Wool Week UK October 2012

From the Campaign for Wool 2012. 

EntWorks is doing it's part in spreading the word of Wool this week.

Please Support British Wool. 

Ten Minute Poppy Pin

Here's a quick little something to whip up-

 once supplies are gathered, the entire process takes about 10 minutes. 

Step 1: Cut the Machine Pre-felt into 5 1/2inch and 3 inch squares. Round the corners. 

 Step 2. Use wool roving and loosly needle felt into place for the center of the flower. This will hold the layers together once felted. 

 

Step 3: Use warm water and a few drops of dish soap to felt.

Step 4. Squish, ball up, roll, and tug at the wool until it shrinks by about half the size. The wool will  thicken and be more secure in the process.Squeeze out the water. 

Step 5. Sew pin on Pin-back

Step 6. Enjoy your new pin!

Fun Food

Garden Markers

I saw this concept on Pinterest and couldn't resist making my own.

How to Wet Felt a Stone

How to Make a Wool Felt Scarf (in Photos)

  A photo collection of the steps I take in making one of my handmade wool felt scarves. 

Laying out the layers. Base layer is striped blended Merino & Blue Faced Leicester roving. Second layer is a fine distribution of solidly died BFL wool roving laid perpendicularly to the first. 

Third layer of green BFL roving matches direction of first layer.

Wet down with hot soapy water & close up any gaps with extra green wool.

Netting down and light felting using felting stone and soap. All the fibers will stick to one another, but still can easily be pulled apart like a cotton ball.

Tending the edges making sure all loose fibers get worked back towards the center.

Felting by friction. Rolled up in bubble wrap and then a towel, the lightly felted scarf under goes increasing amount of pressure in rolling. Takes about 20 minutes of solid effort. I like using my legs and feet- it saves my back!

Felt! Now it is time for Fulling. Fulling is the tightening up and solidification of felt. The scarf can hold together on it's own at the felt stage, but is not durable. Fulling makes it into the fabric most people consider a "felted" item. Fulling = Hot water + throwing + punching + squeezing + rubbing + time

The finish felted wool scarf. Notice, it has lost almost half it's length and nearly a third of it's width. 

Visit www.entworks.etsy.com for more of my hand made collection of woolen products.

Poppy Appeal

The Royal British Legion has started their Poppy Appeal and EntWorks is supporting the cause with felted wool flower pins. 100% of the profit will be donated to help "providing welfare, comradeship, representation and Remembrance for the Armed Forces community." 

For more information, please go to http://www.poppy.org.uk/