Every time a package of wool or other fibers arrives at my door, it's like Christmas. I love digging my hands into a bag of roving and experiencing the texture. One of my favorite day trips is to The Fold, wool shop, where I can indulge all of my senses in the array of fibers.
Although, most natural fibers can be needle felted, some are better than others. Some are also better for certain tasks, whether doll hair or the fur of a squirrel. It took me a lot of trial and error to discover which fibers to use for which creations. So I'll share a little of what I've learned.
So here is my list of favorite fibers:
Angora -- Difficult to felt, but it adds bunny spirit and feel to some of my luxury bunnies.
Cashmere -- Cashmere is not easy to felt, however it's velvety texture is second to none. I usually blend it with another fiber. My needle felted bunny's underside is one of the places I use cashmere.
Yak -- Similar to cashmere in texture, yak comes in dark colors that add luxury to some of my needle felted animals.
Llama -- Another luxury fiber, easy to felt and adds softness to some of my wool animals.
Camel -- Difficult to felt, but oh so lovely. Similar to cashmere. I sometimes mix in some baby camel with other fibers for my puppies.
Tussah silk -- Tussah silk adds shine and texture to my Waldorf angels' wings. I also use it to accent their dresses and gold-dyed for angel halos.
Corriedale-- A basic wool that is great for the core of my creatures and dolls.
Colonial -- Another wonderful basic core wool and all around multipurpose felting wool.
Shetland -- Can be used for cores, but it is so soft sometimes I would feel guilty putting it inside. Very nice, multipurpose. Some of my creatures are a mix of shetland and alpaca.
BFL -- I love BFL, it has an incredible sheen. I use BFL for the dresses on some of my needle felted dolls. I also love it for wavy hair. When it is wet it curls up.
Merino-- By far one of my most useful fibers. Merino is often the wool that finishes the dressses of my angels and fairies. I also use merino wool for angel wings. Merino is very soft and fine. I also use dark merino wool for some of my woodland creatures.
Alpaca -- My favorite fiber because it is the best of both worlds, easy to felt and luxurious. My woodland creatures wear coats of alpaca. It comes in a variety of natural hues, so often I don't even need to dye it. Suri alpaca also makes wonderful doll hair.
Here are some books that may help you understand wool:
The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers
The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn
Although, most natural fibers can be needle felted, some are better than others. Some are also better for certain tasks, whether doll hair or the fur of a squirrel. It took me a lot of trial and error to discover which fibers to use for which creations. So I'll share a little of what I've learned.
So here is my list of favorite fibers:
Angora -- Difficult to felt, but it adds bunny spirit and feel to some of my luxury bunnies.
Cashmere -- Cashmere is not easy to felt, however it's velvety texture is second to none. I usually blend it with another fiber. My needle felted bunny's underside is one of the places I use cashmere.
Yak -- Similar to cashmere in texture, yak comes in dark colors that add luxury to some of my needle felted animals.
Llama -- Another luxury fiber, easy to felt and adds softness to some of my wool animals.
Tussah silk -- Tussah silk adds shine and texture to my Waldorf angels' wings. I also use it to accent their dresses and gold-dyed for angel halos.
Corriedale-- A basic wool that is great for the core of my creatures and dolls.
Colonial -- Another wonderful basic core wool and all around multipurpose felting wool.
Shetland -- Can be used for cores, but it is so soft sometimes I would feel guilty putting it inside. Very nice, multipurpose. Some of my creatures are a mix of shetland and alpaca.
BFL -- I love BFL, it has an incredible sheen. I use BFL for the dresses on some of my needle felted dolls. I also love it for wavy hair. When it is wet it curls up.
Merino-- By far one of my most useful fibers. Merino is often the wool that finishes the dressses of my angels and fairies. I also use merino wool for angel wings. Merino is very soft and fine. I also use dark merino wool for some of my woodland creatures.
Alpaca -- My favorite fiber because it is the best of both worlds, easy to felt and luxurious. My woodland creatures wear coats of alpaca. It comes in a variety of natural hues, so often I don't even need to dye it. Suri alpaca also makes wonderful doll hair.
Here are some books that may help you understand wool:
The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers
The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn
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