Book Review: Little Felted Animals

For some reason, attending classes to learn a new craft makes me uncomfortable. (That's kind of ironic since I actually offer classes to teach other people crafting skills.)

When I want to learn a new craft, I usually do a quick internet search to figure out the basics and then I head to the library, book store or Amazon to find more detailed information on the subject.

I was inspired by some of the adorable needle felted creations that I've seen on Etsy and wanted to learn how to make my own.

I started by reading a bit about needle felting on-line. Then I headed to the craft store for some wool roving and a felting needle. How hard could it be? This little sheep was my first attempt at the craft. He's cute, but kind of  wobbly, and let's just say that his limbs are barely hanging on.

I felt like I was missing some critical skill. So, I bought a book about felting from Amazon called Little Felted Animals: Create 16 Irresistible Creatures with Simple Needle-Felting Techniques. The book has easy to understand explanations about the basic supplies used in needle felting as well as a step by step guide to create three basic animal shapes - birds, short legged animals and long legged animals.

I also decided to get some better quality fiber and bought this 12" Wool Roving 8-Pack on Amazon, as well. It's nice to work with and I still have a lot left,even after making all of the projects shown in this post.

	After reading the book, I was ready to try one of its projects, The Turkish Van Cat. I used different colors than the book suggested, but I was very pleased with the way my cat turned out. I had barely finished creating this soft, little kitty when my teenage daughter claimed him as her own. I guess I'll take that as a compliment.
	After the cat I tried another project from the book, The Brown Bear.
	And then I tried the mice.
	After following some of the patterns in the book, I finally had the confidence to attempt my own project. I decided to re-visit my first felt creation, the sheep. This one is a lot sturdier than the original. I have been told he looks like Shaun the Sheep. (If you are unfamiliar with Shaun, Google it. He is absolutely hysterical and your kids will love him!)

My favorite felted creation so far is little Otto. He's a miniature Schnauzer. (He's not a project from the book. I made him all by myself.)  He's as cute as the real Otto, and a whole lot quieter :)

Overall, I enjoyed Little Felted Animals: Create 16 Irresistible Creatures with Simple Needle-Felting Techniques. As the title states, the instructions are simple and the projects are truly irresistible!