Felt balls

Yeah, it is finally finished! My wreath with needle felted balls. All balls felted by myself....that's why I didn't finish it last year around Christmas and it has been an UFO (unfinished object - my mum taught me this new abbreviation) laying around the house for several months. I learned this technique from my cousin from Atelier Love for Wool.

How to make a needle felt ball:

Materials:
- Wool roving (I got mine from Kleiendraad)
- A felting needle
- Foam block
- Soap
- Bowl of lukewarm water

First you take a peace of wool of about 15 cm long and you tie it into a knot. Wrap the ends around the knot so it already looks a bit like a ball. Stick your needle in from different sides and angles. Use your foam block so that you don't stick the needle in the surface your working on. You'll notice that your ball will get firmer. Dip it into your bowl of lukewarm soapy water and roll it between your hands into a nice ballshape. Let it dry and you can use the balls to decorate whatever you want.

Christmas tree

A few years ago without planning it I started a new tradition of collecting Christmas ornaments from the countries we visit. Funny enough you can even buy them in spring. This year this cute little bird with a knitted hat was added to the collection in St. Jacobs, Canada. It goes well with the tree my boyfriend made out of wood three years ago. Although I miss the scent of a real tree, it is pretty practical to put it in the attic in one piece after the holidays and take it back out the next year. We do take out the ornaments, but the lights stay in!