of beads and seqUins randomly In the centre ollhe lop fIO'Ner, 9 Cui a small c"ele of felt about 2.5cm (lm) In diameter from a piece of the refl'lcUf'I ng fell. Slrlr:h the hair ew..oc onto thP. back of the blue flower, then glue the small orcle of fell over the top to hIOe the Shtchlng. uSing craft or labnc adhesive. Alternatively, glue the hair acCe5SOf'y onto a barrette. Felt Down When making Simple flat felt. It IS hne to walk d reclly onto a bamboo mat. but SOmellme5 placIng netting on top 01 It 11I'S1 WlI' help you to see what you are dOing and WIll prevent /itves from becoming trapped In the mal COlllpl ctl.' ft.' l rlllaking 29
beginner 30 paper c hase a er c ase Imagine having a constant supply of handmade felt greeting cards In your drawer ready for any occasion, including Happy Feltmaklng Dayl A good way of learning the feltmaking process is to make this Simple two-layer piece of flat felt , which can then be adhered to a card. Once you've made one, you'll be inspired to create more. ,..
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,( . .. I ..... ,"", Materials 1 lay out a thin layer of cherry red In one direction 3 Cover. wet, soap and rub until there IS no movement 7 Leave the piece 01 lelt llat 10 dry. or press It Wllh the and then another In the 01 fleece In the design. IrOO on a wool setting. Once Merino wool lops: oPPOSite dlrechon. to create a the felt is complete!y dry. Small amounts of lnTle. rectangte measuring about 4 RlOse the felt In warm thread a needle with pale blue cherry red, orange. 17.5 x 12.Scm (7 x 510). water and then roll It 10 a embroidery thread and green, pink, yellow, bamboo mat In all dlreclloos on embroider a line 01 simple pale blue and dark blue ') layout vertJcal and bolh Sides. running sti tch around the -.. hOrizontal SlJlpes of orange outSide of the cenlral Circle. Do A needle and pale blue, over the top to creale a 5 Pour boiling water over the the same 10 pink thread around pink and orange chequered effect as a feU, then cold water and the pll1k blobs at the points of embroidery threads background. Next layout a thm then hot water agam. RlOse It the star star In green. With a large clfcle well, making sure 10 remove aU Sewing machine and of blue In the centre. HlShhght the soap 8 Add a seqUIn wllh a seed machine embrOIdery the blue with the light blue bead on top In the centre thread (optional) here and there. then outline It 6 Repeat the rolling process 01 the motif. uSing orange With a yellow edge. Add a dark again unlil you are happy embrOIdery Ihread Blank card red spot In the cenlre. Add Wllh the amount of shrinkage PInk spots al the DQints of the and the size of your p!CCe. Fabric or craft glue green star Size 10 x 8cm (4 x 3 ~ l n ) 32 pap e r c h a<;c 9 USII18 a sewmg machme. a random pc.uern O'ier the green <;tar ConSIder It."'>hng the tensIOn and panern on anoU1er p ece of ;_ t or OIher mater tal firs! The tensK)l"l of lht: stitches made by me machIne s!ltchlng will gIVe the fell a qUilted effect 10 Trim the edges of the lelt as required and SlICk 1\ onto the frofl! of your tunk :.ard wIth fablle Of crafl Voila yov'le In bU<;lness! co mplete fl.'ltmaking 33 intern1.ediate 34 f ull b l oo m u oorn Whether you're serving afternoon tea or hosting a Sunday brunch, this striking table runner makes an unforgettable centrepiece. Blossoming pansies In saturated hues come to life when set against a sprightly polka dot background. SpraYing the table runner With fabriC protector Will protect it against unforeseen spills and stains. I J 1 Working dtrectly onto a two stde petals and a lop one. 7 Usmg the bamboo blrnd. Materi als bamboo bltnd, lay a WISpy Oulltne each petal wtl h a roll In all dtrechOns and on layer of whtte I!eece tn one narrow white line to help defme both sides. Then lake the Menno wool tops: dl rechon to form a rectangle the edge. Use a contrastmg runner to the sink and pour 10Clg of white and sage measuflng apprOlumately colour fleece to create the boIltng water over II. leave for a 60 x l40cm (24 x 56m). cent re. With veins runnmg into couple of minutes and then 50g of pale yellow, pink Remember always allow for the petals. Use small amounts rmse In freeZing cold water. and purple shnnkage with measurements, of bnght yellow and green 101 Make sure all soap IS removed so the final table runner will be the centre hlghltghts. Trim Wi th al thiS poml. Repeal the Small amounts of bright apprOllimalely 20% smaller small SCISsorS If necessary. hot/cold water step again. yello'N and Itme green than thiS. dependmg on hO'N Repeat this step until youve While the runner IS stili warm long you work on II. Round the made I hree flowers In each repeat the roiling process ends of the rectangle. colourway. again. remernbenng to roll Si ze more In the dltechon reqUtrmg AI WIdest part ? lay a sold layer of green 4 Al ternate the flowers more shrinkage. 50 x ll&:m (20 x 471n) __ In the other dIrection over around the edge of the the top, until the white fleece IS runner, With each flower facmg 8 Leave the runner to dry, no longer visible. Add SIX raws rn a sltghtly different di rection. then press flat With an Iron of while polka dots on top of Place the flowers so they hang If reqUIred. the green fleece, poslhonmg sltghlly off the edge of the them .so they run diagonally runner (see photo). Remember to ))ry Spell keep the fleece for the dots as 5 Cover. wet. soap and rub 'open' as possible to help them until the fleece no longer Fell can be spun dry In \0 fel\. moves around. Apply more I he washing machine 10 pressure and soap on the polka remove excess water and 3 To create each flower. dots If they refuse 10 stay put . speed up the drying make !rur rounded process. Just remember teardropshape petals With the 6 Rinse briefly III warm not to set the machine to main colour fleece, folding II waler, taking great care as wash. as thiS could around to achieve the rounded the runner Will stili be very produce very different petal shape. Overlap each petal fragile. resuits! to form the flower. With bottom, 36 ru II b loom
beginner ewe an me 38 t'WC and me This decorative wall hanging accents bare walls while paying homage to our favourite provider of fleece. Interestingly enough, the body of the sheep is actually made from silk noil , but feel free to substitute it with any contrasting natural wool, such as Wensleydale, for a su bller effect. Materi als 50g of Menno woof tops In whlte 50g of Jacob humbug an a natural pale IYown colou, Small amounts of Black Welsh wool lops an black (Of substitute WIth dark brown Menno) 50g of silk 0011 Yarn Of strmg fOf the hanging loops Size 24)( 41cm (9Y x 16Y,n) 40 m e 1 Working directly Oflto a bamboo blind, lay a vertical and WISpy layer of white fie. 'Ce In a rectan/lle measuring approxunalety 42 x 25cm (17 x 10m) Always rememl:x!r to allow for stmnkage WIth your measurements ? Make a layer uSing the __ Jacob humbug, running It hOfizontally This lovely wool IS striped, bul.' you can', obtain any, use a medium bl'own wool that w-II contrast well w,lh the other cOlours you are uSing. You need to make sure that the sheep'll I stand oul well from the background. 3 Now make two sheep facmg each other. Lay oul some Silk to form the bodIeS. then make lillie legs. heads and ears from the B ad( Welsh. Use sma amounts of white f1et."Ce to form mouths and eyes. USing more white fleece, credle Ihe !lUle heart shape to Pl.t above sheep all, they are In love. 1 illS Impof1':lnt to trap the -;- Silk nOli onto the neece_ As Silk noll IS not wool, It ..... ,11 not adhere to the I\ee(:e underneath, so you rnustlay a few very WISPY strands of fleece over the lop of It to keep II In plar:e. 5 Cover, wet, soap and rub unilithe fleece no longer moves arOlJnd . As the SheI'p are shll very \.) fragile. carefully nnse the wall hanging brIefly m ..... arm water Trap it in 7 Roll the wall hanging up m the bamboo blind and roll II In all d,rections and on both Sides Take the prOject to the Sink and pour oolrng water over the top. Leave lor a COlJpIe of mmutes and then rInse In freellng cold waler. Make sure all the soap IS removt.>d Repeal the hot/cold water step_ While the piece IS stili warm. repeat the roiling process again. 8 Leave to dry. then press flat w th the Iron on a wool setting If needed Try trapPing ilil SOftS of dIfferent things In your feltmaklng. leaf skel'>tons, Silk. glitter. yarns and dry petals w II all work beautIfullY. Just mal.:e sure thai very small amounts )1 fleece either the same colour as the Item or the background colour are placed over the top 01 whatever you dre Irappmg You Will barely notICe thiS fleece on the finished artICle, but what you have trapped In WIll add te)(ture and rntereslta your WOf'k.
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... beginner e art e t rug 42 heartfe lt ru g You'll never get out of bed on the wrong side again when you step straight onto this cosy mat from oh-so-soft Merino wool. If you're making a rug for a corridor or a hallway with plenty of foot traffic, consider felting with a more robust wool such as Finn or Icelandic, which pills much less. - - - ~ -
,
Mate ri als Merino wool tops: l00g of cerise JOg of dark magenta and peach Small amounts of dark green, sage green. hme and olive yellow Lace or frilled fabric trim Non-sli p rug backing Size AI Widest part 67 x 67cm (27 x 271n ) 44 he:lrr fc l r ru g 1 Working directly onto a bamboo blind With the cense fleece, lay out the outline of your heart to about 80cm (32in) high and the same width. Remember It Wlil shnnk. and that )'O<J can tnm It to size! Fill III the outline, placing the fleece vertICally down {he heart. Sltll usmg cerise. make another layer In the opposite dnecliOn, and then a third layer In the anginal d!fecbon. A rug needs a m!nlmum of three layers and If for a busy roam, then maybe four Of five layers. ? Add stripes of dark -.J magenta and peach across 4 Rinse bnefly In warm water, taking great care as the heart Place SUt star shapes the rug IS stili Qulle fragile. III lime fleece and add a coil of dark green and a cOIl of sage ,- Roll 111 all directions 111 the green In the centre. Add olive ..J bamboo and on both yellow spots on the pomts and sIdes. Now take the rug to the In the centre of each star. smk and pour boIling water FUlaily place a small amount of over the top. Leave for a couple dark magenta right In the of minutes and then nnse 111 centre of each star freezulg cold water. Make sUle att soap IS removed al thiS 3 Cover. weI. soap and rub point. Repeat the hoUcold untJlthe fleece no longer water step agall1 and while the moves around. rug 15 shll warm repeallhe rolhng process again. 6 Leave the rug to dry. then oress flat If reqUired. wIth Itle nOll 00 a W\XJ1 " !lIng 7 t.Ah,ne Of hand'>(>w your lace or frtlled fabrIC Ir,m al around the edge of tfw:! heart 8 Attach a non-Slip Datkmg 10 your rug.
