Felting Workshop Supplies
I’ve put together a limited number of kits offered through my store (first offering, below); otherwise the materials and tools you see here have links that take you to an affiliate retailer I like, The Woolery. That means if you click through and make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you I’ll earn a small commission. I only feature the tools I personally use, and you can also find these through other sources.
Corriedale Roving (Top): this is referred to as ‘top’ through the Woolery; it is sold in 250g amounts (8.8 oz, more than ½ lb).
Dyed Corriedale Roving (Top): rather than a sample selection of colors, this is a way to choose a color from a large library of options; sold in 100 g amounts (3.5 oz, about ¼ lb).
Colonial Felting Tool II: includes 6 coarse (36 gauge) needles; only 2 are shown in use in this photo. My favorite all-around tool, because I can pick and choose which holes to use to space the needles closer or farther apart.. Warning: some of the holes are not perfectly perpendicular, which functionally limits the hole configurations you can use. But still my most-used tool (I have 4 of them).
Clover Pen-Style Needle Tool: includes 3 fine (40 gauge) needles, a cap, and a flat felting attachment. Good for fine, small work and finishing surfaces. One or two needles can be removed as needed, and the pink tip can be taken off to allow for deeper poking.
Ashford Student Punch Tool: includes 3 coarse (36 gauge) needles which can be stored inside the lightweight plastic handle. Good for most projects; one or two needles can be removed for deeper poking.
Felting Needle, Single: Choose your gauge and shape- I prefer 38 gauge triangle point (all-purpose or ‘medium’) needles for most of my work, but I also use 40 gauge triangle point (fine) needles for finish work on tiny things. Also available are 36 gauge triangle point (coarse) and 38 gauge STAR point, which have more surfaces with notches to snag the fiber, and theoretically can work faster. I occasionally break needles, so I keep quite a few in my studio just in case.
Variety Pack of Felting Needles: includes 1 each of a 36 gauge triangle point (coarse), a 38 gauge triangle point (all-purpose/medium), a 38 gauge star point (described as ‘fine’ since it has more barbs), and a 40 gauge triangle point (fine). It’s useful to try them all out since there are use cases for each, and they do have a different feel as you use each in the same piece of felt.
Clover Large Felting Mat: My preferred work surface for anything small or delicate since it doesn’t bounce like a foam mat does, yet provides good support. I use a piece of craft felt laid over the top to avoid having the brush tips make my piece fuzzy, when that matters.
Foam Rubber Work Surface, 9x12x1.5 inches. A simple and straightforward work surface large enough for most projects; you could also buy larger sheets of this at a craft store if needed. The foam will break down as you use it, leaving low spots often in the center, and eventually small grey bits will flake off and get in your project unless you lay a piece of craft felt over it. You can flip it over and use both sides, extending its life.