First felt patch!

[secuono]

I finally figured out how to make a felt pad from Babydoll Southdown wool! ♡

Somehow, it ended up looking a bit like a bison!

 

[animalmom]

Yes, a chubby bison from your huggable sheepies! Good job. Next thing you'll be doing is felted slippers. I'll line up to buy those!!!!!

 

[Baymule]

What do you do with sheep felt? Nice job, BTW!

 

[secuono]

Wool is way too warm for me to use as most kinds of clothing and slippers would make my feet melt right off! Lol
But it would be nice to make useful items to sell once I know what I'm doing and not piddling around.
I've seen some people make pictures and animals out of wool, so that would be neat!

Just finished washing some more wool and ordered hand carders last night. So maybe I can make a patch large enough to make arm warmers out of or something.

Oh, the wool is from the 2 newest ewes, Addie & Emmie. I used Lolla's wool to make a pillow or rather, simply stuff a small pillow with it. Lol.

 

[Bruce]

I don't know about sheep felt but I went to an Alpaca "seminar" a few years back. Two of the interesting things people do with the non cloth quality fiber is to felt it in to mats. Used for the bottom of pots to keep the dirt in but let water through and as garden weed blocking mats. I guess one would have to have a LOT of low grade fiber to do much in the garden though.

 

[Blue Sky]

Sheep fleece soaks up motor oil too.

 

[secuono]

Had hand pulled the wool to layer for felting.

Bought hand carders and they arrived in the morning. Been practicing ALL day!

This is so gosh darn fun! Lol

A lot of vm in these 2 fleeces, but a ton came out once dried from washing and shaking once dry. Then a ton more fell out while carding. Only some of the larger bits needed to be picked out. Fairly clean once done carding. All of my sheep have far less vm than these two had, but it's good practice and good for appreciating clean fleeces!

Last pic shows an issue I'm having. Short staple, 1in or so. I don't know if that's why there's that dual layering or if it's from the way I'm carding and need to adjust it.

Some pics.

 

[Baymule]

Next you'll be spinning and knitting!

 

[norseofcourse]

Love the felting!

I'm not sure on the dual-layering effect, but a 1 inch staple is awfully short. How long it is when you stretch it to its full length? Although a friend has angora rabbits and I don't think their staple length is all that long. I'm having some very experienced fiber people over tomorrow, I'll have them look at your pictures and see what they think.

 

[secuono]

Here's some of Lolla's wool. It's been washed.
Not stretched is 1.5in.
Stretched and released is 2in.
Stretched and held taught is just shy of 3in.