Monday, March 2, 2009

Happiness is... making cobweb felt


There are flashes of bright colours all through this scarf







This one is a bit more muted, with tones of green and turquoise





On my quest to de-stress over the weekend I decided to get on and do some more felt-making, because I thoroughly enjoy it AND the results are going to be birthday presents for some lovely people I know (whom I sort of hope don't read this blog very often, otherwise they won't be very surprised by their impending parcels!).


Detail of the mohair and silk noile inclusions that give an irridescent quality to the material




Cobweb felt - my name for it? - is very sheer felt made by laying out gossamer-thin layers of wool and fulling the fibres very gently indeed by rolling them up in a bamboo mat and rolling them forwards and backwards hundreds of times until the fibres mat together and form felt. I've not done it before but found instructions, which I adapted to my own needs, in a book. I am really pleased with the results and in addition to that, I spent a pleasant afternoon outside in the garden making everything so I came in yesterday evening feeling as if the sea breeze had blown away the cobwebs in my head at least and that I'd thoroughly enjoyed the meditative aspects of repetitiously fulling the scarves.



This white scarf is one of the first I made and its edges are rougher






... but I love the colours against the white

2 comments:

  1. There is something amazingly transformative about repetitive actions. (Is this where I should admit I have taken up knitting/crocheting/weaving again in the last year and now miss it terribly if I don't get my fix in front of the telly every night?) I have used repetitive actions when working with special needs children who are a bit strung out. It always works! Your scarves are gorgeous!

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  2. This is really lovely! If you ever feel like posting a bit more of a step-by-step I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one who would be thrilled....

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