co mple{ e ft.' lrl11 J ki ng 45 s a Having mastered the flat feltmaklng process, move on to working with felt In more of a sculptural way. Hand-rolled felt lends itself wonderfully to seamless es 3-d forms and shapes, with most projects being worked around plastiC templates and forms. As the fleece IS manipulated around the templates, a strong seamless piece of felt IS created, which IS completely reversible once the template is removed. Another bonus IS that there is no sewing Involved! Technique I: Hollow Fonm 1 Laying inside layer Start to lay WISpy poeces of fleece In one directIOn acr05S the template. II is rmJX)rtant to understand thai you are working rrom the Inside out so you are Ia'(lng down the design Ie thE' INSIDE of your PIece f lSI The black and white s l r l p ; ~ shown here WI be the "lining of thIS bag when flntshed Make the lengths of fleece slightly longer than the size of the template so you have some overlap to fold over fOf your "seams Fantasti c Pl asti c ? Wetting/ rubbing _ Lay a carge piece of nel!lng across the lleece Wei the lleece through the netting w th warm soapy wdler It IS Important to thoroughly wet Itll,! fleece, buT equally Important to make sure It Isn', too weI by mopping up excess with a cloth. Gently rub a bar 01 soap across the top of the netting. then rub across the whole area fOf about five minutes. Remove the nelMg. being very careful not to punlhe neece away Irom Ihe template underneath. Belr'le you stdrt. cui your template 10 shclpe from some SlronB thICk plastiC Always remember to cut the template about 20% larger than you wdnt your Ilm'iheel piece (0 end up, to allow fOf ">hnnkase. 48 3- d , h,pO' 3 Layi ng ?nd layer Turn the fleece and template over and repeat step I. taylOg down the design !Of the oppo! ':C Side. When you have hmshed, fold over ttle edges from SIde one to create your 'seams' and repeal step 2 on thiS side. Remember you are WOfklng In re'lerse so you must th,nk 'rom the Inside outward If you are makIng a design on the InSide of your shape you MUST lay that design down on the second side BEFORE you fold over the seams from sode one, (ltherw se the seams woutd be If'ISIde the design, concealing the edge of It 1 Llyillg 111iddk laye rs "t Turn everything I)ver dRain U ng wh ',. fO( middle layer. starl to lay OPp05lle dllL'CllOrIlo layer one. :JWet'"8 'he enl,re shdpe. leav ng e)M kI ap for A1thcugh Ihe .dyt r s hidden a Vdgue h,nl (II the )1001 may how mrough your final deSign. so bear Ih > '" rmnd Repeal "tep!> 2 and 3 fe, UIl' tdd !dyer 1h s tune vou can fold Ire seams over IrOfll s de one bl 'Ole you lit de ..... , the SE!Cood as you arc new I'IIl the middle lhell no one w II be able \0 '>PE!. 5 Llyillg top layer Turn over olgan! and flld In the seams Lay your fmal tMckground colour OUl1l1 the opJX)Srte dnectl(lIl to I.:lver 2 (m me S<lme Ollect n as [dyer 11. lIg;1lo leaVing ed/a to overlclJj dlOUnd 1I1C edgt-";. C. Final design \.1 Now lay your on top Wrwn you are happy Wllh your layout put the ndllng over tnt' lop again and rept'dl Sll'P 2. but thiS !low. t(Jhb.ng IOf much longer (about 10-15 m lSI \0 fllmly dOhere the layf'fS of fleece togdl't!f Plenty of pre$SUfrl and enough soap Ie; nnportant Make sure there IS nut 100 much watel IE-It In the layers olllt>('te "you press dl'Wfl hdld and d pudd () It)fm mop up the e.l. .. ess water w th d Ie Ih, If the f led dry and sprmgy n places. then ddd a uk!- more water. COl11pit-tl' fe l[lllak ing 49 7 Fi xing fibres Peel back the netting and check lhal the "btes no longer move around when you rub your hand across them If they do, continue the rubbtng ptocess until they"re stabtllzed' Turn the piece over. fold over the seams and repeal steps 5 and 6, Smce thtS 15 the last Side, you do nol need any exira for a seam overlap so you can tnm off any excess fleece. 50 3- d shapes 8 R.ubbing edges When the design IS f.xed In place on your final SIde, remove the nethng and rub around the sides of the pteCe with a wei soapy hand unlit the edges are well felted together. Rinse bnefly In warm water don't leave under a runnmg tap. as II IS Sltl! qUite delicate' Try and gel most of the soap out now before you move on. Wrrng out well but gently. 9 I<. olling felt Roll up the felt In a pteee of bamboo blind as hghlly as possible and rol It backwards and forwards 20-30 limes. Unroll rotate everything clockWise 90" ancl repeal until you have rolled 20-30 limes through 360". Turn the piece over and repeal on the other Side. Shnnkage occurs In the dlrectlOll In which you are rOIling. so roll the same amount In each dlrecllOn for even results, 10
Wearing rubber gloves to protect yolJf hands from the heal. place the fell bag ,n the sink and pour boding water over 'I Wa I unto 1\ has cooled enough so you c.YI touch 1\ and then wring out Roll aga'" as In step 9. but this lime, only iO times In each directIOn. '. 11 Cutting Cut open the top 01 the bag and remove the template. Tnm the top edges straight If necessary. then rub gently InSide and ar.xJOd the top WIth a weI soapy hand 10 fell me edges. 12 Final rinsing Put the bag back the sink and pour boiling hot waler over It. nnse under the cold tap, then repeat WIth hot water again. RaU again fOf 1()'20 tllnes In each dlrechon, depending on the shnnkage reqUi red. Stop roiling ooce your piece has reached the desi red size and thickness. 00 a final rinse in cOOl water to remove aU soap. Lay flat 10 dry and press on wool seiling to smooth and flatten if requ 'ec! complece fdrmaking 51 Technique ? : Moulding 3-d Shapes In Ih,s lechnlque, mould two useful 3-d shapes from fleece by wrapping and compacti ng the fleece together slowl y, thus eliminating ali the air Inside. As the wool shrinks and hardens, dense shapes can be formed simply by USing just soap, water and friction. Here, a beadslzed ball and a bag handle are used to demonstrate the technique. C heat\ Method Ma ... many It I balls 031 onr:e by J'iH"lJ:: the washing machme and some Old nylon lights. Place a fleece ball Into the toe of the tights. tie opening WIth an elastIC and repeal up the Pop mto a 6O"C (14CfF) wash with soap powder. addIng a pair of Old Jeans to create Inchon 1 Making a ball eo. up a fleece to form a core and star! to wrap more 1It..>ece around ,I. The bail Wlil shrink drama!!, .ally approx Of more so wrap the ball substantially larger than you want II to end up. Add different coloured fibres to create depth and patterns. and wrap a fmal wIspy I)jcce of fleece around It to keep everything In place. ? Dampening -.J USing the soapy water mixture (see page 23), spray the ball until 11 IS damp Wet 11 suffICIently, but don'l drench I tn a5 ,t IS extremely fragile and will fall apart. Mclke your hands soapy. then roU the ball very lightly In between your palms. uSing as lIule pressure as possible. If It starts to resemble a small bram. release a IWe pressure. You don't want to squash II before II has started 10 harden Aftef 5--10 minutes. you should notICe the bat! starting 10 feel harder and denser. 3 Rolling )nee Iflj ball NO; hdloened shghlly. rr.1 nfly)l'1 a bamboo mill As the bail COO\llllJeS to harden. rncreilse the pres5ure accordmgly unll11l all comes together. RU'ISe thoroughly in hoi or boiling waler. t. "8 care nO! to scald yourself and make SLde til flnse out all the soap. Continue to rrJ on bamboo unhllhe ball IS ,educed to the desired Slle 4 Moking hondiL' , To make a Hee-.:e handle, pull oH a length of fleece 20 longer than you want the handle to end up. fhoroughty Y;o.!l II with warm soapy water from a spray OO1\le. Keep pulling the 11e.'C(> length through your hand 101' about 5-10 mmuh.>s unll you notICe ,( beg,n to hardo.!" 5 R ollino/ rin"l inv ;:, b Start II roll It back and forth on d bamboo Old! ell flr5t and men applYing mort: pressure a5 the handle gets harder and more compact. Rinse WIth boll og water, taking cafe not to scald yourself and then rmse In cold to ensure a I soap has been removed Continue III roll until your hand'e has reduced to leQll red length and thickness. fC ItIll .lk i llg: 53
intermediate
54 highly srru ng y strung It 's official - felt jewellery has arrived! Even if you've never considered tufted trinkets before, you won't be able to resist making an assortment of these tachle felt necklaces. Not only are the beads made of felt here, but the choker band and button fastening are too. QUite frankly, nothing else would dOl
Materi als Menno wool tops: Small amounts in black, white, pale blue, pale pink, pale green and red r abnc or craft glue large embrOIdery needle Seed beads Beading or se'Ning needle Transparent or matching thread Si ze length 40cm (16m) 56 highl y s trun g 1 Start by making your fleece beads as described on page 52-53. r have made five for thiS choker but you could add many more and carry on all the way around. If you want all your beads to be the same Size, first layout the dry fleece for all of them at the same lime, making sure you use the same amounts for each. 2 Make a smaUer red bead, which Will aCI as your button to fasten the necklace. Then make the felt band on which the beads will all be threaded, uSing the fell handle technique on page 53. You need this to be approximately 40cm (16tn) long when !Imshee!. so start off With fleece about 55cm (2210) long and tTim II down. You can make the band as wide as you like, but remember the thicker It IS, the harder It may be to thread your felt beads. I've gone fOf a finished thickness 01 about 4mm ( I / ~ in), which I Just about managed to thread through a large embroidery needle, but any thicker and you may need a bodkin or upholstery needle. 3 Leave all the felt Pieces to dry thoroughly. Thread the felt choker band through the eye of a large embroidery needle. Work this through the small red bead first and then through the centre of the other beads 10 your preferred order. 1 Ma..:e a small loop at the ;- end of the band, at the r Sew contrasting seed .J beaCls Into place on Ihe end to the red bead II boggest bead ,n the centre. The 13 ead On srwid be large enough for Ih(' Why nol expenment by ulhng beads ,n hall or slicing them read to fit through. but nol so through tnlo sections' If you use a contrasting COIOlH wool I" big that rt will come undOf1(, the centre, thiS Inner colour wI! be exposed when you CUI G l,n place and sew a through, Interesting patterns. SI: as well to secure It. Side the small red bead f ight to the other end and !Ie a knot 10 prevent II from slippmg aH. a dab of glue underneath to secure 11 In place CO lllpl c t t,; fc lrmakin g 57 intermediate otty s otty No woman can ever have too many handbags and this one IS definitely spot ani Create this stylish design with short handles or a longer shoulder strap and prepare to turn heads and attract attention wherever you go! 58 dott), spOtty
Materials Mellno wool tops: 50g of black, wtllte. pale hme Small amounts of pale blue, candy pink and cherry rt=d Strong plastiC for template Some purple wool for handles Some yellow wool for the ball button Some peach wool for a loop, or a small ptece 01 cord or nbbon. Size Excluding handle 20 x 30cm (8 x 121n) 60 dott y ' pony 1 USing the bag template on page 154 enlarge by ZOO'I. or 10 at least 20% bigger than you In:end your final bag to be. 10 allCM' for shnnkage. CuI out the shape In strong plastic. 'J Lay black and white -.J ~ I r l ~ ul !let:I,;t: runfllllg vertically over the template, leaVIng approximately 5cm (2m) extra overlap around the template. 3 Cover, wet. soap and rub as shown on page 48. Turn the template over and repeat. Idylng the stripes verhcally on the other side before fold ng over the seam overlap_ 1 Lay Ihf white Uf ~ e ~ hOrizontally for the middle layers on beth sides. loldtrlg In your OVefiap each time you turn the template over. 5 layer the pale green fleece vcrhcaHy as the linal layer. Make large red spots and .,pac.e them eqUdlly over the top. then add a pink COIl around each one and a small blue centre. Complete With a scalloped blue pattern around the top edge. ... Cover. wet. soap and fub t) unllllhe fibres are stuck last and the design no longer moves when brushed over ..... ,:h your hand. Repeat the flnat design on the other side 01 the bag. remembering nol to leave an overlap on the last sKle. Tnm off excess fleece. Soap tile edges and rub until they harden slightly. 7 Rinse the bag briefly In warm water and then do a complete roll as described In slep 9 on P<lge 50. 8 Pc. r bOIhP8 waler ovel the bag RQII len limes In each ! 10 and 'tlen .ut the Ii}p at ''lE' bag open with sharp SCI: 00fS and remove the le.11p1dte Tnm \0 neaten ry and then soap lI,e edges aod rub lJnt,llhey lett. SoaP and rub Ihe ,ns de cil ''I(' bag I an)' of your Inner aes.gn !> silU mOVing around 9 Rinse the bag on hoI water asa'", [hen freeZing cOld, " er Roll unll you are happy w,th 1M Size and shape. 1 () Rln..e til I[,\o.( .... cllm wale-f to lemov, Ia<;t trrlc.es of soap Lt 1'1/. f al 10 dry, or lighlly press ....... th the lIon on a wool setting. AlternatIVely. sp n dry In a washing mach nc 11 Mal<e hand e$ and a bullon (see P<lge !)j). AttaCh Ihe button to the top frool 01 the bag. and make a felt Inop (a very small version oIltle h,mdlo or attach a piece of cord ()( "bOOn to fasten the button. Make small inciSlOlls at handle poulls. and feed handles through fte a kIlO! outside the bag at either end 01 each handle dnd him co mp lere rC lr lllakilltr 61 " intermediate
