How much wool?
This is what 3+ pounds of wool looks like.
I have not made this much felt before so how do I gauge how much wool I will need for the background and the quantity of other pieces I will use to create texture, color and scale? I took a SWAG based on wool used for past projects multiplied up to the nearest measurements for this project.
I also considered the rule that felted wool shrinks about 30-40%. I felt my wool to a very hard stage (there is probably a double entendre in there somewhere) so I will plan on the 40% number. I would rather have the pieces slightly too large than too small.
Buying the wool. The next challenge was to purchase undyed wool. I didn’t know how what a pound of wool looked like and I wanted to see the wool before I bought it so that meant in-store purchases. During my research, I learned that most of the wool produced in Texas is exported.
The photo of the Bluefaced Leicester sheep comes from the http://www.ansi.okstate.edu website.
I found Hill Country Weavers in Austin during a trip to visit family and friends. In several trips throughout the year, I bought 3+ pounds of Bluefaced Leicester wool. It has a beautiful sheen and dyes well. I know it will provide a good foundation for all the mark making to come.