Year in Review: Fiber Arts

I started this hooked piece of hares dancing in the moonlight in January.  I didn't do a lot of rug hooking this year but I did finish it in December!

 The hares are dancing in joy over the nativity.  I hope that's not sacrilege.  Or heresy.  

I took four classes at Esther's Place Fibers in Big Rock, IL this year.  One of them was making a wet felted wool cat cave.  It was hard physical labor but worth it in the end.  Whit likes his cave.  He hides there when the littlest grandson visits.  This huge ball of wool roving is what you start with.

This is the hard work part.  And man, what a mess.

Arm muscles are definitely required to roll it over and over in all directions.  This is to felt the fibers together.  

Nearing completion.  Still doesn't look like much!

The finished and occupied product.  

Second class of the year was a needle felted rabbit.  This was really fun.

Working in the garden and yard I am always losing my cell phone and never have pockets to hold seed packets, string, scissors, pruners, etc.  I cut up an old shirt of Pete's and added pockets with buttons so I can keep things from falling out and keep it all NEAR ME.  It won't win any fashion awards but it sure did solve some problems!

I made a second one for Becca.

This is a pincushion and thread catcher I made for a friend.  It was a really fun project once I got the hang of it.

My third class at Esther's Place was learning to knit this bee skep tea cozy.  I enjoy knitting but it's so long between projects that it's good to have a class or project to motivate me again.  I needle felted the bees to decorate it.

My fourth and final class at Esther's Place was this wet felted wool scarf with winter night in the woods motif.  I loved this class!

Goodness, that doesn't seem like much to show for the year.  But I have plans for next year and am having fun thinking about what to tackle next.  Sewing, knitting, rug hooking, felting.  I love them all.