The felting guide to felting needles 2023 !

The felting guide to felting needles 2023 !

 

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With just needles, wool, and a foam pad, you can turn soft, fluffy wool into amazing animals, flowers, and even mythical creatures with needle felting, a therapeutic and highly versatile craft that feels a little bit like magic! A medium-gauge needle will allow you to create a wide range of shapes when you first start needle felting. However, as you become more skilled, you may want to use more specialized needles to create new textures and finer details in your work.

TIGGER NEEDLE FELTING KIT


What exactly are felting needles?


A long, thin needle with a series of notches at its tip is used for needle felting. These notches bind the wool's fibers together as the needle is inserted and removed from the fiber. Reverse felting needles, which have notches that face in the opposite direction of normal felting needles, can also be used to create a fluffy texture by pulling the wool fibers apart as you remove them from the wool.

PIGGY NEEDLE FELTING KIT


How are felting needles used?


The crank, or top of the needle, is shaped like an L. The rest of the needle taper down to a fine, very sharp tip; therefore, please use your needles with caution! To avoid breaking the needles, insert and remove them from the wool at the same angle and do not twist or bend them as you felt.

For finer details, you can use a single needle by itself or tape two or three needles together to get a faster result over a larger area. Alternately, this "Pen Style" Needle Felting Tool is a favorite of ours!

BUNNY NEEDLE FELTING BAG KIT


Are blunt felting needles possible?


With use, felting needles will become blunt. You will eventually learn to "feel" when you need to change them with practice, but as a general rule, you should change your needles when your stabbing no longer results in your wool becoming smaller and denser!

Hedgehog needle mfelting kit


How should I dispose of needles that are blunt?


We like to keep our blunt needles, which we use to manipulate wool as we felt or hold it in place. Before disposing of your needles, wrap a small piece of tape around the end if you are unable to recycle them.

polar bear needle felting kit


Help! I have a broken needle; what should I do?


If your needle were to break off while you were felting, you might find it helpful to keep a magnet nearby in your crafting supplies!

Which needle size should I use and why do felting needles have numbers?
The gauge of felting needles is referred to by the numbers used to describe them: The needle is thinner the higher the number. The needle is thicker and heavier the lower the number, and the needle is of a heavier gauge.

Higher gauge needles, which have a lower number, will feel more quickly, but because they will leave "stab holes" in the work, they are not suitable for delicate or small items. A needle of gauge 32 would be considered "heavy." For general felting, a 36 or 38 needle of medium gauge is a good size. Needles with a fine gauge, like 40, are good for finishing and fine work.

sheep needle felting kit

Shaft shapes: Finally, the shafts of felting needles come in a variety of shapes.

The most prevalent shape, triangular needles are excellent all-arounders because they have a triangular cross-section.
The slightly twisted shaft of twisted needles spreads the barbs over a larger area. This indicates that they felt quickly without leaving a hole that was too obvious.
Cross Star needles typically have four working edges, which indicates that they have additional surface notches and can be felted quickly without leaving a noticeable hole.
In contrast to standard felting needles, reverse barb needles have barbs that face in the opposite direction. They pull fibers apart as you remove them from the wool, creating a fluffy finish!

Help! What kind of needle do I need?


For an overview of our felting needles, which are all of the highest possible quality and manufactured in Germany by EDELWEISS DAY, a specialist in needle manufacturing, continue reading. All of these needles have a painted crank and are color-coded to help you find them among your felting supplies!

EDELWEISS~

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