pumpkin

Tonight I started a new hobby. Needle felting. I have ALMOST everything I need to get started, but I admit, I am missing the foam mat work surface, which is super important. However that did not stop me from creating my first little project: a pumpkin!

It’s definitely not perfect, but for a first attempt I am happy with it! I really enjoy the repetitive stabbing motion that is required. It is definitely therapeutic. I want to learn both how to make sculptures of my wool, as well as create 2 dimensional wool paintings using similar, if not the same – techniques.

I am hoping the rest of my equipment, well – the foam mat work surface, will arrive tomorrow and then I can get a lot more practice in the art form. I will admit I stabbed my finger once or twice tonight, even though I had on leather finger protection. Ouch! That hurt.

My pumpkin, while amazing in my mind, isn’t exactly flawless. It could probably stand me stabbing it a bit more to tame some of the fly-away wool fibers.

Once I get the foam mat, I know I am going to jump right into ‘painting with wool.’ I absolutely love the look and feel of it from what I have seen. All the joy of painting, with a lot less mess!

In my order today I received some white core wool, a set of 40 variety of colored wool, the tools needed (essentially the barbed needles, and leather finger protective covers), and a book to guide me in my journey to learning needle felting.

Questions I have at the moment, when is too much poking? Is your project supposed to be firm, or have a little give to it like a stuffed animal? I don’t know yet, but I am going to have to look it up. On the pumpkin I made, the stem is super firm, while there is some slight give to the tiny pumpkin.

I am full of pride that I haven’t yet broken a needle, but I expect it to happen at some point. I just thought it would happen on my first day! Although I have been cautious not to bend the needle while in the wool, so it doesn’t bend/break. I know it is only a matter of time before it breaks.