1ST TRY AT NEEDLE FELTING

HERES A FEW ITEMS IVE TRYED SO FAR AT MY ATTEMPT TO LEARN NEEDLE FELTIN...SO I REASERACHED ON IT A BIT, TOOK A TRIP TO A LOCAL ALPACHA FARM...(EARLIER POST ABOUT IT!) AND HERES MY 1ST ATTEMPTS..CAT TOYS, WHICH THEY LOVE (OUR CAT MIKOIN THE PIC)!!! AND THEN THERES A DAINTY LITTLE FLOWER THAT I WILL ATTACH TO HAIR CLIPS FOR THE GIRLS! SO WHATCHA ALL THINK?? IT THINK ITS PRETTY COOL!! I REALLY WANT TO GET MORE CREATIVE AND MAKE SOME MINITURE ANIMAL FIGURES..OMG! LOOK THEM UP SOME TIME ON ETSY..PEOPLE OUT THEIR MAKE THE COOLEST REALIST CREATURES

KOOL AID--NOT JUST FOR DRINKS!

I TRYED MY HAND AT DYING MY ALPACA ROVING SO I COULD HAVE OTHER COLORS TO WORK WITH IN MY NEEDLE FELTING I RESEARCHED AND CAME UP WITH A SOLUTION..KOOL-AID, MICROWAVE, WATER, AND VINAGER. tHE RESULTS ARE GREAT! AND IT TOOK ONLY ABOUT 3 MINUTES PER BATCH OR COLOR SCHEME. HERES SOME PICS!! AND THE STEPS TO DYING!

STEP1) -----SOAK PULLED PIECES OF ROVING IN 1/2C. VINAGAR AND 1 QT WARM TAP WATER

STEP2)-----CRADLE ROVING GENTLY (SO U DONT FELT IT!!)AND REMOVE FROM BOWL (SAVE WATER MIX), PAT DRY WITH TOWEL AND PLACE IN MICROWAVE SAFE BOWL

STEP 3)--- POUR SMALL AMOUNT SAVED WATER MIX ON TOP, JUST ENOUGH TO COVER BOTTON AND ROVING, ADD KOOLAID PACKET(S), OR TRY WILTON FOOD GEL COLORS OR FOOD COLORING

STEP4)--- MICROWAVE THIS BOWL FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTED..DONT LET BOIL AND THEN TAKE IT OUT, LET COOL IN BOWL, REMOVE VERY GENTLY AND PAT DRY LET ROVING LAY ON TOWELS TO DRY OVER NIGHT

STEP5)---- ENJOY YOUR COLOERED ROVING!

ALPACA ROVING

SO UR PROBABLY GOING WHATS ALPACA ROVING? WELL ITS FIBER FROM A SHAVED ALPACA THATS WHEN WASHED & CARDED. ITS SO SOFT..LIKE CASHMIRE. I DECIDED RECENTLY THAT I WANTED TO TRY MY HAND AT NEEDLE FELTING, SO I FOUND A SWEET LADY HERE LOCAL THAT HAS A CUTE LIL ALPACA FARM. WE WENT FOR A VISIT WITH THE INTENT TO BUY SOME ALPACA ROVING. THE GIRLS WHERE SO EXCITED THEY KEPT SAYING LETS GO TO THE 'PACKA FARM'. WHEN WE GOT THERE DENISE, THE OWNER TOOK THE TIME TO SHOW ME THE PROCESS OF ALL THE HARD WORK IT TAKES TO MAKE THE SHAVINGS INTO ROVING, AND THEN WE VENTURED OUTSIDE WHERE SHE TAUGHT US AND ANSWERED QUESTIONED ABOUT HER ALPACA HERD. THE GIRLS GOT TO PET THE BABIES AND CHICKENS AND HER 2 SWEET GREAT PYRENEES DOGS (OH AND HER FRENCH BULLGOG WAS THE CUTIEST EVEN IF IT DIDNT CARE FOR KIDS). IT WAS REALLY FUN! AND I GOT A NICE SIZE BAG OF ROVING THAT WE ALL CANT STOP PETTING! I PLAN TO NEEDLE FELT AND TRY SOME EXPERIMENTS WITH DYING, WHICH ILL BLOG ABOUT LATER!