Hand~Felted Fleece  (Sheep Friendly)

When new fleece arrives in my workshop, I lay each one out and decide if it will become fleece for spinning, felting or rug making. Sheep fleece that has already begun to felt itself is perfect for making gorgeous, felted fleece rugs. It is a labour intensive process, all completed by hand in my garden - picking through, patching up, overlaying felt, adding hot water and washing up liquid, lots of agitating, even more rolling, then rinse and leave to dry. Relax for a day or two! Then it's time to pick through for any remaining grass seeds or bits of straw and give the rug a bit of a brush. As I'm brushing I check for any weak spots in the fleece and base felt - they can be easily patched up with a felting needle. Job done!