Gillian Harris

easy techniques and 25 great projects

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EASY TECHNIQUES AND 25 GREAT PROJECTS
G ILLIAN HARRI S
COLLINS & BROWN
f IfSI pUbIi!>hed In the United Kmgoom 111 2006 by
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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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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.
-
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-

,

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

,
~

'I

J,.
. - ~
-
". ,-- ">-:-.

' .
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_





-







,


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
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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