ell tIe ootles 62 c utH: boo ti e.: ... Create these adorable cosy baby booties uSing a double ended foot template which is snipped In half at the end. Parents will gush and very small people will give you a congratulatory gurgle l Materi als Menno 'M)()I tops: 50g whIt;; and peppermint green Small amounts In pale blue. pale pmk. pale bUlt!, 1Jd1t! yt:uvw dllt! "d Gliner strands Embroidery needle Needle and thread Strong plastiC for template Size length 12cm (4 In) Width 5cm (2m) Helghl8cm (3r.10) 64 clI ri l.' boo rl e') I The--.e bootIes are 1W11 'dyers thICk USing the tNTlplOle on page 155. enlarge In S 7e by 20()% or by at least 2(}.30% btgger than you want the booties to end up. Then trace your template onto strong plas!1I and cut. ') Iely d klyt:r of _ peppermint green fleece In one direction over the lop 01 the tempidtt!. remembering to lea ....'" overlap. Cover, weI. soap, and rub for a few minutes. Turn template over. fokl In the and repeal 3 Tll!n the elVer again. tJId In the edges, and lay a layt"r of whl'c lleece In Ihe duecllcn, Cover. wt't. soap and rub. Turn over. fold In edges and repc " t Lay the deSign on lop --t us,ng WISPY Circles of the olher colour,,>. randomly layered 00 lop of one cmoti1er. Add In a few gliller st rands dllhlS po,nl and make sure you trap them In with a ,tile more wool fleece Cover. wet, soap and rub unt I the design no lOnger moves arotnd WI'\e rubbed across w th YOUI haoO - Fold over the edge'i and :> repeat slep 4 on the ,!';er Side, rernerrbenllg no overlap IS reqlJilOO on thiS final SIdt. /.. Rinse briefly In warm \.) watel. taking care as the booties are stili very de lCd!e 7 Do a complete rott on born Sides (see page 50. ",tep 9 tllen a boiling waler rinse. R bnefly on all Sides and then CUI the doubie-ended fool shape cleanly In half and remove the template from each foot Usq some small sCissors. cui a llgzag afOund the top of each boohe and then add a I,!fle soap and .ub to fell the edgeS 8 Pool 00110 8 wale' OVCf the bootIeS le(lve lor d lew lI'iIlues. then fln<;' under a '.:'eellng cold lap. Remove all soap arK! repeal the hot waler 1m. Do another cample:t' roll (J'! ruth SIdes. or until you are haPO)' WIth the lulling and -"Be. o Leave to dry- Start to make -; !.va fell balls (see page 521. usmg the white fleece as il base. and lI1en wrappIng Sl.'ill'lds ,\ the oak green and D a ~ OInk fleece OVt"f the top. 1 () M.'dSLlre out yoU! ribbon and cut mlo I'oYO pteCes, making sure they wl1 be long enough to t e Into a bow at the 'rool. Thread the I,bOOn through an embroidery needle and sew It tn and oul around the lop of each bootee. Once the felt balls are completely cry. anach lnem to the lop of the booties with a needle and thread. r Ol1lplt'{L' fl'ltlllaking 65
intermediate
tea tll1le cosy . 66 t C.1 (llll e...' co"y When It'S time for a cuppa, everyone knows It tastes much better brewed in the pot. With this In mind, I have designed this tea cosy to keep your teapot feeling warm and safe, and to preserve your integrity as a tea maker. Feel free to change the colours to match your kitchen, your teapot or your tea . Materi als Menno 'NOOiIOps' lOOg of turqUOIse 50R of green Small amounts of while, dark pink. light pmk, red and black Needle and thread Strong ptasllC IOf template Size Approx. 26 x 34cm (lOY II 13i1n) . 68 [I III c CO" y 1 USing the tea cosy template on page 155. enlarge by 200% or measure your potential teapot and then 'ncrease the Size accordlngly_ Trace your template onto some strong plastIC and cui out "') This tea cosy IS three _ layers thick. Staft by IdyUl& down the green fleece for the IIlslde of your lea cosy. overlappmg the template at the edges. Cover. weI. soap and tub for a few minutes. Turn the template over and fOld In the edges. Repeal the InSIde fleece layer on the other SIde. Now lay down your middle layer In turqUOIse wool In the oppos. Ie d.recloo on both Sides as above. Turn over agam and fold In edges. Now lay the top layer of turquOIse fleece In the onglnal direction on top. Cover, wet. soap and rub . '1. Now you are on the ',nal ':'J slCle, and Will not requ re any overlap. Lay 001 the turqUOIse Ut!E!Ce as a background. Ihen lay wh Ie fleece 10 make the cupcake case. lay wrspy black stripes over the top to indicate the r.dges. Add dark pink and light "l.'t.'t;e lUI HIt: Il;IIIH. graduallng from light to dark and accenting small white Icmg decoratIOns on top. Finally. create a red cherry. highlighting WIth some while. f Once you are finished, -t cover, weI. soap and rub for about 10 minutes, or until the flt'\.'Ce IS secured In place. ,..... Briefly rinse In warm wa:e' J then do a complete roll on bolh sides In the bamOOo!Tld: Pour boIl.ng wa:er OYer lhe cosy and leave. Now rob on both SIdes. F-. Carefully cut open the \.) base of the tea cosy and 1t:1l10Vt: tile templalt:_ Tllm the edges to neaten, and soap, rub and felt the edge. 7 Now pour boIIII18 water over the cosy aga.n. leave fOf a few minutes. then run under a freezmg cold lap. Make sure all traces of soap are removed. Repeallhe hCI water again, and then do another complete roll on 001' SIdes (see page 50. step 9), until you are happy With the amount of shflllkage_ 8 leave to dry and press flat f requ red. Wllh the ,ron 111 a wool seIling. (\ Start to make a Ie t ball for 'j the top of the lea CI <,y ~ pagE' 52) ~ m g the turQI.JOI!>e lleece w.th a "ttle pnK In ,I. or you can use a arotrast1ng colour If you preler_ Once everythUlg .5 dry. attach the bail to the top of the cosy ~ til a needle and thread. 1 () Have a nice cup 01 tea. c o mp l ere fe lrl1l akillg 69 intermediate a er a ThIS flower-accented cloche is a striped sensation that's perfect for rain or shine as the fetted fabric makes It water-resistant. If you cannot find a polystyrene block, you can use a suitable size bowl or ball instead. 70 d appe r n app er er Material s 1 Measure your head cQjours as you want to, 7 Remove the template, Pour circumference and divide conllnue unlll you achieved the on more boiling water. then Merino wool lops: In two. Usmg the template on desired effect and can no heezlng :oId. Remove all soap 75g of bnght pink page 158. enlarge II to 15-20% longer see the pink and repeal the bo hng walei' wider lhan the measurement underneath Add In a lew again Conhnue roiling, but 258 01 assorted colours above. My head measured strands of Blue Faced lelCestef keeping an eye on shnnkage 60cm (2410) around. so I made here and thefe as a contrast here. Should the hat star! It) Small amount of Blue my template 36cm (14In) Wide. look a little smaller lhan you Faced leICester wool tops Make the template (see page 4- COver, weI. soap and rub wan! It. SlOp roillngi It can be or other natural bmwn 154) aboul34cm (13111) high unlll there IS no movement stretched out qUite a bit while d to give you plenty of excess to 01 fibres when you brush over I!O stili damp. so put It straight Spray starch turn up as a bnm Of trim off. the dMlgn With your hand. onto the hat blOCk. Turn over the template and fold Vmtage butlonslbeads ') ThiS hat has been made over edges. 8 Spray With starCh. then (opilOf"lal) _ two layers thick. but you carefully use a steam !fon can add an extra layey- In tile - Try and keep the flow of over the hat to help mould 1I!O Needte and thread middle. If you onfy use two .J stnpes on thiS side of the Ihe shape of the block. Keep layers like me. be sure to layer hat, so It looks like a spraying and smoothing until PinS the fteece thickly and evenly contmuous pattern. Layout the you are happy. Leave the hat Without any gaps. Layer up stripes. remember,ng that no on the block to dry, Try on. lISe Strong plastic for template some bright pink vertICally eve/ overlap IS reqUIred as thiS IS pins to mark the correct length the template for your first layer, the fmal Side. Cover. weI. soap or brim, and tllm as necessary A hat block Of a head-size caving overlap around the and rub as before. bowl or ball edges, Cover. wet. soap and <) Make two flat felt flowers tUb. Turn over, fold In edges E Rinse the hat briefly In (see page 26) and att.lr;;h and repeat on the other Side. ) warm water to remove tl1em off-centre at the front 01 Size some of the soap and then do the hat With a needle and Approx. 15 x 23cm 3 Turn over the template a complete roll (see page 50, thread Add a small Circle from (6x 9Jlin) agem and fold In the step 9). Pour boiling water on the excess trlmmmgs and finISh edges. Now start 10 layout the top of the hal. leave a few WIth some Vintage beads. strIpes running honzontalty mInutes then roll bnefly on around tile hal. Usmg as many both SIdes. 72 d a pp e r fl a pp e r 13l ock Porn' Anolfl< 't way of fT\i;Ikln& a l'kIt (:.,'1 a block IS 10 s'art by makU1& a large square of Ildllell Just rOilng ,1. place It centrally oyer the block Add more soap at 111,<; 1'X1 nl then start to rub and mould the fell over the block. Try and gel rid 01 any wnnltles by pu'Shmg them downward. continUing lJllI the hal lookS smooth a' Now aod some realty hoI water and conhnue to rub Nld . f nece<;.sary plaCing a PIece of netting the hal to !>Iop Ihe i bres mevmg. Once \he hdlleels wt!H felled and has 'ihllJl'1k a link;:. r n:.e out a :;odD With cool Tnm. then place bal" k on the blOCk. "pray w,th starch and lion carefully With a slt!am Iron lCi,I\Ie!O dry. 73
III tt e e Knitting is a popular art form In Itself - but now elevate Ihat onto a higher level by transforming your knitting Into felt. By knitting with interesting coloured yarns. you can take advantage of the dlfferenl patterns. textures and colour combinations that are created after fettlng. which are often QUite different to those possible uSing conventional feltmaklng methods.
