Lots of roving, but no knitting skills

[silloh_77]

So I ordered some roving to make the felted soaps (http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=8887.0) and they came out great.
But I ordered a lot more than I need.
What else can I do with it? I don't know how to spin it into yarn, and even if I did, my knitting skills are somewhat limited ( As long as I don't drop a stich, I'm okay, but I can't pick it up).
What else can I do with this stuff?

[knottedknickers]

At my daughter's Waldorf school they made little doll rugs (or it's current use would be "coaster") that I thought would be fun for gifts. 

They took litte pieces of the roving and layered it (criss-crossed) to fit into a plastic bag (she used ziploc bags), adding colorful roving to make decorations. They did the criss-crossing and decorating out side of the bag to make sure everything was even and then carefully placed it into the bag. 

Then a spritz of warm soapy water into the bag and the kids used their hands to gently rub the roving filled bag with their flat hands until if felted. The felted pieces came out the size of the bags, we rinsed them under cool water and set them out to dry.  (They are smallish, but work as little hot pads under mugs and things like that.)  I would think that you could do this with a larger ziploc bag as well, but I'm not sure. 

[woolgathered]

You can make little angels, as well. I don't know where to find a tutorial, but BlueGooseGlen on Ebay makes them. They have them in their Ebay store right now.

You can also knit with it! There is a pattern in the Fall issure of Spin Off magazine for felted slippers made out of strips of roving. Also, I know someone who made a Kitty Pi (from http://www.wendyknits.net ) bed out of roving on sz 17 needles and it took her a really short time.

[midnightsky1686]

roving doesnt ussually have enough twist to knit with easily, and once it is knit it tends to pill/stretch funky/and have other issues (and if it gets caught on something you're in trouble!). 

You could also make felted scarves or hats- you can get pretty cheap hat shaped foam things on ebay and the like, make thrummed mittens, earwarmers (http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/PATTmuffy.html) etc.

If you did want to knit with it you could always get someone to spin it up for you prtty cheap- if they are spinning it up in a worsted- bulky yarn, and especially if it is novelty yarn, it wouldnt be that $$ to have done (plus its really cool then cause its so unique)

[leslieduckie]

You could buy some felting needles ($1 a piece) and needle felt the wool roving. Here's a nice tutorial to make little felted things.

http://www.mielkesfarm.com/ladybug_dir.htm

I've just started making felted flower pins, which are fun, addictive, but a bit time-consuming and I've pricked my fingers a bunch of times.



Or you can wet felt your stuff using this tutorial:
http://www.weavespindye.org/html/felting1.html

Hope you figure out what you want to do with the wool roving, have fun!

[rachelyra]

I'm with leslie on the needle felting - you can see here what i taught myself to do when i found myself pretty much in the same boat as you.

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=15801.0

the dreads (not needle felted!) went in in an incredibly short period of time, and were a little annoying to take out but not too bad.

Also i just want to note that you CAN knit with roving, i'm told by my roving lady - you just have to full it when you are done.  I can imagine this creating lovely felts, with much less 'grain' to them than things that are knitted and then fulled.