Pattern: Mini succulent kit by Felted Sky (from a YarnYay box)
New skills: Needle felting
Lessons: I’m not sure if felting is my thing. My FO looked a little greebly, and while that’s an expected outcome on my first try, I don’t think I enjoyed the process enough to warrant investing the time to improve my skills.
Using a straight up/down stabbing motion will reduce stress on the needle and prevent it from breaking.
Roving and felting wool (i.e. batting) are different! After carding, batting is layered in sheets, which results in the fibers being a little less aligned. Roving is pulled off the carding machine in ropes, so that fibers remain aligned.
Stabbing the same section repeatedly will compact the fiber more, and create a more concave shape. Similarly, it’s possible to pinch and tilt the piece to felt the fibers at an angle to fix them into a concave shape.
Repeatedly turning the piece is important while felting on a foam block, as the wool fibers will start to get poked into the block (I had to peel it off before the first turn each time).
What I’d do differently: I had a hard time assembling the leaves into a plant, maybe because I’d already felted the ends too much before assembly.