1 76 knirtL'd fc lting C " t i l l ~ 011. Thumb Method 1 Make a lP knot the requ red length flor a practlCC pIeCe. make thIS ength about 1m (Iyd) from the end of the yarn. Place the sl p knot 0f1 a needle and hold the need e In the light hand with the ball end cl yarn OVt!r your first f,nger Hold the other end In the palm of your left hand. Wind the lOOSE! end of the yarn around the left thumb from fronl 10 back. 2. Insert the needle upward through the yarn on the thumb. 3_ Take the yarn over the point of the needle w,th your flght Index Imger. 4 Draw the yarn back through the loop on the thumb to form a stitch. 5. Remove the yarn from your left thumb and pol the loose end to hgt',len the shieh Repeal unlll t ~ reQuired number of sUches has been cast on. How to Pu rl I Win Ihe yarn at thf' hont of Ihe work ,nsert the needle as Shown through Ihe "ani of tte f!rst stitch on the lefthand needle. 2 Wind the yam from rtghllo It1t over Ine POint 01 \!'It' nghl-hand needle. 3 Draw a loOp through onto the flght-hanO _. J Slip Ihe onglnal stitch off the left-hand needle purl a row. repeal steps 1-4 unlll alilhe are transferred to the nghthand needle, men turn the work. transferring the needles, to tile next row , How to Knit 1 Hold Ihe needle wIth Iht> suches In til< I(llt hand Wltr'I the yam at the back lIthe work. Insert till' (Ighl-hand needle as shown through the fronl 01 the first SItch on the 1\ hand needle 2 Wmd Ihe yarn hom lell to nght over the poonl 01 the IIghthand needle. 3. Draw the yarn back through the stItch, forming a lOOp on the flghl-hand needle. 4 Slip the original 511\ch off the teiHland needle. ( OlllpiL't ... f L' l tlll.lking 77 1 Sd ecting YJrn In general. when selectmg yarn fOf" felling. make sure the yarn 15 at least 70% wool and that Irs not a 'superwash' wool (a type of coatmg applied to wool 10 prevent II from shrinking). Of course, l ( ) ( P ~ wools 'NOrk best. but occaSionally, you may come across a mixed fibre yarn thai felts really well. Irs ollen a case of trial and error 78 k nirre d fc l rin u ~ 2 Shrill kage The Importance of knitting a swatch cannot be overemphasized. no matter how temptmg II may be to Just dive In and start knitting! Be sure to measure the percentage of shrinkage of your wool by creating a swatch. measuring II, felling II and then measuring agam. The type of washing machine. water softness. and washing powder can affect the process qUite differently, so monitor your set of vanables before you begin. 3 13efore feltill o Once knitted, your P I ~ e may look rough and uneven as II Will have been kmued on needles several Sizes larger than normal. Don't palliC about thiS. Remembef that after feltmg the oblect Will shrink doY."1 10 the planned Size, and many mistakes I'< be handily concealed dUring Ihe feltmg process. Also, mosl felled kmltmg can be cui WllhOul fraYing so trimming edges y, II probably be posSible. 4 Fel t;"" KMTlng IS :::;' mosl easily felled In the l'Iastling machine. Temperatures required 'Jl felt vary dramatICally depending on the 'NOOI used, but as general rule of thumb )OU 1',,11 need alleasl 3(J'-4O"C (S5-l05F) -and more often than not. a 6O"C (l40"Fl "NaSh. Any holler than thiS and many wools 'I. lose their colour. Bear In mind, WIth a front loading machme you will have to wart for the entire -NaSh cycle to finish before you can check 'esuJlS. If thiS IS the case, pay attention ....ten selechng a temperature - If recessary you can run The Item through :/le: again to increase fellmg and Shnnkage. 5 Piecing In the maJooty 01 cases, you wOuld Piece things together before you fell, but WIth some prOjects II may be better to piece together after fellmg In Older to adlust the pieces 11110 place. Hand Made 11 you are a control freak like me and want to felt your knitting by hand, that IS entirely possible too. The benefit IS that you can stop when It'S done and you don't run the risk of over shnnking, Wei your knitted piece wllh hot soapy water and start 10 rub II together. Keep rubbing It wllh your hands, adding more soap and hoI water as reQUired. Starl to 'full' It by rubbing lion a bamtxJo mal or washboard 10 harden and shrink. Atternatlng hot and cold water nnses Will also speed up the process. Make sure 10 nnse out aU soap thoroughly before drying. fc ltlll a kin g 79
intermediate 80 tllf{\' tlo\\t,.' r ,
lrty ower Jazz up any outfit with this easy to make flower corsage. The Karaoke wool IS actually 50% silk and 50% wool, but felts beautifully. Knit first , then felt, piece together and Ihen feel very pleased with yourself. MJterials 1 ball of Karaoke by South West Trading Company In Wild Cherry. approx. 101m () lOid) per 50(!; ball (50% wooV50% silk) (A) 1 ball of Kureyon by Noro In #147, approx. 101m (1IOtd) per 50S ball (100% _IIBI I pair of 65mm (US 1011) needles A small brooch pm for the back 01 the corsage Needle and thread Shrinkage rate ApproI'. 25-30% Size Approx. 13 x 12cm { 5 ~ x 4J1lnl 82 ni rt y flowe r Petals (make 5) With A. cast on 4 sts. Row 14: Work In 51 51. Row 5 Knit. Inc 1 sl each end 01 (aw, 6 SIS. Row 6; Purl. Row 1: Knct. Inc 1 51 each end of row 8 sts. Row 8: Purl. Row 9: Knit. Inc 1 sl each end of row 10 sis. Row 10: Purl. Row 11 - Krul. Row 12: Purl. Row 1 J: Knit, dec 1 sl each end 01 row 8 sis. Row 14: Purl. Row IS: Knit, dec 1 sl each end of rrm 6 sis. Row 16: Purl. Row 17: Knit 2 tog. 31Ime5: 3 sIs. Row 18: Purl Row 19: Knot 3 tog. Draw wool through loop. Weave In end. Bobble (make I) With B. cast on 6 sts. Row 16: Work In 51 st. Row 7: Cast off knctwtse. Thread end of wool as drawstnng round edge. draw up light and tie off. Le:wc;s (mah' 2) I'fih B. cast on 4 sts. Row 1-4: Kmt low 5: Knit, Inc. 1 sl each end of row 6 SIS. Row 6: Knot low 7: Knot. Inc 1 sl each end of row' a SIS. Row 8-16: Kmt. Row 17: Knit. dec 1 51 each end at row 6 SIS Row 18 Knit Row 19 Knit. dec 1 51. each end of rowe 4 SIS. Row 20: Knot. Row21 : Knot 2Iog.lw,ce. Row 22: Casl off. Fe,1 all pteCes either by hand Of In the mach ne al4O'C (105"F1. Piece together .... Ith a needle and thread by sew ng flowers together 'Irsl, tllen attachmg leaves to back and bobble In centre. Finally. auach brooch pm on Ihe b a , ~ k . cO l1lpkrc fe lrma king 83 advanced . 84 I CY s t f l p e ~
ICY strl es This bag IS rapidly knitted to gargantuan proportions before felling. However, be quietly confident in the knowledge that Rowan Big Wool shrinks by colossal amounts when felted. The adorable bag you end up With IS respectfully average In size, durable and practical - but, of course, retains a chic disposition . Materi als Big Wool by Rowan, approx. 80m (B7yd) per l OOg ball (100' wool), 3 balls lee Blue (A) 2 balls PistachIO (S) I ba l ucky (e) 1 ball Glamour (0) 1 pa r of 15mm (US 19) needles, 40cm ( 16m) long Needle and thread Shrinkage rate Approx_ 40% Size Excluding handle 36 x 29cm (1 4 ~ x 11 1m) 86 ICY q npl'S Front and back or b:lg (ll1;l ke ? i ll to"l ) With A. cast on 20 sis. Row 1: Knit Row 2 Purl. Row 3: Knit, Inc 1 51 each end of row 22 SiS. Row 4: Purl Row 5: JOin In S, knIt. Inc I sl each end of faN 24 sis Row 6: Purl. Row 7: Knit, Inc I sl each end of row 26 sis. Row 8: Purl. Row 9: Knit, Inc. 1 51 each end of (OW 28 sis. Row 10: Purl Row 11 : Jom In A. kmt. Inc I SI each end 01 r(J.N" 30 SIS. Row 12: Purl. Row 13: Knit, Inc. I 51. each end of row 32 sis Row 14: Purf. Row 15 Kntt Row 16-23: Repeal rows 14 and IS. Row 24: Purl. Row 25: Jom In B. kmt. Row 26: Purl. Row 21-30 Repeat rows 25 and 26. Row J 1 JOIn In A. kmt Row 32: Purl Rows 33-42: Repeat rows 31 and 32. Row 43: JOin In B, knit. Row 44: Purl. Row 45-48: Repeal rows 43 and 44 Row 49: JOIn In A. knit. Row 50: Purl. Row 51 Knit. dec I sl each end 01 rrm 30 sts Row 52: Purl Row 53: Knit. dec I st each end 01 row 28 ~ Row 54: Purl. Row 55: Knit dec. I sl each end of row 26 sts Row 56: Purl. Row 57: Casl off 26 sis kOltwise. JOin Sides of bag by stolchlng together w!h mattress shlch Base of bag USing Ice Bl ue casl on 6 sis. Row 1: Kml Row 2: Purl Row 3: KOiI . IOC I sl each end 01 row 8 sts. Row 4: Purl. Row 5: Kmt. IOC I 51 each end of ((]WIO sis. Row 6: Purl. Row 7: Knn. Inc I SI each end 01 row 12 sts. Row 8: Purl, Inc I sl each end of row 14 sIS. Row 9: Kmt. Row 10: PUrl. Rows 11 -12: Repcalrows9and 10. Row 13: Kmt. dec I sl each end of row 12 S15. Row 14: Purl. Row 15: KOtl . dec I st each end of rrm 10 s,s Row 16: Purl. Row 17: Knit. dec 1 sl each end of row. 8 515. Row 18: Purl, Row 19: KOII , dec I 51 each end of row 6 sis. Row 20: Purl Row 21 : Cast off knrtwlse. JOin base to txxfy of bag With mattress stitch. Handle Cas!: on 16 sts. Raws ' 6: W Ih A. work In 51 51 Raws 7 -12: JOin B. work In 51 51. Repeat rows I 12 unlll handle IS approx 80cm (32 n) long. Cast off. W:h RS together JOin long edge. (hen turn RS rulWards. Sew handles to bag on either Side with matching wool before felling Felting Fe! the bag In the washing machine at 6O"'C (14O"F). Mould the bag to shape when wei by bQ:k ng usmg it towel and leave to dry. ThiS WOOl wnks a 101 In the machine, but I might be more dlffcult to achieve such dramatIC resu Is If yOlI ate felting by hand Fl owers (make (our) Wlh C. caS! on 15 Sis Rows 1-18: Work In 51 51 Castoff Repeal once again with C, and tWtce w,lh D. When felted, each rectangle can be :ul diagonally to form two triangles. To make the flowers, COIl each triangle from one end. stitch Into place, fold down the lop corner of the Inangle behind the COil and stitch Inlo place again. Attach to the bag In alternating colours I have put three flow"ers on each Slde_ cO lllpl e re fe lrma kill g 87 intermediate carouse eus The Inspiration for this project came totally and utterly from an amaZing hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn - and I want your Inspiration to be the same tool Be brave, grab the vibrant colourful yarn of your choice, and start to crochet round and round and round ... 88 ca r o ll st= 1 ClI shi o n
Ion
, ~
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' . Materials I ball of variegated yarn. approx. 90m (lOOyd), (at least 90% wool) A large crochet hook 5-6mm (US Hf8-J/lOJ dependmg on yarn A piece of cotton velvet or other material for the back. of the cushIOn 5 handmade felt leaf shapes made from nat felt (see pages 22-25) Contrast hand or machine embroK:iery thread A cushion pad approx. 40cm (l6mj In diameter Needle and thread Shr inkage rate Approx. 10% Size 34 x 42cm (131 x 17m) You will need to know how to chain (eh), slip stitch and double crochet (de) - for Ihls prOJeCt and lhat"s all! The object of the exercise IS to create a round circle measuring about 42-45cm (17- 18m) In diameter, which IS as flal as possible. Don" worry if II Isn'! perfect or completely flat. because the felling process wi ll hide most mistakes or puckers. Your yarn will be different to the one I used so my instructions may make your piece seem too flared. If so, decrease the number of slllches as you go round by miSSing every or 4th or 5th stitch until It IS flalter. If your Piece seems 100 cup-like, Increase the number of stitches every 4th or 5th shtch by dOing two stitches In one. until it flattens out again. My yarn only shrank by about 10% srnce I hand-felted It you should create a swatch to felt first to measure your yarn shnnkage and adjust sizes accordingly. 90 ca ro use l cus h ion 1 Ch 4, lOin Into a fing With slip stitch. 2 a dc In the flng and then 2 dc In each dc: 16 sts. 3 "I dc In 1st shtch, then 2 In follOWIng stitch' repeat all the way around; 24 sts. 4 Idc In each de. 5 'Idc rn Isl2 sis, then 2dc In third sl' repeal all the way around. 6 Dc In each sl. Increasing I dc every 5 sis. 7 I dc In each st for nexl 5 '''''''. 8 Keep gomg round for about another 10 rows uSing double crochet. Increasmg or decreasmg as necessary, untlt the piece measures about 45cm (lain) In drameter. 9 ShP stitch to flfllSh, Dc and ch 12 In approx. e....ery 7th stitch aU the way around to form the scalloped petal edge. Slip stitch to finish and tnm thread. 1 0 Freeform crochet a bobble for the centre ty cham 4 and Jorn With sliP stitch. Now dc Into the fronl of each stitch and go round unl IllS bobble shaped. Finish al'(j trim. 11 Either machine or hand fell the cushion front and bobble (see pages 78-79) depending on your yarn and how in control you want to ~ If It IS a hand-dyed yarn like thiS one. take care With the temperature and start by fellrng at no more than 3O"C (85F). II IS Important nollo lose cOlour from the yarn - you can always repeat the process again If It has not felled suHlclenUy. Once you are happy, flatten It by presSing while damp on a woo setting. 12 Leave to dry then attacl! the bobble With some matching yarn or thread. Machine or hand embroider on !he leaves y.. Ih some cOll1rastmg embrOIdery thread des red and then clUach In me same way. 13 To make the back. cui two semi-CIrcles 01 cotton velvet the same SITe as the C U ~ l o n front. and add a 2.5cm (lin) seam allowance around curved edge and a 5cm (2 n) overlap along straight edge. With WS logl'ttler, place the seml-clrc aga,nsllhe leI1ed fronl Piece. making sure :0 O\'ertap the Sira ght edges Fold under a seam around the C\Jrved outSIde edge. PIn and hand5e'N together around the edge. Insen a round 40cm 116tn) cushlOfl pad ,nslde the fiilp.
