BUSTER AND THE FELTED (?)

Saturday morning and no snow yet (just a little bit predicted).  Husband is off to lunch with his Mom, it's me and Buster the Beagle and felt.  Here goes......This is not a tutorial but has some of the qualities and I hope, lot's of humor.

OK,  I'm in the kitchen and am making this little bowl/trinket holder.  The roving is around a piece of round cardboard called a "resist" (can be out of anything that can hold it's shape while water is flooding  it).  I would have shown the beginning of this process, but I didn't get the idea for this post earlier).  You can see the bubblewrap, dishsoap, rubber and bamboo mats.  Oh, there's the crab mallet!

Here's my stove - da - where I heat my water.  I use very hot water - boil it and add some cool water.  My hands are always cold, so I like it HOT HOT HOT - the wool doesn't seem to mind. Below is a picture of my island with some beautiful roving I got from Sara's Texture Crafts.   I also used green Merino wool in my piece.   Like the old pumpkins? Soon to go to the backyard to make more pumpkins next year.

Here's a closeup - this is beautiful Shetland wool roving.  I have to tell you, it smells like sheep...if you like that sort of thing....I DO  - even will go so far as to rock the bundle like a newborn sheep.  My children will not find this a surprise.  The colors are beautiful!!

"But What About Buster?"

He's crying to go out.  It's very cold outside so/AND I'm in the midst of felting.  Have I felted him a sweater or even knitted him one?  No..bad Mommy.  I throw him the dishtowel so he has something to play with (no, I don't use it for cooking or felting).   But he's not satisfied and continues to cry - thank goodness, no howls yet.  

We got Buster about three years ago at a pound in another county.  We had lost our cockapoo Thumper.  I wanted another dog like her, but Ken wanted a beagle.  I grew up with beagles when I was a girl and my daughter has two beagles (oddly, one is named Buster).  We fell in love with him the first time we saw him.  He is sweet and playful and dedicated to me - what a guy!  But he has to be patient now.

BACK TO FELTING


Here's a closeup of the "piece" before cutting a hole in the center.  It's felted and pretty much done. I am noticing that the Shetland is getting really rough and pilling alot so I'm not going to rough it up.  I'm also noticing, I don't like the colors very much.  I'm hoping that will change.

Now, I cut a hold in the center with some very sharp scissors.  I have to be careful to not cut it too big, because it could get out of control later after more felting.  I also must cut straight down and not at an angle.

Then, I take out the cardboard.  Yuck!  They say, and it is true, that you can save the resist for later use.  Lately, no way - at least not with the mini vessels.  So, I'm pulling out pieces of cardboard which turned somewhat green - shall I make any analogies here?

So, now I have to take care of the edges where I cut the hole.  I'm taking some dishwashing liquid, Palmolive in this case, and going around the edges in the direction I did the cut.  Later, I will soothe it with my mini wallpaper roller and pieces of crumpled plastic garbage bags.

"But What About Buster?

He is going to the chair in the kitchen where my coat is and giving me a clear message.  I think that's pretty cool - he's not crying or howling, though.  Then he's looking away with a yawn, "Mommy's too busy, Oh Well."

After working more on the piece .... dipping it in water, stuffing it with pieces of plastic grocery bags and rolling it in the bubble and bamboo mats, coaxing it, running it under very hot water and then cold to further shrink it and shock the wool.....it's ready to go upstairs to the bathroom - no, I told you I took the cardboard out.

It's time for a little tapping with the crab mallet to further full it and see what I have here.

Next, my favorite part, I get a razor (cheap throwaway) and give it a shave.  Yes, it is hairy from the Shetland wool and I can't say I'm loving the color, but I know to wait.  In the picture below you will see where I have shaved some of the Shetland away from the green Merino.

I'm beginning to like the colors better.  Interesting that not more fuzz is coming off.  I have to be careful because I could shave off too much.

Last time I did this on a red piece and I didn't clean up the red fuzz, my husband thought I had trimmed my hair again (I must confess, I love to cut my hair).

"But What About Buster?
      

Take a look - he has an interesting cockey attitude.  Could it be something to do with that ball on the floor? Hmmmmm.  Maybe he's trying to make a deal to go you know where.  Not yet, big boy.

OH MY GOSH, TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!!!!!

DO YOU THINK HE EVER MADE IT TO HIS DESTINATION?

YES, YES, YES, OF COURSE HE DID ALTHOUGH IT WAS SHORT.

NOW THE SNOW IS FALLING AND HE'S AT PEACE.  DADDY IS COMING HOME, THE "PIECE" IS ON THE RADIATOR VENT DRYING IN HOPES THAT IT WILL BE PRETTY AND MOMMY HAS FUZZ/HAIR IN THE SINK AND A MESS DOWNSTAIRS.  ALL IS WELL.

Stay tuned for the next saga to see if the "piece" becomes a toy for Buster, gets beads and goes on Etsy, or to a shop.