Felt and Dandy – Needle Felting Journey

1️⃣ What are your favourite needles to use?

My preferred needles are broad, single needles for sculpting — typically a 36-gauge triangular. For top layers I favour a single 40 spiral and multiple 42 spirals for finishing.

2️⃣ What is your favourite type of wool to work with?

For general structural work I like carded, quick-felting structural wools such as Perendale, Corriedale, Jacob, and Bergschaf. I also love coarser wools like Norwegian, Finnish, and Texel. I am not overly fond of fine merinos — they are too soft and smooth. I particularly enjoy making “furry felts” using alpaca and sheep’s fibres for longer coats.

3️⃣ What is the worst piece of advice you keep hearing for needle felters?

Many beginners are told to add wire armatures to everything they make — but wire is only useful where support or pose-ability is needed. I dislike the feeling of a needle hitting wire! It can even break your tools. Overusing core wool can also stop people from learning colour blending and reverse-needle techniques.

4️⃣ What common mistakes do people make when they start out?

Beginners often felt too loosely, leaving projects soft or unstable. Loose felts can lose shape or distort during finishing steps, like inserting eyes. Another mistake is not using a proper base — always work on foam or a brush mat, not in your hands!

5️⃣ What is the one thing a beginner could learn today that would make a difference?

Learn to use multi-needle tools — especially on brush mats. They make blending and facing techniques far easier and open up a world of creative possibilities.