beginner ate wor er eet Here's a great project to recycle old sweaters from your wardrobe or a local charity shop and give them a new lease of life by Intentionally shrinking and felting them In the washing machine. Once felted, cut them Into squares and create a shabby chiC accessory to wear when temperatures drop! 92 pa tc hwo rk pt' rfccr - Materi als Several wool sweaters In coordinated colours made from at least 80% wool (see notes, fight) Needle and thread Coordinating embroidery threads (optional) A couple of buttons or beads (optlOrlal) Size Approx. 17.5x210::m (7 II: 84ln) 1 Fell the sweaters In the 3 Lay the rectangles out on a colours and two 2.5cm (lln},n washing machine, adding table and move the pieces diameter in contrast CQIours to an old pair of leans to creale around un!!1 you are happy make two flowers. Cut a coople fnction. Repeat if necessary with the COlour combinatIOns. of leaves for each flower. until sweaters are completely Try alternating colours and felted. Allow to dry. tones to prOVide contrasts. 6 Centre the smaller Circle over the larger to form the 2 Decide how long you want 4 Pm the rectangles flowers, then stllch the leaves your scarf to be, and then together \0 make the searf m the centre of each pocket cut suffiCient 17.5 II: 20cm and tack together. Machme or with the flower on top. (7 x 81n) rectangles from the handsew each piece together Decorate the rlowers With sweaters. The longer dimenSion 10 form a long scarf. Press the thread and buttons or small IS to allow for the seams at reverse If reqUired. to open out beads if you so desire. Sew the each end of the rectangle. the seams p:x;kels onto the scarf, takmg Don't Just cut from the centre care to leave the top edge 01 of the body - think about 5 Cut two pieces to make a each pocket openl opening up the arm seams too small pocket at either end and maybe Include cuff and of the searl. Then cut two 5cm hem details. (2in) diameter CirCles m bright A few words about which wool sweaters to choose. A goOO IndICation 01 SUitability for this prOject is a combination of the words '100% Wool' and 'Hand Wash Only ThiS means the Item WIll probably shnnk and felt m the machine which IS exactly what we want! them. likeWise, don't use any Items With synthehc fibres, or a mlll:ture With less than 80% wool. Anything such as regular wool. alpaca. mohair. angora. lambswool or cashmere would be Ideal. I would suggest washing SUitable knitting at between 5O.6O"C (l20140"F) to make sure IllS well felted. The outcome IS Similar to boiled wool, although a bOil wash IS not recommended as 1\ often results In colour loss. Once cut. your felted sweaters Will no longer unravel or fray Steer clear of wool sweaters labelled that they can be safely washed at 4QOC (104F) - these are more than likely made 'rom Superwash' wool and wont shrink or felt, as the wool fllxes have been coated to protect 94 p :lt c h wor k pe rfec t intermediate 96 You I ou Some of us will have fond memones of our first baby blanket, often still held With the highest regard well Into adulthood. This wee knitted coverlet IS felted for warmth and endurance, IS stlmulatlngly colourful and IS fashionably fnlly. I. It I
Materi als Skye by CoilOette. approJ( 138m 042yd) per 10Clg, (100 WOOl): 2 hanks In Jamboree (AI 2 hanks In Fire (B) I pair of very long Bmm (US 11) needles Needle and thread Shrinkage rate Approlt. 25< Size Approx 54 x 4lcm f21 x 161 oj 98 1 . You U1ankct w Ih A. cast on 71 sis. Knl\ In 51 51 until the work measures approxunalely 82.5cm (33ln) In length Cast off kM'Wlse. Edgi ng Shaft ends Pick up 71 SiS across one short end. Row I: With B. knit. Row 2: Purl. Row 3 Knit into front and back of each stitch: 142 sls_ Row 4: Purl. Row 5: Kmt Inlo fronl and back of each stitch: 284 sis. Row 6: Purl. Row 1: Cast off kMWl5e. Repeat for second Short end long ends PICk up 92 5ts across one Ioog end. Row 1: With B. knit Row 2: Purl Row 3: Knit Into back and Ironl of each strlch: 184 SIS. Row 4: Purl. Row 5: Knllrnto front and back of each stitch: 368 sis. Row 6: Purl. Row 7: Cast off kmtW1se. Repeal lor 2nd long Side. Jom fnlls at each corner of blanket and darn 11"1 ends of wool Heart l110tif With B. cast on 6 sIs. Row 1: Knit Row 2: Purl Row 3: Knit. Inc 1 sl at each end of rCIN: 8 'St..,. Row 4: Purl. Row 5: Knit. Inc 1 sl at each end of rCI'N' 10 st ... Row 6: Purl. Row 7 KM. Inc 1 SI at each end of rCIW 12 sts Row 8: Purl. Row 9: KflL!. Inc 1 51 at each end of row' 14 sis. Row 10: Purl. Row 11 KM. Inc 1 sl at each end of row 1 6 ~ Row 12: Purl Row 13: Kmt. mc 1 st at each end of fCHi 18 Row 14: Purl Rows 1524: Work In St 51 Row 25 Knit. dec 1 sl each end 16 sIs. Row 26: WorlMg on first 8 SIS of the row Oflly. P6. P2 tog. Turn. Row 27: K7. Row 28: P2tog. P3. P2 tog. Turn. Row 29 K2tog. K3. Row 30 Cast off 4 515 krlltWl5e. JOin wool 10 last 8 sts. Row 31 P21og. purl to end: 7 515. Row 32: Knit. Row 33: P2tog. P3. P2tog: 5 sis. Row 34: K2tog. knit to end: 4 sis. Row 35: Cast off remaining 4 sts. Fe 1 the bla",,!'! and the he(lrt ,;epafat'ly ,n the .... ash'ng mac:hrne on a 3O"C (85"F) wash cycle This .... JOI 's hand-<lyed and WI I loSe ,cI(lUf ,f .1 .s washed any hi. Iter. tell by hand. Once dry. DI'E!S" wllh lilt> .fon on a .... 001 <;t'ttong to '.,tten and attach the heart by hdlld. USing running sttch Of machme stitch
nee e e Needle felting offers numerous benefits: it lends Itself to very different types of sculptural projects; It combines wonderfully with wet felting to produce interesting effects; and last but not least, needle felting reqUIres no water, soap or rubbing. Using extremely sharp, barbed needles, fibres are pushed up and down until they start to tangle and bond together. By repeatedly stabbing the needles In and out of the fleece, 3-d shapes can be formed and very fine detail can be added, which is easier to achieve than With other felbng techniques such as wet felting. 1 Equipment When dry fellmg v..-lh needles. try always II work 00 a dense polystyrene block 10 protect your work surface and keep your fe'ling needles together to prevent accidents! Felting needles are available In a range of SIZes and gauges. whICh lend themselves to different apphcatlons. Bigger needles are used to mould and shape. whilst finer needles ale used to apply detal and pattern II IS useful to have a sell dlon. 102 Il l.'edlc ft'lting ? Moulding wool fl eece --' t prefer to work fret'form wtlefl needle fell ng. usmg scraps of Old fleece as my core and bunching t up to mould II Into the required shape. Hcwever. If you're new to the needle felting prOCe5S. I strongly adVise you 10 work your flr<;\ few prOjects USing a foam core or shape and wrapping the fleece around It. Not only IS It easier to creale your reqUired shape, Ifs much safer! 3 Using felting needles When us ng felting needles over areas. a mu tHleedle [001 WIth four)f ~ needles helps speed up the process Use larger felling n e e d , ~ at the start oIlhe process. As you continue to stab. the Ilarb$ on the needles Will tangle the wool fibres together and create a dense and hardened felted malis. Rernember to work safely w I ~ the needles pomt ng away from your fingers. and make sure you keep the need es as upnght and perpendICular <IS posSIble as you stab Ute fleece 10 prevent needle breakage. 1 Shaping "-t After creating (he general shape. slart 10 refine It usmg one nf'eclle Col1llnuously fOiate the p.ece to ensure eVen!'1eS5 around shape To create an Inden:a\1On. epea!edly slab area 01 the fell uSlnR a large Single needle. Th S IS a gled! wa'llo create shaDeS such it ... slars w",Ctl may require ,ndental on on Y'veral Sides Remember, as a begin r. do not rush the process and ".,<)rk til a slew and .,:\'ady pace to aVOId puncturing your <;kln ac:ClClef11ally. 5 Attaching By uSing a finer gauge needle, decorat.ve patterns can be added WithoUt d stortlng the shape of your prOject lake IN spy pieces of tleece and allach them by slabbing them mto the rna n un! they mesh. Shrinkin" " ReOlf'o'ber thal)")U/ needl, Ie' }foJeCs WIt shflnk down [Ust as your w," tell does even though no t'leal elf soap IS u5ed The SlabDll!t of the fIbres ccmpacts the fleece drarnitt -al y co mplete: fl'lrlll .l king 103 advanced *** to ot ellS
aIry
Ion Fairies all over the world are thanking their lucky stars for this Tooth Fairy Cushion which IS designed to hang on the door knob or bedpost and therefore minimise sleep d,sturbance ' Complete With an Integral tooth/money pocket, I'm sure It will delight many a small person - and many a tooth fairy. 104 tooth fairy c lI 'I hion
Materi als 1 Bunch up some red/orange neece ,nlo a round pouch 3 USing Ihe larger needles In the multi-needle tool. and ~ Make the wings next. :> Shape and needle felt a shape. al\o<.vJng for a slighl working on a pIeCe of dense little Pink fleece Into two Wing Menno wool tops: reduction In size once the wool loam. make a flat piece of hlaL shapes. stabbing In some heal- 50g 01 red/orange mix IS compacled together With the and blue needle fell measuflng bondable Angelma ILbre as needles. Shape Wllh a about 7.5 x 5cm (3 x 2In), then well. If you have some. If you Small amounl of blue, multi-needle fell 1001 and large cut out the fairy dress WIth Its use the Angelina rlbre. place pink, beige, yellow, needles. Keep stabbing away scalloped edge Usmg a finer the wings between two sheets lilac, white, orange, for between 30-40 minutes 10 gauge needle for detailed of parchment paper and press black and burgundy establish your round shape. decorative work. add a sma!! gently With a warm Iron to bond Keep turning the shape to flO'Ner design In the middte of fibres to the fleece and stiffen. Small quanhty of space- make sure II remains even and the dress In orange and yellow dyed curly kid mohair add some different shades of fleece. Make a slightly smaller 6 To assemble the CUShiOn. the same colour as you work to pIeCe of flat blue needle felt first place the legs and Length of fell or some add depth. With while spots and cui the then the wings. Needle felt nbbon bag shape ou\ of II everything Inlo position on {he ? Once the shape IS defined, round shape. uSing the larger A crystal bead -.. use one or two needles a\ 4 AgaUl working directly needle. Pay particular attenllon a time to refine It Take some onto dense foam, make 10 the edges of the dress, but Needle and thread burgundy wool and layout the the legs by taking small leave the base of the dress SP,ral shape radlatmg out from amounts of pink and beige open. LlkeW1se. needle felt the Heat-bondable Angelina the centre. Attach 1\ little by fleece and combining them edges of Ihe bag only. Do nOl gliller fibre (optional) lillie using the felling needle. together into two long striPS. needle fell the middle of the Once they are needle felted. bag onto the pouch as thiS IS Felting needles Irlm uSing some small sCissors your tooth/money receptacle. If necessary. Add a little white but make sure the edges are sock and black shoe at the end well attached and Ihat there Size of each leg. Make two Similar are no gaps. Approx. 18cm (lin) In bul smaller beige and pink diameler. strips for the arms. 106 tooth fa i r y c lI "i hi oll
7 Add some curly 'noha,r lor the hat,. Ie hng ,n DOS hon ..... th the needle In the same way_ Then add small eye and mouth a wand ..... :h a lillie yellow fleece, and neectle felt some Angel na fibre mto the centre of the slat, St ...... a lillie crystal bead Into fairy's han falnes need 10 accesSOflze too you know! 8 Finally. make a lIny handle lor the handbag Hl blue, and a tiny fairy button IOf the handbag In yellow. ,md clttach firmly by need e fe'hng 'II th the file need'e 9 FIniSh by sewing a felt )' nbbon hanger 10 the top of ;he pouch on the re-.oerc;e sde. (O l11p k t c: fe ltma kill g 107
beginner * e art to ear ts Featuring an endearing all over pattern, this heart felt deSign makes sewing even more fun ' The density of the cushion has a springiness that's ideal for pins. A colourful gingham-patterned ribbon tie can be used to tie the pin cushion around your wrist. \ J ' J Materi als Merino wool tops; 25g of candy pink Small amount of cherry red Core loam shaJ..)e 35cm (1410) length of ribbon Hook-and-loop tape or similar (optional) Needle and thread Selection of felting needles Si ze Approx. 10 It 7.5cm (4 x 3in) 110 heart to hc,;art s l lf you are usmg a core foam shape, start to wrap With pink fleece. Otherwise take a dense bunch of any spare fleece and form a rough heart shape WIth It. Continue to build up layers of pink fleece, using the multi-needle 1001 With larger needles to form the base ::;hape. Keep Jabbing away for at least ten minutes - and remember that thiS shape will shrmk down In size just like wei felling. The more you needle fell, the smaller It gets. ? Refine the shape and o...J make ihe mdentation at the top of the heart by repeatedly stabbing With a single needle. Mould the bottom of the heart 10 a pClInl and keep turning It around to make sure It (s even. Spend al least half an hour making sure the shape is nghl before you move on. 3 Once you are happy I'Jllh the core shape. SWitch 10 a finer gauge needle. Taking very small amounts of red fleece, work randomly-spaced hearts over the pin cushion. 4 Measure a lenglh cf nbbon to go around your Wrist or wherever you want to t e ,I and then attach a SQuare of hOOkand!oop tape (or simIlar) at each end. If reqUired. Alternal,ve1y you can make the rIbbon IOnl':er and Just lie II Sew the r,bbon firmly onto the back of the pIn cushion. \ \ I - co mplt'r c fdrmaking III intermediate ** un er cover 112 under cover Store your favounte photographs In an album with a felted cover. Instead of uSing the word 'photos' you may want to have a name, or maybe adapt this design for a wedding album or scrapbook. For this project It'S best to start With a large piece of nat felt (see pages 22-25). I started With a piece of white Menno and 'space-dyed' It With some wool dyes. Alternatively, just make a piece of nat felt from coloured menno wool tops, perhaps mixing several colours together to achieve your desired background colour - in thiS instance a dusty blue With areas of purple and green. Materi als large piece of dark colour flat fell. the width of your album and 12.5cm (5m) longer than front plus back, Including spine Merino wool tops: Small amounts 01 white, yellow. orange, lime, dark green, olive green, candy pink, dark pink Fine gauge felling needles Blue embrOidery thread SeqUins, seed beads A beading needle Contrast thread Felt Of nbOOn for tie Needle and thread or fabrIC glue Size 14 x 17cm ( 5 ~ x 6%inl 114 un d e r cove r 1 When making the nat fell before you start, measure the book 01 album or album you wanllo cover, alfowmg for the spine and a flap on either end. then Increase the Size by al least 20% aU round. You can always cui II down further, but you can', make It larger. SO ovcrcstmlalc! ? When the flat fell IS lully .;....J dry start needle felling your design onto It. workmg WIth some dense foam underneath. As aillhe needle felling WIll be decoratIVe rather than sculptural. use fine gauge needles. Mark out the area for the front of the album With some pins so you don't needle felt in the wrong place. Start WIth the flower stalks. lny striPS of pale green neece down and needle felt mto POSition. Prepare small WISps of white for the nowers by folding the fleece Into petal shapes. Needte felt about five petals onto each stem randomly is fme, the flowers don't need to look Uni form. Some can overlap each other 3 Add flower centres and details With small amounts of yellow and green and tmy spots of orange In the centre. 4 For the lellenng. layout the letters of your word With some thread or string Just slttmg on top of the fel! - this rcally helps With spacing. Lay down the leners In the light pmk wool fi rst - If you are using different colours, check the lettermg contrasts well WIt h the background so It IS legible. 5 Before adding the drop shadow (optional) 10 the lellers, sketch tI out on paper to see where the shadows should fall. Use small Pieces of darker pink for the shadow, attachmg the fleece With the needle as you work round each letter. Use small SCissors to Snip off any excess. 6 As a final touch. embrOider around each flower centre With a simple running slltch, USing pale blue embroidery thread. Finish w,(h a sequin and seed bead in the centre of each flower. 7 Work blanket stitch down c.lher side of the cover uSing a contrasllng embroidery thread Then place the cover on the book or album and either glue or oversew the end flaps In place. Sew or glue a thm fell or fabriC nbbon onto both end flaps and tie In a bow ))yc- nJl1litc! Atthough W' 01 tOPS afE: available In it spectrum 01 colours. II IS fun to experiment ..... ,th dyeing your OW" fleece either before or after you ha...e made It IIlla felt to achieve some subtle and tnteresllrlg variations In colour Use an dll-in-one aCid dye powder sUitable tor wool, In several contrasting colour<;_ A hllle goes it long way, so you don'l need much, Here IS an easy method for space-dyemg wool feil 1 Lly lui the Ie 110 be dyed In it 1tl ~ heat proof bo .... 1 or tray. Keep one SPf'Cldlly 101 dyeing dnd do not use iar food afterwards beCause most dyes are pcl<;onOll, 2 Bare y C ~ r the fell w,th bot ng wah". then sprrnkle small amounts of dye powder on top. uSing two or three colours across different areas leave for hall an hour to an hour. depending on the depth 01 colour reqUired. Rinse thoroughly and leave to dry. A small amount of stlrlnkage may occur, dl.J)('ndmg on ho ..... fulled the fell IS. cOmpll'rL' fL'iull.lking 115 intermediate ** 116 j i ngl e be ll
e e Trap a small bell in the core of this toy and a playful kitten will spend hours upon hours in amusement. Designed to stop just before it rolls under the sofa, this needle felted ball has small protrusions to give optimum roiling distances. You can adapt the design for fantastic jingling christmas ornaments, Juggling balls, and so on ...
