Felted!

Manipulating the vessel

I am trying something new - to me - wet-felting using a resist. I started with slippers, which were a complete failure, mainly because I didn't have the right sort of resist - sheet plastic *doesn't* work. I think the fleece was also too wet and not soapy enough. I tried again yesterday, after cutting my losses with the slippers (and a lot of roving down the drain, so to speak).

Unsuccessful slipper

It *looked* all right, but it just wasn't sticking together properly, and it was really wet, even when I left it overnight. It was soggy and falling to bits when I unwrapped it the next morning.

However, I did learn a lot; and when I checked the internet again I found a couple of great tutorials and followed one to make a 'vessel' using a resist. Now, a felt pot isn't a terribly useful thing (though I suppose I could make some felt flowers to put in it!) but it was at least a success. I need a lot of things to make the next one better (including a baby rattle if I can find one of the right shape). And then I may be ready to try slippers again.

Roving, dyed by me!

Making the pot used a surprising amount of roving, so I am going to look for some big turkey-cooking size pans, and see if I can't make more of each colour than I have been. And then I suppose it's back to the Mill to get some more fleece! This is the left-over roving in the colours I used for the pot. I have quite a lot of greens, so I suppose the next pot, or the slippers, will be greens. I think I need to add some more blues to my palette. And have a whole lot more fun.

Next up: Nuno felting. Now *that* looks like a lot of fun.

Success!