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Needle Felting Machine

White felting machine

I recently purchased a Simplicity 12 needle felting machine.  I was concerned that it wouldn’t work well with batting and roving, being thicker than yarn.  But my back was begging me to get some help with the nuno felted scarves.  I had progressed from rolling them out on the floor to a high table which did help a lot.  Unfortunately, the continuous rolling and pressure was still taking a toll on my body since I had so many scarves to make.

The machine works beautifully and really speeds up production.  I am not able to make the lock scarves (learned this the hard way by breaking 3 needles) with it but it handles the processed wool and cotton scrim fine.  I do still finish the scarves by wet felting, rolling them. But I probably spend half the time at that stage as I would without the felting machine.

I am so pleased with this investment.  It is great for embellishing as well.  For flat felting or production work it saves your body from the punishment that wet felting can deal out.

cotton and wool scarves

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Shorter Locks This Year

black wool locks

I usually have all the sheep sheared in June and have done so since I got them 6+ years ago.  This year, under the advisement of my wonderful shearer John Sanchez, I had them sheared in April.  This has given me a 10 month growth coat instead of the regular 12 month growth.  I have lost a considerable amount of length in my locks because of this.  In some cases up to 3″ less.

black wool locks
Still soft and bouncy and full of luster!

I am concerned that hand spinners won’t be as drawn to these locks now because they are shorter staple.  Even though I have to say they are the cleanest fleeces I have ever gotten from my flock.  I will be selling the washed and picked locks as I have before online at my Etsy store.  I am interested to see how these shorter locks do compared to the long ones of last year.

If they are as well received I might like to move even to two shearings a year to get cleaner wool and more of it from my fiber sheep. But I also definitely want to keep my hand-spinning and fiber enthusiast customers happy.  I will post the responses I get.  Fingers crossed.