Materi als Menno 'NOOI tops: 258 of dark red Small amounts of PInk, green, yellow and blue St:lel.hQIl of Idlmg needles A small round bell Size ApprOJl. 7.5cm (3m) In diameter liB j i ng l e be ll 1 Stdft by wrapping the bel! In a wad of red fleece. Start wrapping further fleece around thiS to form a rounded ba11 shape It needs to be about 40,.. large' than you want the fUla! ball to be. as the needle fethng compacts the fleece dcrwn COflSIderabjy. ? Start stabbing usmg the ...... larger needles In the mullH"Ieedle tool. while turning the ball continuously to make sure II remillOS round. Realty persevere here II can laKe QUi te a while to get the shape to compact evenly and 10010( fight all round, Add rTlOfe neece as necessary. until the ball ends up about the size of a tenniS ball. 3 Attach a thin yellow SPIral of fteece uSing a finer fellmg needle, radaatlng 1\ out from ()(Ie end and gomg around the ball uolll.! finishes up al the olher end t Usmg the larger needles """t again, start to needle felt some bobbles. Bunch up ~ r n a l l amounts of red neece and needle felt them to compacl them Into a bobble shape. Add the bobbles randomly onto the mam bait one by one. Keep reshaPIng as necessary 5 USing a fnlel needle, add some decora\ton USing blue neece around each bobble, and p nk and green fleece spots on lop of each txJbble 6 Call the cat and test the ball out. .-
CO III pkrl..' fclrmaking 119
advanced +*
outIng trou t . 120 pou tin g trout Inspired by the salty sea air, I made these fantasy felt fish while watching the boats bob off the coast of England. (I don't advise needle felling on a rocking boat!!) Hang these colourful fish from a piece of dried driftwood to keep to the seaside theme . Materi als Menno wool tops: JOg 01 pale hme, orange and pale blue Small amounts of purple, dark red, lime, Durgundy, olive green, turquoise, pale turquoise. black. white, yellow, pale pink, coral. magenta and cerise Selection of felting needles 3 foam fish shapes (optional) Fancy braid or ribbon Ptece of dnftwood Needle and thread Size Each fish apPfOX, 20cm (8m) long. 122 poutin g f o ur 1 Start with a large fettlng needle. For the orange fiSh, begin by making a basic oval shape for the OOdy_ Remember thai fibres condense and mal together as you are needle fettmg. so the shape Wli shnnk lust as In other forms of leltmaklng. Spend some lime on till! lJody, turllnlg and refining the shape. Use several different shades of the same colour over the top 01 one another to add depth and Shading. 2 Next, working directly onto dense foam, make a flat flsh'lall shape WIth the same colour as the body_ Tnm If reqUIred and attach thiS to the main body of the fish Fan the tall end slightty. 3 Now make the f.ns_ Make two smaller fin shapes and one larger and longer one IOf the top f.n. Trim to shape with some small SCISsorS If necessary. Pin the fins mto p)S1!IOO to gel them looking correcl before needle felling onto the fish. 4 Usmg a fine needle, attach the pattern detail uSing the pICture on page 121 as reference. First Cflss-cross the pale blue IlIles on the body, then wrap and attach black and white Stripes at the top of the tall Make pink stripes fan down the tall, then add the coloured spots_ Finally add two eyes In blue With a small pink cent re and outline In burgundy_
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,
5 To make the lips 'Of the fish use larger needles to make an oval shape 10 dark red fleece Once you have the nght shape attach It al the Iroot 01 the fish by needling around the edges. When IllS 'IXed start to push the needle In more along the centre hne and Indent the felt to form two lips. Keep stabbmg unti l they are firmly In place and well outlined C. Repeat 101 the other two \.) fish. USing dlfferenl colours and patterns use the ptClure on page 121 as reference or lusl use your
7 With a needle and thread. shtch a pteee of cord Of r bbon to the top fin of each fish. Make each hanging cord a shghtly d Iferenl !engln so thai the fish float at dLfferent helghts_ Attach the cords to convement pomts OIl the drfltwood Of similar. then bring all three Pieces to the centre above and lie off. Hang the mobile from a small hook fixed In the celhng_ c omplete felrmaking 123 - vance
te c nl ues In this chapter, I wantee to share some of the other excillng feitmaklng techniques I have d,scoveree over the years. Cobweb felting results in a marvellous gossamer-like fabric and proVides plenty of scope for artistic interpretation and deSign, while nuno felt IS a way of incorporating the feltmaklng process IOto a piece of sheer fabric. Felting with lasts and objects can be a terrific way of moulding wool felt, as you will see with the slippers and bowl projects that are fullee in the washing machine. Finally, working in a painterly style, lots of techniques come together 10 a hybrid felt wall hanging. advanced *** co we coo 126 CObWl'b cool The ethereat and gossamer-like effect of thIS sublime scarf is achieved through a process known as cobweb felling. By layering tiny amounts of wool fleece, a very delicate sheer felt can be created, rather like a very fine lace. USing too much fleece will Simply result In a thicker felt, which will bear no relation to a cobweb ' Materi als Merino wool lops: 30g of pale blue, candy pink and lime green Small amounts of peach, peppermint green, red and turquoise 2 different colours of heat-bondable Angelina ghtter fibre Of Similar Small amount of One Zero yarn by Cohnelle In Pops.cle, apprOK. 100m (109yd) per lOOg hank. (100% wool) . l Ze Approx. 16 x 196cm (6y x 78/m) 128 CO bWl'b coo l 1 LJ\'ino" out fleece , '" WOfklng on ndlong Nf>f thp bamboo mdt. lay d(Jwn very WISPY layers 01 fleece to form the under layer or yOllf scarl. keePIng In mind lhat your scarf will shrink by tlpprox male1y 20% dur ng the leitlng PfOCess Lay SlrIp<; of p nk me and pa e blue Ilee-'e wIth a small verhcal gap eoch cOlour. Then lay alternate of pellperm nl green and peach fleece at 7.5cm (3m) IntplVals horlzootallv over Ire top ? How to design __ Remember to, little f to make yoU! design and ftel free to leave gi;lPS where there IS no fleece at al Create C JI15 With the turqUOise fleece and place lengthwise datifl searl at Intervals Cr!dle a sma ler red and place inside the lufQUOIst' 0 I 3 Trapping Lay two . ngthe of yarn clown the length of the scarf. 5cm (210) In from each outer edge CUi seven or eight pieces of yarn the WIdth of the scarf and place them hOrizontally bdwt..oen the Clr<;'es. Lay of Angelina gI lief f bre In a Ime dcWT'l thf' InSide ot the two lenglhs of yarn USing small S(:Issors. cuI sn ppds of a conlrdst 'lg colour Angtllna fibre Inlo the rtXf w ... fes 10 add some sJ)drkIC. rOlllpine feh lll aking 129 1 Overl ay of fl eece -t Working bark to flonl, place a hlUe more wool fleece over the top of these yarn tlnd glitter components to trap them In the <;carl and keep them In place. Next repeat ",:ep I In reverse. by Ilrsllaymg peppermint green and pe.1ch hOrllontally. Then verhcatly lay one layer of pink fleece over Ule blue. lime over the ,me and blue over the Pink. 130 cobweb cool i - Wertill <t .... " ..J Mist down thl fleece USing soapy water In a spray bollle. Because the proteCt IS so delICate, take care not to over wet You do not need as much water as In prevIOUS proJects. It Just needs to be damp ,I IS the soap In the waler that IS mportant. 6 Itolling lip bamboo Lay another pIeCe of nelllOg over your scarf. TighHy rol the bamboo mat from one end, lakmg care to keep the fleece d<; tlal and undisturbed as you can. 7 R o lling F,rm'J foil the bamboo rnal back. and forth at 50) before opening ,I up to (heck lor fibre movement should be ..... ell matted together, and shOUld no! move when brushed against. If they do, continue roiling between 100 and 200 limes more or until they are fIxed Rinse the scarf with balling or YffY hoi water, then alic;w to cool a I tile. Repeat the entire rot ng prOCe50S agiM. rowtlf'lg tnc searl through 9O"C Cl95"F) occaslOIlal Y to control stmnkage In both directions. Do a frnal rmse to make sure all the soap IS removed and then a flna! roll. Allow to dry
8 Finishing PlaCe a tea ,;., I CN 'r the scarf. set your ron 10 the wool c;e:l!ng and press f,rmly to bond the fIbres and fldllt'll your searl Creale two fell balls (<;ee page 52) for the ends. Decorate the 0011$ w,th some lime polka dots uSlnR the IcilmB needle. o Attaching :I Gatht'f Ih! rid of scarf together and SIll a fell ball If place w lh a neeole dnd thread. Repedl .lIthe other end cOlllpln..: f..:lull .l ki ng 131 advanced *** nuno e t s "Nuno", the Japanese word for cloth or fabric, IS a term cOined to describe felting onto fabri c. The advantages of this method are that a very flUid, lightweight felt fabric can be created, and Interesting effects can be achieved as the shrinking wool causes open weave fabri c to pucker and Crinkle. Of all feltmaklng techniques, this IS the most popular one used to create clothing. As With the cobweb felt , don't overdo the amount of fleece you use - very little IS reqUIred. 132 n Ull o ft: lr sh J",J aw I Mawriah MefillO WOOl lOPS 50g of purple Small amounts of darker purple and olive yellow Small amount of silk tops In spacedyed pmklyeUQw lussah I large tnangle of organza with each ollhe fight angle sides measunng approxullilte1y 1000m 140m) MatchIng Ihre.ld, braid or nbOOn Size Each right angle side approx. 1000m (4Otn) 1 F.lbric choi ce, Opt'n Vlt ClYt' fabr s Su( 11 (I'> 'hl(jon Ofganld. gauze VI lulle)1 C ecIoln dre best for m,no fell rlR . .. Inl'lT (Ipe kxture d w JOIl!bre to Ifdvellhruuijh al1d lake .. good strong hold As d rule of thumb. I' you can see tllfOUgh II and feel your bredal through It. Ihe fdbTIf ydl be hne to w'Jrk 01110 As. shr occurs Ihe unte ki areas of labt'1C will be g<llhered III to -fCetiL ling Filler and more delicate effect'" afe d. 11Ievoo by uSlng SI ks. but equaity Intt:restl"'lg outcomes dTC POSSible when USing man-made (lbIL'S SUl h as Ihe polyester organza I"ve used hefl; Trapping .. A'thuugh liS 1111(' 10 wi)rk d fecUy 1\ .. bamboo mal, I )Tclef 10 lay a e of neillng over the mat S It allOw'; me 10 the dmounts and IOUf$ 01 the ! e be ns aid out muc 1 100ft' clr'drly_ Te)(lurdl <'fret!s can be d ... by \rilpplng In Silk lops or otllt" y..ll'l$ .ay your argonIa d( ""., then (fedT" Tht! f\ l: out Ines by v('ry fTne amour h .)T and 0 v yelluw ,,'ound In a I II, dnd til r iv'yell 'N Silk V,"'lffl iC ,.., L.lying fleece ldY .mal lmounls of "" PY purple lit dt the t m ! It shaWl tl lorln tnc hinges Tnt'IT lay ve"( sma <lmounh allJund II, nldes so ttlel Ihe t e JU'it C 'vt'r<; the fdbrlC l.dy lleece along III edges. buIIC<1Vt. Ii 5cm (2,n) gap rUlln ng alunlOl the lop edge 1/1 order to reate d tglll !fIll the wool 5hnnks. A alw".,..,. vary me dlfecll()f1 !he fleece Ii'! j ut In m J h as pass ble cO lllpil-te fL'itlllaklng 135 4 Wetting lay a pteCe of netllng over the lOp when you have finished creating your design, taking care not to disturb the fibres. It's important to wei thoroughly now with a coal soapy water SOlutlOll. The water should be cool because this felt,ng process needs to be done slowly so the fibres w II leI! W1lh the organza USing hotter water might cause the fibres to lelt to themselves before they have had a chance to travel through the fabnc. 136 Il lill O fc lt shawl 5 Rubbing Use a cloth to mop up excess water Rub a bar of soap over the piece and start to rub the fabrIC thoroughly. The rubbing process will take QUite a while here. as you need to carry on unlilihe wool fibres have travelled through to the back of your organza to hOld the whole thmg together 6 Peel back netting Pefllxhca11y peel back the nel1lrtg to prevent the fibres from trymg to felt themselves to It Instead of to the Ofganza Separate the fibres from the netting and keep on rubbing. 7 Set felt Continue tubbmg unhllhe fleece has bonded to the organza underneath. Check by looking at the back of the fabl'lc 10 see how many fibres have come through Also rub )'OUr hands Oller the fronl to check .f the fibres have thoroughly knitted 10 the background and no longer move around. Once the fibres have clearly come through the faNoe. rinse the prOject with warm waler. Do a complete roll In the bamboo mat, roIling 30 times In each d,rection and on both Sides, turning to control shnnkiJge Rmse ,n hot water. The temperature of the waler depends Ofl the fragility of the fabnc you are uSlng- use boiling water I' your fabriC can withstand II. Repeallhe entire rolling process until you achIeVe your de5lred result 8 Shrinkage effect Once the f l b r ~ have begun 10 shnnk. the organza Wlil pucker and distort as IllS pulled by them. Do a fmal flnse In warm waler 10 IIOse out ill soap. 9 Finishing FInish the fa;; edge by fOlding OWl the tap edge tWice. USing a decarallye nbbon ()( embrOidery thread, sew a runn ng slilch along the top_ co mplet e fl'ltlllaking 137
