Making Monday: Needle felting

This weekend I got to try something I have been itching to try for a long time now - needle felting.

Our family attended a sustainability festival in town and one of the areas was for local businesses. It turns out there is a couple who is passionate about wool, felting, and their sheep, and they live close enough for us to visit the farm.

I spent some time speaking to Tim Fisher about his sheep and his passion for wool. He explained that much of our wool in Canada is sent to China to be processed into felt. He wants to keep his wool local and inspire people in the area to try felting for themselves.

They had everything I needed to get started, which is really not much at all for needle felting (wool, needles and some foam so you don't poke yourself!)



Rainbow starter kit from all sorts acre

I bought myself a little kit with 10 small bags of wool in different colours. It included three differently gauged needles, instructions, and a foam block for working on. If you are making small toys like I am, this is really not at all expensive. $10 dollars will get you needles and enough wool to make a number of felted critters.

I have watched a couple people needle felt before - and it turns out to be very simple and gratifying. My first sit down I made Zo a little Hen for Easter. Last night after the little ones were sleeping I made another smaller hen and a nest. Our kids are getting a playsilk each for Easter - one blue and one green. I'm inspired to make some little animals to play on these new landscapes.



Needle felting is very fast, simple, and something I can do while my children play. It can be easily put down and picked back up. There are no stitches to count. It is simple and gratifying! A quick read through the instructions gives you the idea and off you go. It is really very easy.

Tim and Jennifer are local to us here in Ontario - they have open houses to come visit the sheep, and are very lovely folks. You can check out their website at allsortsacre.ca . You never know, perhaps there is a local passionate business near you! We are planning to go visit the sheep at their next open house.

As for me, I'm going to make this nest a little larger, felt some eggs - and then who knows!