Tips, Tricks & Info

What is Needle Felting?
Needle felting is the process of felting wool with the use of specialized barbed needles and without the use of water. Moisture is generally not well tolerated because the needles are barbed, unlike smooth sewing needles, and will rust. You can use applique's of wool to decorate your wet felting, crocheted, or knitted project and other fabrics.

Wet felting is when layers of wool fleece are processed with water to create a sheet or piece of felt. It requires no needles or sewing and is generally recommended as a good activity for kids. Once you get a large piece of felt, you can then use a pattern to sew something like a felt hat for example. At that point, you might use needle felting to embellish by applying pieces of wool and pushing the fibers into the felt to create a design.



How To Use Hand Carders Link
http://rosiepink.typepad.co.uk/rosiepink/how-to-use-hand-carders-for-needle-felting.html
This is a great instructional page


MAKING AND USING ALPACA ROVING
Making your own alpaca roving to spin or sell is not difficult. Start with properly prepared fiber. It must be well skirted and washed.
What is the difference between a batt and a roving? A batt is run through the drum carder once or twice and it's done. The fibers are not aligned. A rovings' fibers are run through the carder but the fibers are kept parallel.

To make a roving follow these steps:

1. To start making your own alpaca roving, comb the clean staples by holding the butt end (cut end) and combing towards the tips. We use a dog comb. Comb as many as you think you will want for your roving. Make sure your staples are all one length. 3-6 inches are good lengths to use for roving. Use all 3 inch or all 4 inch, etc. for your roving.

2. Feed one staple at a time tip first into your drum carder. You may have to draft out any staple that has a lot of fiber in it before feeding it into the carder.

3. After you have fed all the staples into the carder, remove them from the drum. Remember not to overload the carder with fleece.

4. Once your batt is removed from the drum, remove a small (approx. 1" section) from the side of the batt. Remove it very carefully so you keep the fibers parallel.

5. Draft this section.

6. Feed it through the drum carder again.

7. Remove the fleece from the carder.

Your alpaca roving is now ready to spin, felt, needle felt, or label and store for future projects

What is wool roving?
A wool roving is a piece of wool which has been combed, drawn into a clump, and then twisted slightly to hold the fibers together and to prepare them for spinning. Spinners who start with their own raw yarns can create rovings themselves, and they are also available commercially from companies which specialize in providing tools and supplies for spinners. In addition to being made from wool, rovings can also be made from cotton, silk, and other fibers which are used in the production of textiles.

To prepare a wool roving, the wool is combed to remove impurities, washed, carded to pull the fibers so that they are oriented in the same direction, and then gently twisted. Rovings can also be dyed; when yarn is dyed before it is spun, the color is deeper, and penetrates more fully. Rovings are generally around the length of a hand, and sometimes longer. The wool roving may also be looped back on itself to create a compact pile for storage.

When a wool roving is prepared, but not twisted, it is known as a sliver. Flattened rovings are known as batting. While rovings are generally used for spinning, they also have other uses; batting, for example, can be used to stuff things, and rovings can also be used to pad animal beds, or for various craft projects. Generally, rovings are very soft and fine, and they have a lofty, springy texture.

What is Merino Wool?
Merino wool is the material shorn from Merino sheep. These sheep are sought after for their coats, which are said to produce the finest, softest wool available. This wool is often used for athletic garments, as it breathes and wicks better than most synthetic fabrics. The wool comes in different grades that are based on the strain of sheep and its associated climate setting.

There are two types of Merino sheep: horned rams and Poll Merinos. Poll Merinos have small stubs, or scurs, if they have any horns at all. Merino rams have long, spiraled horns. There are also many strains of these sheep, which depend on the area in which they are raised. The four basic strains are Peppin, South Australian, Saxon, and Spanish.

Merinos are extremely adaptable to variable temperatures; therefore, they can be found in many areas of the world. Even though Australia is the leading producer of Merino wool, New Zealand produces the highest quality of this soft wool. Merino wool is softer and more finely crimped than other wools. There are five basic wool grades: strong, medium, fine, super fine and ultra fine. The wool is measured by micrometers — the lower the measurement, the finer the fiber.