Supplied roving too thin - help?!

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linziloop
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Supplied roving too thin - help?!

Post by linziloop » Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:58 pm

Hi there!

Me again! I feel really guilty as i haven't been on here for quite a while and then the first time back I'm asking you guys for help! In my defence i have been one busy gal!

Basically, a client has supplied me with alpaca roving she would like her dreads made out of. Upon receiving it i have discovered that the roving is in quite thin sections, and i need the dreads to be thicker than one section would allow. Would it be possible for me to say, needle felt two sections together without getting a really horrible visible line?

If anybody has any experience or even better any tutorials or pictures of doing this i would be SUPER grateful!

In an old post of mine where i was again asking for help somebody mentioned "running a felting needle over two pieces" - but by running it over...I'm not entirely sure what they meant.

Anywho, I've just bought a felting needle from ebay in the hope that by the time i get it I'll know what the heck to do with it!

Cheers ma dears!
http://www.linziloop.etsy.com, http://www.linziloop.folksy.com - dreads, accessories, graphic design, jewellery and soon - clothing! All hand made with love, in Liverpool, UK.

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VixenSingsBlack
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Re: Supplied roving too thin - help?!

Post by VixenSingsBlack » Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:08 pm

If you sort of rip the roving into wispy bits, you can smash it all back together into whatever thickness you want. The bits must be VERY wispy; if they aren't wispy enough horrible lines form.

Or, you could use this method>> viewtopic.php?f=65&t=153 This utliizes the wool side ways from what is considered "normal."

Image
I made the above dreads by ripping the wool into wispy bits, piling them on top of each other as I pleased, palm rolling together, and then wet felting. So it started as 3 colors of different roving.

Image
far left

I hope that makes sense. :oops: Either way, it's pretty time sucking.

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linziloop
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Re: Supplied roving too thin - help?!

Post by linziloop » Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:06 pm

Aww thanks Vixen, that's a great reply! I'm not a fan of the sideways method that's for sure, but i might give the wispy thing a try, see if it doesn't look to stripey - i can see how it works with those colours you have used but I'm not so sure the wool I've got will look quite as good that way.

Was hoping I might be able to just felt a couple of these pieces together:

Image Image

As you can see, none of the pieces are of a consistent size, and they're pulling apart quite easily...but if i could just somehow get them back together the wool will make some really nice dreads! I'm not bothered about time, i have til March, but the client has already paid so i REALLY don't want to let her down!
http://www.linziloop.etsy.com, http://www.linziloop.folksy.com - dreads, accessories, graphic design, jewellery and soon - clothing! All hand made with love, in Liverpool, UK.

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VixenSingsBlack
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Re: Supplied roving too thin - help?!

Post by VixenSingsBlack » Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:14 pm

I'd just tease the wool out some, so that it's fluffy. Then try to palm roll it back together some. Then wet felt. The key is to get the wool highly fluffy, that way it doesn't glob, but the little tiny fibers really mesh into each other. Looks like gorgeous wool!

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miasmahair
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Re: Supplied roving too thin - help?!

Post by miasmahair » Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:54 am

Yeah dude, the felting needle has wee barbs down the side so if you rub it back and forth over the surface (instead of stabbing it in) and it smooths over the surface. And if you have got two pieces together, for the second roll you can use much less squishing pressure between your palms and go in a circular motion and that helps too. (Apologies for how much that sounds like instructions for giving, er, "manual relief")
OR you can twist the two pieces together then felt, if the dyed bits don't completely match up it gives a nice swirly effect sort of like what the synth ladies can achieve (if that's cool with your customer!)

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