Felt and Materials

More recent felt to share :) Couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I have been asked to send some shawls upto Woolfest with Classic Carders (for their display & for sale).  I had a grand old time carding up lots of yummy batts on their newly teaked design Jumbo Carder.  Here are 2 shawls made from them.  These shawls are a little heavier than most of my shawls.. really snuggly & warm.  I made beaten copper wire pins to go with them, using a couple of pretty beads salvaged from broken necklaces... my mom gave me a pot of them for Christmas :)  They are coming in very useful.

Used my favourite aubergene pure silk velvet (strips torn from it anyway) for the sirface design

 

Lots of silk in this one.  I pulled a silk cap into roving and used it to 'draw' on one side.  Used some pretty green BFL locks too for texture



Had an unfortunate incident with this green one.  For what is now the inside I had planned a swirl of silk leaves blowing across... all was going well; I had cut lots of lovely leaf shapes from a dyed silk cap and scattered them across the laid out shawl.  Unfortunately my brain must of gone to sleep while I did this 'cos I laid them down BEFORE wetting the merino, of course when I sprinkled water over it most of them distored out of shape.  The leaves were so delicate that there was no chance of lifting them and pulling back into shape.  So now the inside just has an abstract silk pattern in it... which is fine it still looks nice enough. 

I do learn from my mistakes though.. I made a little summer scarf from a pretty blue batt (with masses of silk in) I peeled extremely thin layers and laid in on white silk chiffon.. then cut some silk fish shapes.  And remembered to wet out before putting them in place :)



Silk fish swimming upstream

I loved using this silk chiffon, it felted in SO easily.  The picture on the top right of the collage shows the silk side.  I decided to dye a load and offer it in my Folksy shop in scarf length pieces - scarf length for nuno felting that is - 2 meters long by about 45cm.  I had a peacock blue dye bath going earlier this week, after I'd dyed everything that I intended to there was still quite a bit of dye left in the pot - so I dropped in a scarf length to exhaust the bath.  Its turned out a really delicate light peacock blue.. 

dyed silk chiffon for nuno felting

Today I placed a 10kg wholesale fibre order that I am planning to dye up.  I'll be keeping some for my own stash, but lots will be finding its way into my shop.  The only thing I havent figured out yet is just where all of this extra fibre is going to live...lol

The kids broke up for half term today (off again already?!)  so there shant be much work going on here next week!  Gary has next week off too - I'm looking forward to some nice family time, lets hope the sun shines and it doesnt rain.

Hope you have a good bank holiday weekend whatever you are planning

xx