Dry Felting

I actually enjoy this felting better than the wet felting. It's the process of taking the roving and applying it to something else or making a solid object using a roving needle. A roving needle s like a sewing needle. It has little burs/hooks on the sides of the sharp end that helps attach the roving. I'm actually doing this to my backpack for a project in one of my art classes. It's really pretty cool how easy it is!

What to Get:
Roving needle
Roving

How-To:
1. One and only step! Take a little bit of the roving you want and whatever you want to apply it to (or nothing at all), and literally stab it with the needle.
**the burs help to push the fibers down and back up through the material. It helps to have something underneath to stab into like a balled up socks or a yarn ball so you don't stab yourself**

This is a felting needle. It helps to compress the fibers.
http://www.feltalive.com/links.htm

Felt picture!
http://calamitykim.typepad.com/calamity_kim/spinning-with-a-lendrum-wheel/

Semi creepy felted face (example of felting a solid form)!
http://feltalive.com/

Wet Felting

This isn't so much my favorite technique, but is something very versatile. It's pretty much the process of taking roving (wool fibers) and making felt through a process of applying pressure, friction, and water. The only two styles of wet felting I know how to make are flat felt pieces and little felt balls. They can be applied to any number of projects; both be usable or just to look pretty. And it's fairly inexpensive!

What to Get:

Roving (many colors available)

Plastic table cloth or garbage bag

Bubble wrap

Small container of soapy water

How-To (flat piece):

1. Start by picking your color(s) of roving and decide how large you want your piece of felt.

2. Cut and arrange each layer evenly, horizontally and vertically for every other layer to ensure that the felt doesn't just fall apart

**You will need at least 4 layers, but 6 to 8 are preferred to make a nice sturdy piece of felt**

3. With the the roving laying on either a table cloth or a garbage bag, lightly drizzle the water over it.

4. Take the bubble wrap and brush the roving in the direction that the layer in laying.

**if you go opposite the fibers, you will pretty much just destroy the layer**

5. Be sure to brush both sides evenly. The piece will be done when you can poke/push your finger into the roving and the fibers don't separate.

6. Last step! When everything is fully attached to each other, take the piece of felt, wash it out to make sure you get all the soap out, and hang it to dry. When it's all done, you can cut it and use it however you want!

https://freshsimplejoy.wordpress.com/tag/decor/

How-To (felt balls):

1. Pick the colors of roving you want and decide how big or small you want your felt balls.

2. Separate little amounts of fibers at a time from the big ball of roving

3. Dip it into your container of soapy water and roll the roving between your hands. 

**the friction and pressure will cause the fibers to knot up and create a perfect ball**

4. Last step! Let dry and attach to the flat pieces or felt you've made or to whatever else you want to add cute little accents! Great for kids stuff!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/65757934/wholesale-100-count-20mm-felted-balls-by

Arm Knitting

This is another spin off of what finger knitting is. Judging by pictures and different diagrams, arm knitting is just like using your arms as knitting needles. It's also something new to me but it is really coming into style. There are even yarns dedicated to this art (go figure). Give it a try!

What to Get:
3 Skeins of Yarn (any color)

How-To:
1. Take all three tails (ends) of the skeins of yarn, loop it around your index and middle finger, and pull the working end (the part connected to the rest of the yarn) through to make a loop to wrap around your arm.
2. Make a loop with the tail leaving the rest of the tail hanging in front of the loop, and hold the top of the loop with your right hand
3. Put your left hand through the loop and grab the working yarn.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for at least 10 stitches
5. Pick up the working end and place it over your thumb on the arm with that row of stitches.
6. Close your hand into a fist and pull the first stitch over your knuckles
7. Pull the working end through to make a new stitch to go onto your left hand
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 until you have the length desired.
9. With the row of stitches on your left arm, stitch two stitches on your right arm.
10. Take the first stitch, pull it over and off your fist. Continue doing this until the last stitch is pulled through
11. Cut the working end (cut 1.5 yards extra if your want to make an infinity scarf), pull it through the last stitch, and tighten it
12. (Optional) Put the two ends together with the right sides facing up. With the rest of the tail end left over, do a mattress stitch. Stitch back and forth until completely closed.
13. Last step! Take the remaining ends and weave them into the mattress stitch. That will complete your infinity scarf!

Casting off a.k.a. getting started

Finishing stitching the scarf

Matress Stich
http://purlbee.squarespace.com/knitting-tutorials-finishing/2013/9/27/mattress-stitch.html

Weaving in the ends
http://www.flaxandtwine.com/2014/02/arm-knitting-how-to-photo-tutorial-part-2-knitting/

Hammer Forming and Planishing

This is not really a necessary or even common skill and the tools are rather expensive unless given access to a metalsmithing studio, but it is definitely worth trying. You will feel really accomplished being able to take a flat piece of metal into something else like a bowl or a vase or even a random form all together. The technical terms for this metal working is anticlastic and synclastic forming (sinking and raising). Anticlastic means that the surfaces of the metal curve in opposite directions and Synclastic means to curve in the same direction. These two processes combined give the possibilities for all sorts of form!