advanced ***
OOnlIn
s 1 ers Feet flrst ' Lounge around In these totally toasty slippers and your feet will feel so warm you can pretend you are on a desert Island. The seamless slippers are made around polystyrene shoe lasts, which are available In most sizes. They are also lightweight and can be put In the washing machine at the final fulling stage. 138 blooming 'I hppl'r" Materi als Menno wool tops: 50g of turqUOIse, Ci trus, me green, red and dark red A pair of polystyrene shoe forms In the appropnate size FabrIC glue Needle and thread Slipper soles or of suede (optional) Size Length 28cm (1 I /In) Width IOcm (4In) Height I l em (4 I.ln) 140 b loomill g I, iippe r " 1 Coveri ng The best results dre achieved by USing proper polystyrene forms fOf" this prOjcct. but you could try WOf klng over rubber boots_ To make II easier to remove your finished slippers from the lasts, start by covering each w Ih a plastIC bag and secUring the bag WIth an elastic band at the top. Now mist the plastic bags w th soapy water this Will help keep the Heece rn place as you are laYing It on lOp. When making slippers. you need a minimum 01 three layers to make them thICk enough. Irs helpful to maiol e these three layers ,n dl lferenl colours so you can see when you have layered sufhclent lleece for each. ? Laying fleece on last ---J Sian by laYing turquOIse fleece >flll the last Work as descnbed on page 22. pulling off WISpy amounts of fleece and layenng It up slowly. Do not be tempted to wrap large bandage like swathes of fleece around the last. as this W II not workl First lay Ihe turquoise fleece along the sole 01 the last. overlappmg dl elthe{ end Then wrap WISPY ll eece crossways ClVef the top In the opposi te dlrectlon_ Cover Wi th a small piece of neltl ng. wet. soap and rub for a few minutes. Next. lay the last on one side and CoYer the rltSt Side w,th WISpy fleece from eft to rtght. and then In the other direction from top 10 bottom. Cover. weI. soap and rub again before dOIng the other Side. Repeat Wllh a citrus fleece layer and Ihen a fJme fleece layer. repeal everything again lor the othel 100( 3 Rubbing Loy stnpes across the s!'ppers Cover, weI. soap and rub untillhe fJbres no longer move when you blush your hand across them This IS Important' Next. pul tht! shppers In washmg machine on a 6O"C (140"FJ wash cycle_ Add dn old pa f of Jean 10 the wash to facl' Idle Ihe felting P'ICes5. Attaching the Soles 4 Il..elllove I.tsts Us ng a sma pa r of sc 50 lIS. cuI 2.55cm 0-2In) down from Iht lop centre to clld the removal of Ihe lasts from the lell. If the slipper IS da'np. II WIll be eaSll'r to remove the lasl. Ho ..... ... cr, I("S benel -Id 10 dry the slippers on the last to malllli:tIP a good shape. If necessary tnm the top of the 50 Ippers to mak.e them eY,m and match ng. Pin the 501e to the bollom of the Slipper. USing colourful yarn or embrOIdery thread, sew the sole on USing a decorative SI,lch such 35 tross stitch. Sew the flower Into place In the renlle altcr you have flnlsht>d. As an oltefl'ktllVe, cullwo ple(:es of suede Sl ghtly smaller ttlan the sole- (Jf the shppers. TacK Inlo place w.th some adhestve, then OVt;!I <;t:'W w.th some strong thread - Making flower, .=> Start by maIling 25cm (10m) mares of ba';tr nat fell (see page 22) In red .:lnd dark red. Cu! a Ireeform flov.t"r shape 9cm (3 In) 'n d.am('ler 11 dark red. then a 7.5cm (3In) Wide lOlA-petal llOwf'r each cOlour Cut an unevt!n 30cm ( 12m) !engtn In red to COil In the centr e. Place 111(' four petal liNers 011 lOp of fhe petal base aitellldlmg coIoors a'lCl thl.' COli 011 lup G IJt! If necessary. then sti tch In place cOlllplc-rt' fdrl1l:Iking 141 advanced *** ow over You'll have a ball making 111Is prolecl' Layers of fleece are bUilt up around a ball, and then a second shape - In thiS case, a small plastic bag With a core of aluminum fOil - IS placed onto the Side of the ball and the felting continues over the top. ThiS small appendage Will eventually become the flower on the Side of the bowl, once both shapes have been cut open. 142 bowl O\'l.' r ball a Materi als Menno wool tops: 50s of candy pmk. cherry red. cornfl(1wer blue ohvc green and "",' 20g of white and black Small amounts of orange and rust 20cm (81n) plashc ball A small plastic bag Fabnc glue Needle and thread Size Ht ght 14cm (5i<m) Width 26cm (!Oiln) 144 bo wl over ba ll 1 I Illi idc Fl' )1 al pray ball 'Ii Ih 5f)(l " IpY""dle!, <.I I'U'> will makf' Ilff ea<; PI and he r> It e Uet' e 'ilay put IOnp; Mrlp!> 01 Cdrldy lleec.e and .... L.p II around the ba I [see photo above) JOin the strips together <1<; you go to make the pattern <lOpedr conI nUOU$ ? Co\'cring in tl CL'CC _ Wr)(Klng :n iI It Id II lilT' Idrllo l: 'VCl Ir.", entire bat! H'i led f "e ody ng .1 n d 'efr.;.lImg d 'et.1tOflS At!, r ...... uk ng on clle se::\100 place nt.:Ulllg the laid f ece. <;pray It w th SOdoy wdter, ddd '5Oilp dnd rub for it fe ..... monull.'S. Occasionally pul the net! ng bd("k 10 St'pdldk Int fleece fr{)fTl It Keep add,ng f1t'ete LUIIII the enl'le bel I '5 C Veted. repeallh with cordI fleece tht>n 'Ii th 0 ve '"') Appendagt' ) CrIll. it IT' b. U 001 01 alum n .l11'l '{ I. th n WI f. d fT'.d piaq, 001-': around " Ccwer one (II Ihls piashC. bal " few klYl" of Ofange and rust fleece fer the Dl'\dl<' Tllm Jff excess where necessary. Place the sma ball onto the Sid" of the ITLi n ball c1nd star! to cover It with the lllw t e Make SUfe you jd e'loug.l1 ,ye ',t'1. e Iyer the top 'I) keep the "rna ' f bit In place keep addmg fleeCe In dr'1erenl dlfec.! ons oYef 't Now clPPty the C( rnflowt;r blue fleeCe ayer WOfkllg around I/ll' <;mali SIde ball til s time Add your 'liMe polkadOI5. rernemi:>enng to keep the dots fairly loose ' Rub eYcryttling lmtilihe !leeee no longer 1TJ{;'1ie5 when you run your hand ovel II c.:olllplc[L' 145 4 13ollIl Ci n(r " Now this pari; Just for fun, althOugh the vlbI'ahon 01 the bouncing ball will help to entangle the hbres, SO do It {Of a few mlnull!5 II you can! Either bounce or rub or a comblnaliOn of the two until the htves feel completely ',oselhe,' and you are coddenl your ball of fleece delln :ely woo', fal! apart Then .trs lime to put It InlO the washing machine. put your feel up and relax If IXlSSlble, add an old pair 01 Jeans. Of some Old sheets 01 blankets (not towels) 10 the washing machine to add Inchon and then wash at about 6O"C ()4{1'F) with your normal washing powder. 146 h o wl OVl'r b a ll 5 Cutting open fl ower Whl e\'erythmg IS slill damp, mark seven 10 eight pelals In the small side ball With some pins. CuI the petals from the centre outward towards each pin. Bend Iht> petals back mto Ihe shape you want them 10 dry In. Nr)W leave 10 dry before you cui open the main bowl. 6 Cutting open bowl Mafk your cullmg Ime on the rna n bowl With pms or a PIece of string. Ideally, your flower should Sit jusl below the lop of the bowl, so the petals protrude over the top. Cut around the ball 0f1 the cuttmg hne and then remove " Tflm and tidy the edges as necessary 7 Stifle n 3nd Sl1100th starch ,berit Iy OYer the ball 10 51.Hen Sellhe ,fon 10 the wool seUtng and, Y( thout steam, carefully press the outside of the bowl. laking care not to bum yourself. If you fmd It eas er and safer, place the lett bowl over another glass bowl before you begin to press. 8 Felt bowl For your new fclt bov.110 remain upnght (especaally onc.e you put ttMg5 In It) you need to make a felt !:oland for II to Sit on. ThIS IS eaSIly done Wlth a COiled length 01 fell, Make a fell handle (see page 53J by twtSling 4()::m (16m) Pieces of red and candy pmk neece together Once fulled, walt lor the fell 10 dry, cui It to the correct ;t!llgth for your bowl. tben form a clfcle by JOIning the two clean together. Glue them 10 hold, then sew 10 'ieCUiC () ))ecor,lting 7 Create another twisted length In the same way. but thiS time uSing black and while fleece Allow to dry. then cui It Into 6mm ( In) slices, Glue some of these Inlo the centre ollhe flower CO III P il' l l' fc lt lll.lk in g 147 advanced ***
Ie o o Although this prolect Incorporates many techniques, It focuses on USing the fleece with a more painterly approach than before. By trealing the fleece wool tops like paint and applYing It In very thin layers, tonal watercolour effects can be created. There IS also a 'pre' felt - or 'hal f' felt - Inlay In the wall hanging, Wllich IS a useful technique to learn as It caters to those who like a CIrcle to remain perfectly round! 148 fil..'ld of poppil""
Ies .... Materi als MerinO WOOl lops: 1008 01 pale pmk 50g of cornflower blue. hght blue. pale blue, dark green, sage green, pale hme, dark red and bflght red JOg of black and white Small amounts of coral, peach, burgundy. dark blue, grass green, white, purple. black. olive green and lime yellow Hook-andloop tape Size 115 x 38cm (46 II 15in) 150 fi e ld of poppie , 1 Layi ng First lay pale pink neece lengthWIse to form a rectangle about 135 II 42.5cm (54 x 1 lin), or the size you reqUire plus 20-30' to allow for shnnKage. Remeflll)ef, .1 IS easier to tnm the fell down atlhe end. than to add on If It shnnkS too much! Follow the first layer w Ih another of pink gOing horizontally To create the sky, gather together lengths of three or four dlHerenl blues to bjend together. lay a rme layer of each In descendmg order, WIth the lightest allhe bottom. Next, lay the same blues hOrllontal1y and slar! overlapping them. Conllnue to cross hatch wit h fleece where each blue changes Into another, unlll the blendmg appears seamless. lay Ihe greens out for the grass In a slimlar manner, althOugh havlI1g more defined areas of different coloured greens IS hne here, as you would w'th different fields. lay a band 01 WISpy red Oeece the top 01 the Ii Imply some out 01 focus poppteS In the distance. ...
