Fiber Play!

My friend Ercil and I have had a couple of fun fiber play-dates recently.

In June, we visited Ranch of the Oaks in Lompoc.  Tom and Mette Goehring raise alpacas, llamas and Icelandic sheep, and have their own fiber processing mill.  Mette introduced us to the animals and Tom gave us a tour of the mill.

Ercil fell in love with a sheep – which she bought!







I was a little more restrained, I bought a felted bat right off the felting table in the mill.  I’ve been looking for an area rug for my newly redecorated sitting/sewing room.  When I saw the bat – all cushy and fluffy at the edges I had a vision – a needle felting vision!

Now, Bijou the cat thinks the plain bat makes a fine rug just as it is.

I envisioned something with a little more color.





Last week Ercil and I got together again for more fiber play in her shady backyard.  We laid out the batt and drew the outline for my design with a Sharpie marker.  Then we got started felting.

After the basic outline was in, we got out the drum carder and Ercil’s collection of colored rovings from Mielke’s Fiber Arts, plus some odds and ends from my stash.  We created some scrumptious colored batts for my design.


Back at home, I started filling in the design.  Needle felting has a much higher instant gratification quotient than most of my art forms – I can see progress right away.  In fact, I have to be careful to pace myself and not try to finish it all at once.  I want to make the fun last!