Felt
Posted by Leah on Nov 20, 2006
I’ve started felting - the picture above is of a pile of wool felted beads I made (a few of them are now pendants and earrings, and I have plans for some necklaces and other things too).
I was reading a blog I like, In A Minute Ago, and came across a link to a felt dictionary. I can’t say I knew most of the terms!
Anyway - the process I’m using to make felt beads, scarves, and other things is called needle felting. It’s a time consuming but fun process where you repeatedly stab the wool fibers with a special needle called a felting needle. This pushes the fibers into each other, and they get so tangled that eventually a nice, strong fabric results. It’s a very sculptural process which is probably why I’m drawn to it - anyone who has seen my jewelry knows I like three dimensional, sculptural pieces. It’s also a really fun medium for playing with color. I have wool roving (the unspun wool fibers used for felting) in a bunch of bright colors, which is a nice contrast to the more monochromatic metalwork I do.
I think I’m going to display a whole bunch of felt earrings on a small fake Christmas tree at my Open Studio next weekend. Stop by to see everything I’ve been up to, and have a glass of wine or a snack and chat! I’ll be there from 11:00-5:00 on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 25-26, hanging out. It’s 2703 7th Street, Studio #355 in Berkeley (the Activ Space building, on 7th between Dwight and Ashby).
