2 oz Dreamsicle Orange Cheviot Wool Batts

Description

This wool is great for needle felters! There are 2 ounces of dreamsicle orange Cheviot wool in this lot.

About needle felting:
I'm a needle felter and I love it! Needle felting is a relatively young art; while felting needles have been around since the dawn of the industrial era, they've only been used as a sculpture tool since the 1980's. Thus, needle felters have mostly had to use materials that have long been produced for other purposes.

About my wool:
The fiber industry has for centuries been geared towards spinners mainly, with wet felters getting some consideration. But fiber that is great for spinning and wet felting is often not the best for needle felting. Because needle felting has gained in popularity as more people have discovered it, you'll see most wool for sale these days labeled "Great for needle felting!" which can be misleading. I've tried a lot of different fibers, and I got tired of buying wool that promised to meet my needs and only left me disappointed. Merino, for instance, is extremely popular with spinners for its crimp and softness. However, you'll spend the rest of your natural life trying to needle felt a larger piece all out of merino. I love the softness, but it's not worth my time! Corriedale is another popular wool, and it does felt faster, but I find that no matter how long I poke at it I'm still left with a 'halo' of stray fibers poking out every which way. So I set out to find breeds of wool that felt up fast with the needle and give a nice, clean surface. I select individual fleeces and then hand wash, hand card, and hand dye them in small lots. I test felt each fleece to get an idea of how it felts with needles.

About this particular fleece:
Cheviot is medium wool that is usually longer in staple. It is very springy and has a helical crimp that makes it look more wavy than crimpy. It needle felts well and gives a sturdy solid surface that is not as soft to the touch as Dorset or Montadale. I love Cheviot as a core fiber, but most of the Cheviot fleeces I've processed wash up so cleanly white that I can't resist dyeing them, as well. You will get a bit of halo with Cheviot, but it can usually be felted down solid with a little effort.

About this color:
This is a pale orange; it looks just like an orange dreamsicle bar!

Added on Oct 30, 2009