I decided that it is about time I explain my process in more detail...
It is a very simple process :-)
I usually buy my soaps, Yardley Soaps, at Walgreens, Walmart, anywhere where there might be a sale going on...
Several scents are available in this inexpensive brand..
Soap as mentioned above...
Wool Roving.. So many types..Some rovings felt better than others..
If you are a sheep farmer, the roving can be made readily available by shearing your sheep's hair, cleaning it than combing it a special way using hand or mechanical carders..
Here is a link to click on for reading about the varieties of wool, breeds of sheep..
Sheep 101
If you are a city dweller, like me however,
you can find and secure your wool roving by visiting your local Hobby Lobby, or Michaels...They carry the basic primary or pastel colors.. Only one type and texture seems to be available at either store..
Your local Joanne's fabric store is a source for roving that is curly in texture...It comes in very small packages.. These pictured below can be found online on Ebay or Etsy
If you are a sheep farmer, the roving can be made readily available by shearing your sheep's hair, cleaning it than combing it a special way using hand or mechanical carders..
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| hand carders |
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| Mechanical wool carder |
Here is a link to click on for reading about the varieties of wool, breeds of sheep..
Sheep 101
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| Corriedale - Country, Farm and Garden Photo Library |
If you are a city dweller, like me however,
you can find and secure your wool roving by visiting your local Hobby Lobby, or Michaels...They carry the basic primary or pastel colors.. Only one type and texture seems to be available at either store..
 |
| Roving that is carried at Hobby Lobby or Michael's |
Your local Joanne's fabric store is a source for roving that is curly in texture...It comes in very small packages.. These pictured below can be found online on Ebay or Etsy
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| Curly Roving |
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| This particular roll of fiber is Corriedale wool roving from the Etsy shop FiberFeltnMore..I like to use a plain or neutral color such as this for the base color of my soap's felted coat..I then choose vivid colors for the stripes and other designs I add to my felted soaps :-) |
The natural colored roving pictured above is often supplied in larger quantities... A 1 lb roll like this one can be found on Etsy.. This roving is excellent for felting soaps, needle felting and weaving..I plan to find something like this, I will use it in learning how to make my own yarn via the drop spinning method ......
Last, but not least , are Art Bats..They are a special kind of roving that can be used for needle felting, spinning or weaving....These rovings are special in that they were dyed and other fibers were combed into them...Some of these will felt well on soaps, others will not..
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| Art Bat |
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| I shall be the owner of this art bat very soon :-) |
Etsy is an awesome source to get wool roving and soaps in an endless array of colors and textures..
Amazon is also a good online place to order roving and soaps, including the Yardley soap which I find very easy to felt :-)
This U Tube tutorial is the process many people go thru to make their own soaps..There is also a good explanation on how to felt soaps :-)
If there is enough interest, I plan to teach my family members this skill at our next big gathering..This is a fun activity to do while drinking coffee or wine, lol :-)
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