I’ve decided I want to learn to needle felt.
I was aiming to make a penguin for my first project. However, before I could begin, I needed to dye my wool to get all the colors needed. I already had a black fleece the Husband brought me when he got back from shearing school at Shepherd’s Cross, and of course I had white already, but I still needed orange and yellow.
So, I decided to use some of the Gaywool acid dyes he also brought back for me. I ended up with a not so beautiful brownish yellow and a darker color, which the Husband refers to as baby-poop green. I was a little disappointed. I’m sure they’ll be useful for something though!
Then to make orange, I used the water from parboiled carrots, a teaspoon of turmeric, a teaspoon of paprika, and half a yellow onion skin. It turned out more goldenrod than anything, but it might be able to pass for orange in some people’s eyes.





I’m still questing for a better yellow and maybe a stronger orange! Our anniversary is around the corner and the Husband just gifted me a box with a full color palette of acid dyes inside! So, excited to experiment some more!
February 24, 2021 at 11:08 am
I think dyeing the wool is a good start. You will need some plain white core wool and then add the color on top of that. Have a look at pictures of penguins for color and shape. Good luck and have fun.