? Pre-felt _ Pre-' I III d'l' a common wdy of '-rwh, ill d tdd Ok shapes and nt\l felt. WI .- h w,l feW,n the.r form clnd 'mwe ao .. .,nd 'e""l when put througll the felt,ng process. ThiS t<!tho qut some slfnple flat felt p eces to be mad!' In advance In Ih t)IOllrs reqUired (,n 1111'> case re(j-;) bIll t IDS bP'Ofe the PIP: es are lulil y tu led If they we a ready dod have hI \Sf tOO rnurh I WI be OlOfe dill IJ t' gel 1llE'1l't I adhere 10 your flr'W fedh:m First OJ;}"t' tll(' fldl leI: (see Pdge ?) but r 'P <lncr the fir'>' ral IIlg In lt1e mat dna CUI lilt' shapes you I!'qUlre III thiS a (witl Shdpt'" to 1I't' In the tor grou"1d lily <;hdpes n1 the nl'N II Ie 'J, Loyollt poppy It pc bI' it dour pr I) fOf ldy dow" the bare boI of Ihe n ,,,,,,,,f uSing rOOs. and the stem U ng d flerer1t greens. Lay!.!! small amour I:::; 01 d Uerem tones on lOP of OllIE" t..'l create ghl and dark areas <lfld to add
NO' .... start the felt ng dS described on page') 1. OllCe you !Iove j fllShed ledve the I -I' ... ,,11 h In 'lnb 10 dry bet 'e .,;cnt nu ng lurf) r U' e ,ftoVf'f PI <!S of felt from Qther PflIjects as pre felt pieces In the same way. but flufl up the backs USing a r<;llt knife so the fibres slill stand a lWlCe c:1 bondIng 4 Adding needle fclt Now you can rea ~ start to Kid the fleece In very sma I amounts. bUilding up layers of lone and colour as you would w th paint Takt> WISPS of black fleece and create the {Iny centres of the IXlPPY allht! bottom 01 the wan hanging, USing a felling needle. Also needle fell a few stems WI[h some dark greon Next. start 10 create YOUI hOllZOO usmg small amounts of greens and brown Oul of focus shapes WI I 100 ... ,ke tfees when you step back and look Begin to think about grassland and lay extremely w'sPV 'itrands of fleece across honzontal1y FIJI! In place with the muill-needle tool Keep stepping back from your work. and t n add ng fine layers of fleece In areas whu.;h need to be bUilt up with colour 152 field of pappi " , 5 Poppy design Really spend some time on the flower. as It will stand out from the lest of the wall hanging. Re!erflOg to a photo or draw,ng. build up the petals uSing as many different shades of the same cOlour as you can. Here I have used different reds, burgundy, peach and coral fleece Just for the petals. look at the poppy centre and add black and while fleece and sorne purple stamens. 6 Finishing: adding ti es If you're planning to make Ihls p r ~ :1 1010 a blind raltler than a wall hanging, make a lIat piece of black and wh Ie striped 1('11 10 creale two long straps 10 use as tIeS Attach a PIece of hook-and-loop tape althe top back of Ihe blind, and IlIllO the wall or Window Sew a he on either Side allhe top. During the day when the blind IS rolled up, use the [es to hold II In plare Candid Camera Your work WIt! really benefrt from havlI1& photographs or prehmmary sketches to work from. For example. use photos of the countryside as a reference to see how colours change and alter In the distance. Half dose your eyes when you look at a photograph, and try and look at It OUI of focus. By domg this you Will able to see which colours of fleece will be right for the eHect you are after. complete felrmaking 153 Templates 154 tl' m pl-a'- ... dapper flapper page 70 E n l o i l ~ 10 2CX)% do1\y spotty Pa.-;e 58 En dlj.!C 10 2CO lea !Ime :05Y Pdge 66 Enlarge 10 200" culle booties Page 62 Enlarge 10 200% cO mpl L' (L' fL'I(lllaking 155 Glossary Angelina fi bre: A 'Vcry t ne. glittery and light re1Iec!''it' fibre that IS heat bon<1able. Comes ,n three types: Iridescent, holograptl dnd metalhzed. Batt: A carded flkl5S Of fleece that an be separdted ,nto dyt r Used lS an (jllt'fl1dll'oJe to w,XlIlops Unl,,,t' wnol tops, the f bres do ntl oil lace ,n III ' !;J!Tlt! d'fe<:llOfl Of len u<;eO In Idrge expanses With kiting needles to form flilt .. of flt't.'iJ1e fell. Block: A blo".. it lorm .:sed In nldk ng and dryllg a ptpCe to cl deSired shaDe Hat blocks are often used .... hen milking f I hcl:' Blood counl : A'1 AOlt'f,ear' mdt"rxf )1 gradlf'8 ..... )()I. b<lsed In the percentage Of Mcrmo 'lIt d In the orlBlnal SI1('f>p Boiled wool : T'd( 1\ malty th 'M) I thcJt has been boiled In Jrder to ol, ;cure the 156 g- IO"",H Y knitted S! Done In a C Allrollcd er.Vlfonmenl 10 produce an e<Jcn clom from 'Very flllt'! wool. Many wools Will distort dnd lose theu COlOur at 11\ I a high temperalure. Bradford count: A Brlh<;h w'XlI grading .. y.lem Whit) 10 the number 01 560-)'dICl c;keills of wool flom a pound ..... llghl. Tht' hlghpr Ihe :001'11. the flncr Ih w.)()1 Carding: A process vpry Slmll,u I1dll brushlfl8_ USlflg ellher hand CdrdNS or a drum under. the woo fibre are Co,nbed cut mlo long. even engU's so Ihdl a Ilhe j bres are f,-l( g In tht! same dllectlon. Crimp: Tile .... ')vu'ess of the .... JOI fibre Finer .... ,XlIs hd..-e ml (h m lfe cnmp per Imll 1Ii:ln .lrser wools. Felling: The m.:Ifllng together ofwooilibre lol)rmadense fdbm Ihdl <,table and does nell,,,), Fulling: Tht> final stage of ShrinKing and hardening the felt Of knl\fed fabriC 10 make It IhlCker and denser. Felting needles: The balbed !?edle \lldt IS repeatedl), POlled In and out :1 w.XlI tops t:) produce flat Jr sculptural Pieces of Il:lt Without the net '(j fOI water. The barbs on the needle entAngle the w()()l fibres as they are PUllf!d In and out o flerent gauge need es have d,fferent ellt- Is >n the v.ool. Fleece: The wool from a sheep In me pIeCe c )ntallling lane In. AI.o tt!,m I use to refe' to 'Ii. 10.1 lops being used for fe UT'nkl Gauge: Refers to the size of a fell ng The h gher the gaugt lh, mure delica1t-' the needle. FII\! nf!('dles are su ted to a fmer decordllve apphcall(ll't of neece. n,e loW\!1 gauge needles are u'>ed fOf formmg OOw' shapes and sculpting. The net."<I1Cs cll!,Q corne In d,fferenl <;hapes. trlanguldl and the mullllarclt'CI Sldr shape. whICh,s faster to wlJrk With Firer r>eedles break mom easily. In kn Ihng. It reters I Ille number .;rf kn Ited c;lllclles dnd rows In a defuled SQuare. Handle: Thf' ft.-e11J1 a hbre or hbrlC lanolin: The grCiI<;t' or wax produced by Ihe sebaceous gland<. 01 the sheep. It has welterprooflng qua 111t>'>. dnd the sheep from becornlllg too ..... '" A though most IS removed dUling scouring. what "'tie remalnc; h.y the added benefit of preven! ng sore chapped hands alte-r mali)' hours 01 fdtmak. os. Lallohn IS used by the pharn,elCeUIICallf1duslry lasts: Fnrm'3 over willi h shoes )( boots are m.,lde Micron: A mnOrl IS a millionth of a metre (or 1125.()(X) 01 an Inch) and IS Ihe most accurate way of grading woo The Io ..... er Ihe IlllCron, the I,ner the wool Nuno felt: Fell Illdt Inc )rpor .. llf' d fine fatlr It IS rno ,I ,llIldbl" for fell C othlnl2 as the Ie!>U 1':. mJl:lta n lhen draPIng Q!Jillhes.. Come Irom llle Japar.t Yo rd lUno medii n Pre felt : Halfn fel! ttld: IS lh(; Inldld ,nto further prott:: '15 on Illp of n 'VtI """.101 tnps. to creole IJnform <.h:::;,gns thaI don'l move ,.rl und 100 much Roving: S 11' laf 10 lops, but It liI.xes do n(11 ,I ..... lace t'le same dlle!. II m Scales: The tiny ovt::rlapOlng scales on the surface of the .... 101 flbles. whh.:h open up hum the b,J'>e 10 lhe top and then lock togethel once they haVl' d,lIIng Ie ling. Hot Wd:t'f encoufage$ !I'e sea t!S to til> and :old water 10 again Scouring: Thl! .-Ifl of washing the WQ. when ,1 IS flfSI shorn to rem 1'If' dlrl. gled'>e and bI' of vegetal" I Silk noil : A by' prOduct 01 SII'I Yo mder!\tl for rea'ing 1'K\UH'" trapped III wool Staple length: TI"I4 Ilbre length of ...... ,101 wh h v II accord ng to 1t1e ..,Ii Stacking stitch (SI st): A knlttlnij It'fm relf'rnng to dllellng rows of KI1I1 and purl Tops: WYlI tops relers to the c !flI"lW IU<' I"ngth of 'NCO t.ore pr )(juced dUI.ng the ard of: pron.:ss n whICh all tht! lit)res I e In Inc same d rallon rnaktng tnem Ideal for layertng In fellmaklng_ They are <;old In dlfferenl lengths. and pre usually between 2575cln"3 n, wKl(' Washboard: USf.-d (IS an alternatIve 10 a bdmboo mat In fdmak.lng pr, !Cess. dS part 0111'11' lulling Ie _hnrque, The lell 1$ rubbed against It vigorously IIlslf'.ad of being rolled In a bamboo mat Resources The Handweavers Studio Knitting Wools Hand Spun I Hand Dyed 29, Haroldstone Road Yarns: Fell Kits & Felt Courses London, El7 7AN Colinette Yarns www.matenalwhlrled.com For staner kits. slipper kits, Tel- 0208 5212281 Banwy WOfkshops. www,pluckyflulf.com wooiIOPS. and Fe I Makmg wwwgeocltles,comJAlhensl llanfa'r Caefelnion, WNW,Jennyneulronstar,com ,n the UK: Agoral9814flndex hIm POW)'. Wales. SY21 OSG Tel: 01938 810128 Space-Dyed Textiles Gi1lian Harris Texere Yarns y.ww,cohnel1e.co.uk WWoY_8,lhangladrag.co_uk College Mill, Barkerend Road Kale's Kloths Bradford. BOI 4AU Rowan 58, Regent Street Wool Tops, Silk Tops, Tel: 01274 722191 Green Lane Mill Blyth. Northumberland Other Fibres, Felting wwwlexere.co.uk Holmflrth. HD9 2DX NE24 ILT Needles, Angelina Fibre Tel: 01484 681881 Tel: 01670 354342 Hilltop wwwkmltowan.Com WNW kalesklolhs.co.uk Crafty Notions Wmdmlll Cross. Umt 2. Jessop Way, Canterbury Road, lyrmnge. Noro Yarn DYES Newark. NG24 2ER Folkesione. Kent. CT 18 8HD Designer Yarns lid Tel: 01636 700862 Tel 01303862617 Ullil 8 10. Newbndge Industnal Omega Dyes WNW.craltynoIIOrls.com www.handspln.co.uk Eslale. Pllt Street. Tippets Cottage, Keighley, West Yorkshire Kenwyn Church Road, Wingham Wool Work Twist Fibre Crah Studio BD214PQ Truro, Cornwall, 70 MaIn SI. Wentworth 88 High Street. Newburgh Tel 01535664222 TRl3DR Rotherham. South Yorksture. Cupar, Fife. KYl4 GAO WYtW.desyarns.co.uk Tel 01872 227 323 S62 ?TN Tel. 01337 842843 www.omegadyes.fsnetco_uk Tel 01226742926 www.\WISlflbrecraft.eo.u ... South West Trading Company www.w'ngharnwootwork.co.uk www_SOVSllk_com George WeB Fibrecrafts The Knitting Parlour Old Portsmouth Road, 4a Graham Road Peaslml5h. GUildford, Great Malvern, Wores, Surrey, GU3 I LZ WRI42HN Tet 01483 565800 lei 01684 892079 www.f'brecrafts.com wwwlheknrlhngparlour.co.uk 158 II r ct.''1
Trimmings & Ribbons Regia Soles for Slippers VV Rouleaux 54 SlOane SQuare Cllveden Pldce london SWIWBAW Tel: 0207730 3125 WNW.wrouleaux.com Further reading and mformatlon on feltrnaklng International Feltmakers Associat ion ..w,w,fetlmallefs. :om - , , " .
i Acknowledgement s This book IS dedicated to my wonderful friend. the late Ahx Morze. who first suggested I should fell. and was the most unique. msplrlng and encouraging person I have ever mel. I'd also like to thank my husband. ChriS. and my two daughters. Polly and Rosie. for bemg so patient with me. Sorry If you found b ts of nuff In your dmner And SOfry If you dldn t get any dinner. I'd like to extend my gratitude to Maureen Saunders for knitting up the corsage. bag, and baby blanket and ReeOle Hanlin from www.matenalwhlrled.com for donating yarn for the Carousel cushion. In addlhon. Michelle Lo and Mark WinWOCKf for being so lovely to work with Laslly, to Mum and Dad for their conslant SUPlXlrt and for pac;slng down the fluffy texltle gene. A comprehensive guide to all aspects of feltmaking and felt work Includes flat felting, 3D feltin needle felting and advanced , knitted felting, lting techniques Step-by-step techniques and a range of exciting fashion and home accents in each chapter COLLINS & BROWN f.18.99