Introducing My Needle Felted Bowls

I have gotten into making felted bowls.
Ta Da- Here they are photographed on my Coast of Maine Lichen covered granite rocks.
I got started making them one day on a whim. The first one I did was about 18 inches around and really colorful.  I wish I had saved a picture of it. I ended up selling it when a friend  asked it if she could buy it. 
The ones here in the photo are about 8 inches for the large one, 5 inches for the middle one, and 4 inches for the smaller one.  The middle one was made by my friend Eileen, when we got together to learn how to make them one day last winter.

I have to say it is very addicting.  People who see them often ask me to teach them how to do it.  I have shown lots of  non fiber types how to make them too. They are addicting to make for artist types, to say the least.

I am proud to say, I invented the ones I make myself.
I have seen lots of knitted or crocheted and felted bowls, but none like mine. I imagine there are people making them like I am, but I have just never come across any.

I like needle felting, but am not into gnomes and all the animals and things I see made with felt. I like things that are practical and usable like- uh, bowls.

They can be used for all kind of things. I use mine for rings, change, and all kinds of little things on the windowsill, and in the bedrooms. I also love to put dried flowers in them, or even real flowers. With the real flowers I insert a glass jar or bowl inside the felted one that you can't see and put the water in there.

The bowls are lovely, and if you make one, you will have them all over the house.
I use lots of leftover fiber bits and blends including silk, wool, even angora. Some things go in better than others. Wool is the best and wool blends. the angora tends to sit on as a surface decoration more. I like the effect and it gives the bowls a lot of luster and character.

I don't use a pattern for my bowls or a form. I just shape them as I go adding more colorful layers inside and out as I near the end of the process. I like to make my bowls fat. Unless you are willing to work at them a really long time, they do tend to be thicker than crocheted felt bowls that are washed in the washing machine.

They are also not as tightly felted. I love the fact that you can shape them like pottery as you work.
I am putting them here today as I wanted to show them to you. 

Later this week, I will take some pictures of the steps I use to make them and post them on the site so you can try to do one yourself.

I hope you have some fiber fun this week,
Debbie