What to Get:
18 gauge copper (cut into a circle with a jewelers saw or shears)
Rawhide hammer
Raising hammer
Planishing hammer
Oxygen acetylene torch
large piece of wood or stump (standing with an indent like a bowl in the middle)
tongue stake and/or mushroom stake
Vise

How-To:
1. Start with your circular piece of metal and draw circles on it starting from the outside to the inside
**it will look like a bulls-eye and this just helps to make sure the end result isn't lopsided**
2. Using the rawhide hammer working from the outside in, hammer the piece of metal until it is roughly the shape of a shallow bowl.
3. Take the metal and "anneal" it with the torch. The flame should be a nice feathery look.
**Annealing makes the metal soft again because constant hammering stretches out the metal making it thin and brittle. When the metal has a rainbow color where the flame touches it, it's done**
4. Quench and pickle in an acid solution
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 using a raising hammer this time. Make sure to keep the blows really close together so there are no overly thin spots.
6. To get other styles besides a generic bowl, use a tongue stake or mushroom stake clamped in a vise and hammer in the opposite pattern; inside out.
7. Last step! When you  have the desired shape, the planishing hammer is used to make the form smooth by hammering closely together on to a stake.

Raising and Planishing hammers

Hammering process courtesy of Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKcTU7NA5Lc

More advanced finished products
http://davidabarnhill.com/continuum-8.html

Pronto Printing

Pronto prints are a lot easier than you'd think. No carving and no scratching. All it takes is a special kind of paper and ink; sharpie marker or printer ink. I have used this a couple of times, and a student in the art department I know did this project for her senior show. They turned out fantastic!

What to Get:
Pronto Plate (thick, card stock type paper)
Plexy glass
Sharpie
Laser jet Printer
Oil based Ink
Brayer
Gum Arabic
Water
Sponge
Printing Paper

How-To:
1. Take the pronto plate and either print a design or black and white photo onto it using a laser jet printer or draw on it using a sharpie marker (black only)
**Make sure not to get any oils on it from your skin. It will run the plate.**
2. Lay the pronto plate on the plexy glass with the inked side up.
3. Mix water and gum arabic in bowl, and completely coat the pronto plate with a sponge.
**it's important to keep the plate moist**
4. Evenly spread out the ink on a separate piece of plexy and apply to the pronto
**whether everything is covered with ink isn't really that noticeable**
5. Carefully place the pronto on the printing press, lay the paper over top of the plate, and roll through the press.
6. Last step! Gently lift the paper and you will have a pronto print!

http://mirka-h.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-etching-techniques-and-pronto-plate.html

Finger Knitting

This is something even new to me. I've seen projects using this method people have done that look pretty cool. I'm probably going to try doing this after I find how to do the right steps. All it takes is yarn and you. It's that simple!

What to Get:
Yarn (there are lots to choose from)

How-To:
1. Hold the end of the yarn between your thumb and fore finger with the skein of yarn (ball) on the palm side of your hand
2.  Weave the yarn through your fingers going over the middle finger, under the ring finger and over the pinky
**make sure you hold the end tightly with your thumb**
3. Weave through again going over and under the opposite fingers. You should end up with two rows of yarn.
4. With your palm facing you, take the loops on the bottom row and lift them up over your finger to secure the beginning of your project
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 until you have the length you want
6. Starting with the pinky, pick the loop up over to the ring finger. Then take the bottom loop of the ring finger over to the middle finger. Go through all the fingers until you get to the last loop.
7. Last step! Take the end of the string, thread it through the hole, and pull it tight. You have yourself a thin scarf! You can double it by stitching it to another thin scarf.

There are tons of colors available!
http://www.creativejewishmom.com/2012/07/finger-knitting-is-for-boys-too-yippee.html

Gel Medium Transfer

It's pretty much transferring a picture over onto something like a piece of metal or wood. All it takes is a printer and gel medium from Micheal's. This is fun to do and since the holiday's are just around the corner, it's just tacky enough to make a great present for the parents!

What to Get:
Gel medium
Piece of wood
Inkjet printer

How-To:
1. Print a picture of your choosing off your computer using an inkjet printer (an obnoxious one of you if you feel so inclined)
2. Apply gel medium to the front of the picture and lay face down on your piece of wood
3. Let dry. Spray with water and let soak for a few minutes.
4. Last step! Slowly but firmly rub the back until the paper comes off and you have an either beautifully decorated piece of wood or creepy plaque with your face all over it!

http://www.lilblueboo.com/2011/06/gel-transfer-puzzle-a-tutorial.html