Crooked Pines Farm is home to a diverse array of wool-bearing animals, from our flock of heritage breed sheep to our friendly alpacas. Each season, we eagerly await the day when our animals are shorn, carefully collecting their soft, lofty fleece to transform into an array of beautiful handmade goods. One of our favorite ways to celebrate this annual wool harvest is through the enchanting craft of wool felting.
Types of Wool Fleece
The wool we harvest from our farm comes in a wide variety of natural colors and textures, each with its own unique properties. Our Shetland sheep, for example, produce a fine, crimpy wool that felts beautifully, while the coarser fleece of our Wensleydale sheep lends itself well to needle felting projects. We also cherish the luxuriously soft undercoat fiber from our alpacas, which adds a lovely halo to felted creations.
Wool Fiber Properties
Wool is an incredibly versatile natural fiber, prized for its warmth, resilience, and ability to hold dye. The crimp and scale structure of wool fibers allows them to interlock and bind together through the felting process, creating a dense, durable fabric. This felting property is what gives wool its remarkable insulating qualities and makes it so well-suited for creating everything from cozy sweaters to sturdy home goods.
Wool Felting Techniques
There are two primary felting methods we use at Crooked Pines Farm: wet felting and needle felting. Wet felting involves agitating the wool fibers in hot, soapy water, causing them to mat and bind together. This technique produces large, seamless felt pieces that can be molded into hats, bags, and other three-dimensional forms. Needle felting, on the other hand, uses a specialty barbed needle to repeatedly pierce and interlock the wool fibers, allowing us to build up unique sculptural designs one fiber at a time.
Fiber Preparation for Felting
Cleaning and Carding Wool
Before we can begin felting, we need to properly prepare our wool fleece. We start by carefully skirting and washing the raw fiber, removing any vegetable matter, dirt, or excess lanolin. Once the wool is clean and dry, we use a drum carder to align the fibers and create fluffy, uniform batts – the perfect starting point for both wet and needle felting projects.
Dyeing Wool Fleece
Many of our felted creations feature vibrant, one-of-a-kind colors, thanks to our skilled wool dyeing techniques. We experiment with a variety of natural and plant-based dyes, like cochineal, madder, and indigo, to achieve rich, earthy hues that complement the inherent variations in our wool. Some of our favorite dyed fleece combinations include the deep burgundy of our Merino wool blended with the golden tones of Shetland, or the striking contrast of jet-black Corriedale with brilliant turquoise alpaca.
Blending Wool Fibers
In addition to dyeing, we also enjoy blending different wool fibers to create unique felted textures and visual interest. The crimp and loft of Shetland wool, for example, pairs beautifully with the silky smoothness of our alpaca fiber, resulting in a soft, drapey felt. Coarser fibers like Wensleydale or Lincoln wool can also be incorporated to add textural elements, such as delicate nubs or rustic slubs, to our felted pieces.
Felting Project Ideas
Felted Hats and Accessories
One of the most rewarding felting projects is creating warm, whimsical hats and accessories. Using the wet felting method, we can shape the wool around molds to craft classic brimmed hats, cozy berets, or even fanciful animal-inspired headpieces. For a personal touch, we often needle felt intricate designs or playful motifs onto the felt, like delicate flowers, quirky creatures, or our farm’s iconic logo.
Felted Home Decor Items
Felting also lends itself beautifully to practical home goods and decorative accents. We’ve crafted plush, durable rugs and floor cushions, as well as charming felted bowls, trivets, and coasters to adorn our farmhouse. By layering different colors and textures of wool, we can design one-of-a-kind felted artwork to hang on the walls or display on our shelves.
Felted Functional Objects
Beyond the realm of fashion and home decor, the versatility of felted wool allows us to create a variety of functional objects for the farm and kitchen. Sturdy, water-resistant felted tote bags are perfect for gathering eggs or harvesting our seasonal produce. We’ve even felted custom pot holders and trivets to protect our hands and surfaces when cooking with the farm-fresh ingredients we grow.
Felting Experimentation and Creativity
Combining Felting with Other Crafts
At Crooked Pines Farm, we’re always exploring new ways to incorporate our felted wool into other creative projects. We’ve combined needle felting with embroidery to produce stunning textile art, and we’ve even experimented with pressing dried botanicals, like lavender or eucalyptus, directly into the felt. The possibilities are endless when you harness the natural beauty and versatility of wool fiber.
Exploring Unique Felting Designs
Our felted creations are a true reflection of the diverse wildlife, flora, and landscapes that inspire us here on the farm. From whimsical animal figures to abstract, nature-inspired patterns, we relish the opportunity to push the boundaries of traditional felting techniques. Whether it’s sculpting a playful sheep or crafting a delicate, lace-like design, each felted piece we make is a unique work of art.
Felting Workshops and Skill-Building
Sharing our passion for wool felting is another important aspect of life at Crooked Pines Farm. Throughout the year, we host a variety of hands-on workshops and classes, where both children and adults can learn the fundamentals of wet and needle felting. It brings us great joy to guide others in discovering the endless creative potential of this ancient fiber art, and to see the delight on their faces as they transform raw wool into something truly special.
As we reflect on the annual wool harvest, we are continually in awe of the natural bounty that surrounds us here on the farm. From the vibrant fleece of our sheep to the soft, silky fiber of our alpacas, each and every strand holds the potential to be transformed into something extraordinary through the art of wool felting. We invite you to join us in celebrating the beauty and versatility of this remarkable material, and to let your creativity soar as you craft your own unique felted treasures.
