Wednesday Craft Group - Wet felt pincishions (balls)

Back into the swing with our first project for the year, felted pincushions. Simple yet very practical. We have loads of new families joining in this year, many who have never needed such an object before ~ in a few weeks they will be so glad they own one.

Very quickly, to make your own pincushion (or a ball, why not make three and learn to juggle) find some old scrappy bits of wool ~ fleece, leftover yarn, your children's long forgotten finger knitting practice pieces) and ball it up tightly. With your wool roving start wrapping pretty firmly until it is a decent sized ball. Remember that it will shrink as it felts.

At this stage you may like to add some strands of wool yarn (not acrylic nor superwash wool ~ neither will felt)

Wet down your ball with warm soapy water; you can plunge it in the sink/bucket or spray it on but you don't want it soaking. GENTLY, very gently ~ this bit is very important ~ begin to pat your ball all around, slowly, slowly, turning and patting NOT rolling yet.

If you start too vigorously you will end up with a matted brain rather than a smooth ball.
When it begins to felt you can start to gently roll the ball in your hands, you will feel it start to firm up and as it does you can add more pressure to you roll.

Once the fibres are matted together so they pinch up as a solid surface rather than individual fibres you are well on your way ~ start rubbing and rolling on bubble wrap or your sink draining board. To full (strengthen) the ball, thrown it around a bit and run it under hot and then cold water a few times.

If you got really bored with the whole process you could put it in the washing machine (in a sock/old stocking) or do your fulling in the dryer for 10-15 minutes.

We also made some flat felt pieces which next week will will turn into scissor cases ~ I'll be sure to pdf the pattern for you.

The wee girl fell asleep in the car on the way home, so I didn't get two hours of quilt work done but I did make my first block

 

and then three more. Only 139 of these ones to go, then I go back to the cutting mat.