FELTED VESSEL

I've become more and more interested in creating my own felted 'material' and have begun experimenting with other felting methods. It's challenging to 'learn on your own', but fun.

 Felted vessels....bowls, pots, vases etc. have always held interest for me.  So, what the heck.....maybe I can make one myself.  I don't have a vast stash of wool roving/prefelt batts etc. but why should that stop me?

 My step-by-step photos are really lacking here as I got so intent on what I was doing that I totally forgot to document the process.  But basically, wool roving strands are stacked on top of each other....altering the direction of how they are placed.  A plastic 'resist' is placed between the top and bottom layers and after that it's rub, rub, rub....roll, roll, roll with hot water and soap until the fibers become one.

 It' not quite felted yet......but it's starting to hold together....the blue in the center is a marker to tell me where to cut a hole to remove the resist.  Once removed.....the shaping and hand wet felting continues....until......

 ........it takes shape.  It's stuffed with netting to hold the shape as it dries on an old wire rack.

A day later.......ta da......it's finished....measuring about 3.5" diameter at its base and 2.5" tall.  It's still a tad fuzzy but I think that's from the type of (dark) roving I used......or maybe it needed to be felted more.  BUT....I'm happy with this first attempt and will definitely be making more......Christmas is coming....these may make great gifts.