Wool Obsession

There are two basic ways to make felt from fiber: needle felting and wet felting. Very few supplies are needed to get started with either form of this craft.

For wet felting, the only equipment you’ll need is wool, alpaca, or another fiber that felts readily, soap and dishwashing liquid, hot and cold water, and sink and a container to use to hold the wet wool while you’re felting it. If you’re interested in learning more, some good instructions can be found Gleason’s Fine Woolies Ranch web site.

Needle felting isn’t much more equipment-intensive. You’ll need wool or another felting fiber, a felting needle, scissors, and some foam rubber to use as a surface to felt on. Instructions on needle felting can be found on the Owing-Alpaca.com site.

If you’re ready to try out needle felting, here are some needle felting kits from eBay:

Click a picture or description to get more information or to place your bid.

If you’d prefer to buy supplies individually instead of in a kit, here are some felting needles and other felting supplies from Joann.com. Click the pictures for more information.

If you’re buying felting needles separately, make sure you get the right gauge for the fiber you’re planning to work with. For medium wools, you’ll want a 36 or 38 gauge needle. For finer fibers, get a 38 or 40 gauge. For coarser fibers, get a 32 gauge needle.