Guide to The Felt Box Needles
Safety and Usage Tips for Felting Needles
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Sharpness: All felting needles are very sharp and must be used with extra care. ⚠️
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Strength: Needles are strong but brittle; they will snap if bent. 💔
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Insertion Technique:
- Insert the needle straight into your work.
- Pull it straight out without bending. ➡️⬅️
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Gauge Sizes:
- The higher the gauge number, the finer the needle.
- For example, a 40-gauge needle is finer than a 36-gauge needle. 🔍
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Project Progression:
- Start your project with a lower gauge needle.
- Increase the gauge as the project progresses. 📈
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Barb Variation:
- Different needles come with varying numbers of barbs.
- More Barbs: Faster felting ⏩
- Fewer Barbs: Greater accuracy for fine detail work
Triangle |
|
Barbs on three sides |
32 Triangle |
RED |
This is a sturdy needle good for working with course fibres and firmly attaching pieces. Good for beginning a project, not great for detail or a neat surface. I like to start with it on our carded NZ wool |
36 Triangle |
ORANGE |
A good needle for making the bulk of a 3D piece and beginning a project and again, attaching pieces well. |
40 Triangle |
BARE METAL |
A fine needle for detail work and getting a neat surface. Best not to use it when working with course fibres or for rough sculpting/bulk work. |
Star |
|
Barbs on four sides |
38 Star |
BLUE |
This is a medium needle and is a great all round needle which works well for doing bulk sculpting work and adding detail.The star shape needle catches more fibre so the work goes quicker. |
40 Star |
GREEN |
Very fine needle. Good for work with finer wools and adding fine details. |
Crown |
|
Three sided with barbs at the end creating a short needling action. |
36 Crown |
PURPLE |
Good for ‘rooting’ fur or hair, or creating patterns/details. When rooting will give a fine head of hair. |
40 Crown |
GREY/SILVER |
Good for ‘rooting’ fur or hair, or creating patterns/details. A finer version of the 36 star. When rooting will give a thin/fine head of hair. |
Twisted/Spiral |
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The barbs twist around these needles minimising surface holes. |
38 Twisted Star |
PINK |
This is a great all round needle which works well for doing bulk sculpting work and adding detail. |
42 Twisted Triangle |
WHITE |
This is the finest needle we stock. Great for the finest detail work and creating a smooth finish. |
Reverse |
The barbs on these needles go the other way, pulling fibres out rather than pushing them in. |
|
40 Reverse |
YELLOW |
Useful for creating a fluffy finish on a well felted piece. |