Barnsdale Gardens: Wet Felted Scarf
Barnsdale Gardens: Wet Felted Scarf 29 October or 4 November
Wet Felted Art Scarves are a lovely mix of wool, silk and textures with a lacy feel. They are made by laying down lots of different colours of merino wool and extras. To felt them we add hot water soap and agitate the fibres together with our hands and other felting tools. Layering out the fibres is easiest when you stand so this class will be lots of standing. The wet felting process is quite physical and wet but only takes up an hour of the day, some of this process is easiest standing too. Please bring an apron to keep you dry, rubber gloves (for touching hot water) and small hand towel. All other materials will be supplied.
The class will run from 10:15am to 3:45pm, there will be a 45 minute break for lunch (café onsite or bring your own).
This workshop is to make a large wet felted art scarf filled with colour, texture and holes. I will teach you about the wool and textures before we begin. We start by laying out a thin layer of wool to plan the size and shape of the scarf, each student can choose a shape of their choice. Silk ribbons, dyed curls, threads and merino wool will be added to form the back of the shawl. More layers of fibre will be added to create strength. We’ll stop for lunch and then a final layer will be laid for the front of the scarf with lots more textures. Once all the wool has been laid, we will pour hot soapy water and gently agitate the fibres together. The felting process takes about 45 mins and then we begin fulling the wool to shrink the fibres and add strength. Once the scarf has been fulled, it will be rinsed and pressed in a towel to take out the dampness. Your shawl can be taken home and you can embellish it to your heart’s content or wear it once dry.
This scarf is limited to 3 students to allow each of you to have a large space to work. You may choose to make a long narrow scarf or a wide shawl type scarf before we begin.
The finished felted scarf is strong and can be worn once dry. It can be washed in by hand in a cold bowl of water but don’t agitate too much or it might keep shrinking!