First ever Needle felted balls! And Happy kitty!

[Belladune]

I bought felting needles 3 months ago, always with the intention of using them.  I was scared until laast night, when I was oh so terribly bored, and looking for something to do.  I had made myself some felt balls in just plain white in the washing machine. earlier that day, with the intentions of giving them to my cat.  But i had a tiny bit of left over roving from what I had spun and heard those needles calling out  to me!  This is what I came up with.  I absolutely love them!
with a quarter for size:

side by side:  The middle one is supposed to look basket woven.  it does not really, but i kinda like the weirdness of it anyway!

Happy kitty!  no shes not for the cat.  maybe my mom though


thanks for looking!

[raeraethejetplane]

Wonderful! I especially like the striped ball. Was this from one piece of roving varied colors? I've been wondering what it would look like if you needle felted all those wonderful spinning fibers I see.

I think if you felted even pieces all over the ball it would look like a basket weave. Some lines are thicker than others. Try practicing on a flat piece first.

[Belladune]

Wonderful! I especially like the striped ball. Was this from one piece of roving varied colors? I've been wondering what it would look like if you needle felted all those wonderful spinning fibers I see.

I think if you felted even pieces all over the ball it would look like a basket weave. Some lines are thicker than others. Try practicing on a flat piece first.

Yeah, it was roving hand painted by me.  Most of it is yarn now but that litle bit is on the balls.

i will defintily try the basket weave again sometime.   I was running out of roving and I wanted to finish covering the big one too, so I was being sparing.  practising on a flat piece is probably a good idea!

[v3nu5]

I've always wanted to try felting, but haven't built up the "balls" to try it. I tried to look for felting needles at my local Micheal's, and Jo'Ann's craft stores but haven't had any luck. Where can I find felting needles? I found books for children's starting out felting and had a picture of a hand held "thingie" that had several needles jutting out, that's kind of what I'm looking for. Shouldn't this item be with the other crocheting, knitting needles, wool yarn, and materials?

By the way, your felted balls are so cute. I like the colors you used. I'd love to attempt to make some for friends of DH and I. They have several cats and they love toys.

[Belladune]

I found my needles at the wool store.  I've never looked at micheals or otherwise.  But my best bet is to find the local wool shop, they are likely to have them, and if not theres always the internet!

   I like the colors too!  These however are no longer going to the kitty.  I'm keeping these for my self, dying more roving those colors, and felting abunch more to stick in a bowl.   I've also come up with the idea of tucking some herbs in the middle (like lavender, or such things like that )  and felting around that.  Then I'd have smelly balls!  and they'd be good smelling!  the only problem I need to figure out how to fix, is them rotting from the inside, if they did not dry through fast enough....

[raeraethejetplane]

Try dry felting then instead. But some dried spices and roll roving around the spices. Either roll a tube of roving and tuck in the edges or roll it in your hands to get a ball shape. Poke away at the ball, turning it every so often so you don't get a flat shape.

Putting in spices is a great idea. I may have to do the same with catnip.

[Belladune]

Dry felting is a good idea.   I wonder how long it will take to get a ball the size of the big one felted... I guess I'll have try it out and see!!

[v3nu5]

If you do try the dry felting around spices and such I'd like to see a post/pic of your "smelly balls".

[Belladune]

LOL  Of course I will post pictures of my smelly balls!!  I'm thinking of making them tonight actually.....

[Belladune]

I made a smelly ball!!

posted it here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=288253.0

XD