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Post by aberwacky on Mar 15, 2017 17:29:45 GMT
I made this for a play at my sons' elementary school: wet and needlefelted "coyote" tail and ears (sewn onto a straw hat). I wetfelted the core of the tail, then needlefelted fleece locks on it for the fur. (Trying to embed a picture from a facebook post--hope this works!) "Coyote"
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 15, 2017 16:29:56 GMT
Yes that is a lot of work. I bet it was really heavy when it was full of water. Its on my list to do. thanks for the tutorial It was--I have made one larger one, but they are SO hard to move around hwile wet! I prefer the smaller ones like the one in the tutorial, because they are much easier to manage alone. I may make another larger one when I have a fiber friend visiting--four hands are better than two!
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 14, 2017 23:24:10 GMT
How lovely! What a neat idea.
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 14, 2017 21:27:50 GMT
I don't brush them out, I just leave them as is--they fluff up themselves as they dry. Some people brush them out, but I like the look of the intact locks.
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 14, 2017 20:53:50 GMT
I had created a photo tutorial last year for a FB group and FINALLY managed to put it on my website. It's a long one, but it's how I make felted vegetarian sheepskins. It's a bit different than how others do it, but it works for me. twiningvinedesigns.com/tutorials/felting-a-fleece/
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 14, 2017 2:15:23 GMT
Marilyn, I found the same thing with their Texas mohair. I have also gotten some of their scoured wool to use in blending, and found a good bit of VM in the dark brown scoured, but not as much in the tasman comeback scoured. (I'm not looking at the website at the moment, so I'm not sure if I got the names of those right.)
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 13, 2017 3:08:56 GMT
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 13, 2017 2:34:16 GMT
Softer as in floppier or softer as in not as scratchy?
For a floppier hat, use fewer layers and felt less (love the texture in that one!). For a softer hat, use merino or another low-micron wool for the inside layer that will be next to your skin, and add your texture on top of that.
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 13, 2017 2:13:49 GMT
Hi there! Chiming in a bit late, but I think I've bought just about all the wool that RH Lindsay sells, and tested it for felting, LOL. Here's my thoughts, in no particular order: They sell a dehaired churro that felts well--it doesn't have the guard hairs (at least in what I've bought), and felts into a softish but strong felt, and is white. It is kind of carded, and is easy to layer and felt.
I like both the Falkland and the Domestic 56s--they felt up very similarly, but the Falkland is a whiter white, which might influence your dyeing.
The quilt batting felts fine. I got it with the idea of dying it before felting, but haven't tried that yet. It has about the same softness level as the domestic 56.
I do like their naturally colored slivers a lot for felting. The Tasman comebacks (oatmeal and brown) are a medium fine that felts into a heathery effect. The oatmeal is very nice when overdyed. Soft enough for inside of hats as long as someone is not super sensitive.
I love the domestic fine brown--a bit coarser than the comeback, and darker than the pictures, but the heathered brown it felts to is lovely--a good compromise between softness and strength. I have used it for mitts and gloves, and it would work well for bags and boots.
The 23D (Light Gray local) and 23DK (Primitive Gray) are nearly indistinguishable from each other when felted. Both are coarser, with guard hairs, but make nice sturdy felts. Good for boots and other items that would see a lot of wear. Not for next-to-skin in my family.
The 21DF Fine local is fine (Targhee, mostly) but has more VM than I like to use in felted items. It dyes well, though, and is soft enough for a scarf or hat.
Their merino is a great price, and is pretty much the same as the other merinos the same micron count (21.5).
I have also used their black opal top as well as their black merino top. The black merino is, well, black merino and felts as expected. The black opal top was harder to felt than the domestic 56s it is made from, but it is a good, deep black.
I'm sure I've forgotten some, but if there is one you are interested in and I haven't mentioned it, feel free to ask. Most likely, I've tried it!
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Post by aberwacky on Mar 13, 2017 1:36:47 GMT
Hi there! I live in the foothills of the Ozarks and love to play with fiber--I'm a spinner, a felter and a crocheter. I love to process fleece but don't have any fiber animals (hubby has drawn the line at chickens, lol) and also use a lot of commercially processed fibers, particularly for my felting. I have been reading the forum for awhile as a guest, and have learned so much from ya'll. Thanks for adding me!
Leigh
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