Post by simplynaturalfarm on Jan 7, 2017 20:18:13 GMT
Hello all. I feel like probably your newest newbie with far too little experience and knowledge, and overwhelmed beyond belief by how much information there is out there.
I am married and have 5 children ages 2-11. Besides the children we have chickens, pigs, dexter cattle, milk cows (I also milk the dexters and have bred them for 18 years now), have an obsession with hoophouses (we have 5 on the place housing different critters) and have a 20x60 greenhouse, and love doing what we do.
My interest in felting began a couple of months ago when I wanted to get DH some nice warm slippers for winter. First I am not a crafty kind of person because I like to concentrate on things and simply do not have the luxury of concentrating on one thing for long with 5 children who always need supervision.
So coming back to the slippers, I was going to make them from leather, but that just isn't warm and warm is best when we have extended periods of -30F and the house is heated with wood (which means cold floors!). I thought I would sew something, but I am not a big sewer these days. And fleece material ends up being very costly and just not as nice as I would wish for, especially when I make mistakes . My husband was reading about the contamination of some rivers with artificial fibers from clothing and textiles that are killing fish and that got me to thinking I should look at more renewable resources that are producible here in ND since we try to support local as much as possible (which means we produce it all because nothing is available locally LOL). While looking for patterns for DIY slippers I saw some gorgeous crocheted slippers - but I have not crocheted in years and it really did look like Chinese to me, plus anything that requires a huge amount of concentration on my part (following a pattern) ends up frustrating me when little children want to help and I encourage help as they are my helpers. Or I am pulled 5 different directions and don't like crafts that don't relax me and instead get me uptight because littles are needing me.
Then I happened upon a wet felting slipper youtube clip and thought THAT is what I want to do. I did so much research my children tell me they didn't see me for two whole weekends *G* and finally purchased 3 batts of wool and some cheap supplies, then spent another 5 days reading and watching everything I could on it so I wouldn't flop - I had no idea how forgiving felting is . I made my first pair and was hooked. And made 5 more pairs, then a pair of boots, and I absolutely love the feel, how absolutely soothing and repetitive it is, I could do it for hours each evening (although my patient husband gives large inward sighs when he sees my boot tray and wool come out as I tend to be a bit of an obsessive hobby person who researches EVERYTHING to death *G*). I watch spinners on youtube and think I would love to spin in order to have my alpaca for weaving (we have a rigid heddle loom and my daughters make lovely scarves), but I think that will be for another year and I'll have to start budgeting now for it!
ANYWAY, I was given a raw baby alpaca fleece by a friend who wanted to encourage me to try more things. I made a pair of lovely mittens elbow length for my 5 year old out of the raw fleece with the first layer out of a rambouilett /merino for sturdiness. They are so pretty, but are not heavy duty enough for our farming lifestyle and are inconsistent in depth so had quite a bit of thin area that had to be needle felted. I would love to work the fleece some, but am still doing more research on fibers, processes and so on.
Then I was given 3 Friesan sheep fleeces (which are still in the mail, but will be here soon). There is no way getting around the need to process them somehow for my projects. My daughters say with the prices of tools to process the fiber, we would be better off just ordering the wool from the wool merchants who have it already in roving or tops or bungs . . . but hobby's don't always make sense And the difference in feel with a carded vs. chemically handled batt is extremely different!
I have done so much research my head is spinning and most of it is aimed towards spinners where rolags and such work well. I can't seem to find the advice and help for processing fleece for wet felting, so finally typed in "felted forum" and found your group! I hope you don't mind my blundering and can give me lots of advice
Thanks in advance!
Heather - who yes is a bit wordy . . .
I am married and have 5 children ages 2-11. Besides the children we have chickens, pigs, dexter cattle, milk cows (I also milk the dexters and have bred them for 18 years now), have an obsession with hoophouses (we have 5 on the place housing different critters) and have a 20x60 greenhouse, and love doing what we do.
My interest in felting began a couple of months ago when I wanted to get DH some nice warm slippers for winter. First I am not a crafty kind of person because I like to concentrate on things and simply do not have the luxury of concentrating on one thing for long with 5 children who always need supervision.
So coming back to the slippers, I was going to make them from leather, but that just isn't warm and warm is best when we have extended periods of -30F and the house is heated with wood (which means cold floors!). I thought I would sew something, but I am not a big sewer these days. And fleece material ends up being very costly and just not as nice as I would wish for, especially when I make mistakes . My husband was reading about the contamination of some rivers with artificial fibers from clothing and textiles that are killing fish and that got me to thinking I should look at more renewable resources that are producible here in ND since we try to support local as much as possible (which means we produce it all because nothing is available locally LOL). While looking for patterns for DIY slippers I saw some gorgeous crocheted slippers - but I have not crocheted in years and it really did look like Chinese to me, plus anything that requires a huge amount of concentration on my part (following a pattern) ends up frustrating me when little children want to help and I encourage help as they are my helpers. Or I am pulled 5 different directions and don't like crafts that don't relax me and instead get me uptight because littles are needing me.
Then I happened upon a wet felting slipper youtube clip and thought THAT is what I want to do. I did so much research my children tell me they didn't see me for two whole weekends *G* and finally purchased 3 batts of wool and some cheap supplies, then spent another 5 days reading and watching everything I could on it so I wouldn't flop - I had no idea how forgiving felting is . I made my first pair and was hooked. And made 5 more pairs, then a pair of boots, and I absolutely love the feel, how absolutely soothing and repetitive it is, I could do it for hours each evening (although my patient husband gives large inward sighs when he sees my boot tray and wool come out as I tend to be a bit of an obsessive hobby person who researches EVERYTHING to death *G*). I watch spinners on youtube and think I would love to spin in order to have my alpaca for weaving (we have a rigid heddle loom and my daughters make lovely scarves), but I think that will be for another year and I'll have to start budgeting now for it!
ANYWAY, I was given a raw baby alpaca fleece by a friend who wanted to encourage me to try more things. I made a pair of lovely mittens elbow length for my 5 year old out of the raw fleece with the first layer out of a rambouilett /merino for sturdiness. They are so pretty, but are not heavy duty enough for our farming lifestyle and are inconsistent in depth so had quite a bit of thin area that had to be needle felted. I would love to work the fleece some, but am still doing more research on fibers, processes and so on.
Then I was given 3 Friesan sheep fleeces (which are still in the mail, but will be here soon). There is no way getting around the need to process them somehow for my projects. My daughters say with the prices of tools to process the fiber, we would be better off just ordering the wool from the wool merchants who have it already in roving or tops or bungs . . . but hobby's don't always make sense And the difference in feel with a carded vs. chemically handled batt is extremely different!
I have done so much research my head is spinning and most of it is aimed towards spinners where rolags and such work well. I can't seem to find the advice and help for processing fleece for wet felting, so finally typed in "felted forum" and found your group! I hope you don't mind my blundering and can give me lots of advice
Thanks in advance!
Heather - who yes is a bit wordy . . .