# Needle felting



## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

Hi all! Life has been crazy busy here on the farm. I decided to finally go for my dream of having a homemade Christmas, so I've been working on projects like a crazy person. I've talked to quite a few fiber people about flat needle felting and it seems like something people want to do, but are intimidated by. One of our fun projects at spinners guild was learning how to wet felt and needle felt. I wet felted a pair of slippers, then needle felted designs onto them. I thought some of you might be interested in giving it a try. I've attached a link to my blog post if you want to take a look. 

One of my gift projects is needle felting trivets for family members. Its been fun choosing designs I think each person will enjoy. If anyone is interested and would like any other info, I'm happy to offer my enthusiastic, if not highly experienced, advice!

http://redmonwoods.com/2014/10/17/needle-felting-my-slippers/


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

That is really cool MamaRed! I've seen a couple of threads on felting here. I've never tried it but it looks quite impressive now that I've seen the technique and the results. Keep up the great work! And more pics please!


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

Thanks Osiris. It really is fun and relaxing. I've started using "coloring book" pictures from the internet to find designs. They're easy to trace and you can add as much detail as you want. I wish I could draw my own, but I didn't get that gene.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

MamaRed those are beautiful slippers! Please poste pictures of your trivets and other needle felting. MDKatie has done some beautiful flat needle felting.

Orisis there is wet felting and needle felting. With wet felting you have to have a wool or fiber that will shrink/felt and not all will do that. With needle felting you can use just about any fiber and it does not need to have the ability to felt. Wet felting tends to be much sturdier and is approperate for foot wear and other hard wearing items. It is also messy . Lots of hot water and soap and slopping around.

Needle felting tends to be fairly fragile, you could not needle felt an entire slipper and expect it to hold up with daily use (I don't think). It is great for embellishing other thing, sweaters, scarves, shoes ..... You can needle felt small items like flowers to be sewn onto things. You use very sharp needles that look sort of like a big porcupine quil and they can be dangerous so you need to be very careful. But, having said that its a great activity for kids, both forms are actually.


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

Here are instructions for wet felting flat pieces. All the wools I've used work really well. Inhavent had much luck with alpaca, other than using a layer inside my slippers.

I recently read instructions where someone threw their rolled up felting project in the dryer, no heat, for 10 minutes at a time, to replace the rolling steps. I made some of that yesterday and it worked great!

http://redmonwoods.com/2014/11/12/wet-felt-for-other-projects/


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

MamaRed, I love your slippers! Very very nice!  

A friend of mine recently started felting scarves. She used these directions - 
http://www.feltinglessons.com/ that someone here posted the link to. She really has done a great job with it. 

I particularly like this one - http://www.feltinglessons.com/photo-gallery/wet-felted-and-nuno-felted-items-by-terri/8970484


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

Kasota, nuno felting is next on my list. I may be getting a drum career this weekend. Then I'll be able to run thin alpaca batts and use those. Thanks for sharing the link! I was going to need to look for some direction.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

Kasota, there is always a nuno felting class at Shepherd's Harvest! One of these days, I think I will try that. Great tutorial, MamaRed. I never thought about the stabilizer! :doh: Great idea!


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Oh! Oh! Oh! Sign me up!!!!! I'm gonna take it.... 

I can't wait until Shepherd's Harvest!


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

WIHH, the stabilizer method is how I learned. Initially, I thought that was how everybody does it. I've found that most people I talk to, have never heard of it. I'm so lucky to have our spinners guild!


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I am enrolled in a dry needle felting class the second week of December!!! I have needles and I have a mat, I have done "some" dry felting, I just have never had any instruction, so here I go - down another rabbit hole. :teehee:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4QdukDAEd...0/needle+felted+owl+workshop+flyer-page-0.jpg

This gal is really talented, I have drooled over her wares at the Celtic festival we spin at. I am really looking forward to this class.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Hooray for needle felting! :thumb: I love it. I don't do it as much as I'd like, though. That reminds me, I need to order my kit items for the class I'm teaching in March!


