Needle Felting

I received an email from Etsy that featured this cool needle felted playscape. (Sorry I tried to copy a photo over but it didn't work.)   B would like this, but it is kind of pricey - as it should be- there is a lot of work and materials involved.   I have seen needle felting before on Martha, and bought some wool roving and a foam mat and felting needle.  Well, it has languished in my craft cupboard for at least a year. 

I should say needle felting is a dry felting technique where you take wool roving (wool that has been carded and prepared for spinning - looks a bit like cotton candy)place it on a thick foam piece and jab a barbed needle  in and out of the roving, shaping and bonding the wool fibers together.  You can felt the roving together to make anything, even fabric or you can bond the roving to a piece of wool, making a design on a sweater for example.  

After seeing the playscape I thought maybe I should pull out my needle felting supplies, practice up and see if I can make something like it.  I checked our local knitting store to see if they had a class, they didn't.  So I bought a book instead.  Sweet Needle Felting.

 

Inside there are directions to make the little animal on the front, a bangle, scarf, wallet, some really neat things.  I started practicing this morning and have already needled my finger.  If I get anything made, I will post it.