I’ve had an affinity for wool all my life. Growing up, wool wasn’t a part of my world very often. When I came near it I felt almost an aching, my soul yearned for it so much. When we visited my aunt, with her giant loom, and saw her weavings and wool-workings, something inside of me would stir. I wanted to bring the fluffy mass of wool up to my face and breathe in it’s familiar scent. Wool smells like home to me.
My aunt saw the love in my eyes and she shared gifts to foster my dream. I started playing with wool. I learned to knit. Then, after Jeff and I started selling art at the Eugene Saturday Market, I found myself gravitating towards the booths that had wool. In a wondrous wool booth, we met a friend named Ayala. She had all sorts of creations in wool, including wool creatures that she needle felted. That was the first time I saw needle felting and I was intrigued. For Christmas one year, Jeff surprised me and bought me her book:

 ‘The Felting Needle. Further Fantasies.’ 

 What even was needle felting?

In the foreword, Ayala wrote:

 I still felt intimidated by needle felting, thinking that it would be difficult and that I needed some special skill. 

Then I saw this page…..

It was an epiphany!
Peck the wool like a bird, that sounded easy enough!

…And I was off…!!

Needle felting up a storm and making all kinds of creatures!

I didn’t even read about techniques in the book at first, I just went for it, because I learn best by doing and experimenting for myself. After I had been needle felting for awhile, I went back and read Ayala’s book thoroughly and saw directions for preparing wool and some good tips and tricks (like coloring cheeks lightly, with the side of a colored pencil, which I used on the blueberry gnome.) Her book was not only filled with tips, but lots of fun project ideas aside colorful photos. She shared word of encouragement, good advice (like park idle needles safely), and humorous tidbits.
There was so much inspiration in those pages!

{needle felted daisy on a wool pouch, filled with lavender}

Anyone can needle felt with wool and you’ll be amazed how easy it is!
So, want to needle felt with wool?

You will need: 

Wool
Felting Needle
Foam Rubber Pad

 To help get you started:

The foam rubber pad is to protect you from getting poked by the felting needle (and at the same time not adhere to the wool.) Ayala’s book is a wonderful resource and you can find her books, along with felting needles for sale, on her website. Our friends, Inge and Wolf of Timberwolf Farm, have a complete needle felting kit for sale with everything you need to get you started. They also sell wool for needle felting, from the sheep they raise, and dye it in beautiful colors with natural dyes they grow in their garden. With the popularity of needle felting these days, your local yarn shop might even carry the supplies.

Off you go!

Once you’ve got what you need to start, you can put the foam rubber pad in your lap, then place your wool on top of that. You can roll your fluffy mass of wool into a ball (or whatever you would like for a 3D shape) or place some on a flat already-felted piece of wool (for a 2D creation) and start poking with your felting needle.

Congratulations!
You are now needle felting!

 (Seriously, it’s that easy!)