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I am really excited to learn the tips and tricks for felting 3D thingees - like owls and gnomes and stuff like that. :teehee:


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> I am really excited to learn the tips and tricks for felting 3D thingees - like owls and gnomes and stuff like that. :teehee:


My #1 tip is: The needle goes WAY farther into the felt than you ever would think (and with very little effort), so watch your fingers.  

Other than that, it's trial and error. Felting is very forgiving, and you can pull stuff out/off and redo it pretty easily.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I did these frog innards several years ago -this was actually one of my first knitting projects. And I did my felted slippers. But I really have not done anything that was 3D.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I loooove those slippers! And that frog is awesome!!


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

WIHH, I thought the frog was really cute til I read your comment about the innards! WHY??  LOL


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

LOL Orisis! WIHH's daughter isa doctor, Dr. Autumn who is the mom of our little Lucy Noodle (Nichole, I misread it as noodle) and soon another baby. Just to bring you up to speed here :kiss:


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

WIHH, I love those slippers! I'd like to make some like that. Do you have instructions, or a link for that style?


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

MamaRed - those slippers are a fun and easy knit. Here is a link to purchase the pattern

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/summer-slippers-felted-knit-for-women


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

I have a question about the fulling process. I'm knitting up a hat that I want to full and then needle felt a pattern on in the same manner that WIHH did those slippers. I *think* I am making the hat large enough...or it seems to be according to a formula I found on the net. Once it is all knit up what is the best way to shrink it up? Washing machine on hot? or ?


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I felt slippers in my top load washing machine on hot.


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

Oh no! I don't know how to knit, just crochet. Those slippers may be just the motivation I need to finally take on knitting.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Kas, another top load washing machine felter here. Add the hat to a load of jeans. Do *not* use towels .... unless you like having lint as a design element.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Top load it is! I can't wait to finish this hat and give it a whirl! Thanks, Kelsey and Cyndi! 

How fast can I knit today? hehehe


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I like to put my fulling projects in a lingerie bag to keep them from spreading fuzz on other things. I check them often as they are getting agitated. I wash them in sudsy and hot water and on the LARGE load setting with a couple of pairs of blue jeans and even a pair of tennis shoes or a pair of Crocs to beat them up. 

Fulling may take a couple of washings to achieve the right size - and remember NOT to skimp on the needle size - YOU NEED SPACE BETWEEN THE STITCHES TO ALLOW FOR FULLING - and being off a half size CAN make a big difference!


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Hmmmm 

I might have skimped on the needle size.... 

Might have to rip it out and start over...

What happens if the needle size is not sufficiently large?

ETA - I found this 
http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2011/11/felting-primer-for-hand-knits.html
which had some good information. I suppose what I am knitting looks about like the un-fulled mitten. Maybe it will work... 

Either way, I will learn something! LOL!


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

I found this really easy looking crochet pattern.
http://www.mypoochiebaby.com/2012/12/womens-crochet-ballet-slippers-free.html

If I felt/full them, I'm assuming there will be no stretch. How much "too big" should I make them to start out? I have big ol' size 10 feet.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Mama Red, I don't know anything about this person but this is a place I found today that had some advice. 

http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29423

For good, well-felted, slightly dense finish:
Stitches: (desired size) x 1.2 = pre-felting size.
Rows: (desired size) x 1.42 = pre-felting size.

For very dense felting:
Stitches: (desired size) x 1.43 = pre-felting size.
Rows: (desired size) x 1.78 = pre-felting size.

I hope that helps! That is the formula that I used for the hat I am working on. I will let you know if it turns out.


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Speaking of needle felting, look what my mom made!


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## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

Thanks, Kasota. That's very helpful.
Svenska, that's an adorable little mouse. Once the holidays are over, I want to figure out 3D felting.


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