Well fellow crafties...
I've discovered yet another.
Almost a year ago, one of my husband's aunts facebook messaged me about a new craft I "JUST HAD to learn." Well, I had plenty of time, being on medical leave from work, but we never met up, she went on a fabulous trip to Italy and it was nearly forgotten.
But when hanging out with one of the other aunts, I mentioned it and she explained it. She couldn't remember the name but showed me an example by bringing out a craft book that she had called, "Softies." Cute projects, amazing work... but I wasn't in a place where I wanted to learn about a craft that revolved around making fancy stuffed animals (and from the particular book I had seen, that was my impression). So I never got around to asking more about it.
But as my eyes have been opened to all that is craft via pinterest, I have become increasingly more interested in the number of super awesome projects revolving around felt.
Skip ahead to last night. Its the super bowl. I'd been in a funk for a few days. Long work week, first cold I've had in forever (and it was a narly one too), and some other things going on, and grief just crept back in. I sat next to my husband in a bar stool, staring at the game, thinking about 1000 other things, none of which deserved the time, even if it was as an alternative to football.
Then, aforementioned aunt walks out of one of the bedroom with what is obviously craft supplies. I take one look at my husband, the game, and say, "There's a craft involved, gotta go."
And so began my lesson in needle felting. And it is kind of... well, we made little animals. I'm not one for "knick knackery" (as we call it around here), and these animals didn't really DO anything... so I was skeptical that I would be all that impressed.
BUT! Then, I learned and practiced the process involved in needle felting.
Its a very complicated thing. You repeatedly stab a barbed needle into a ball of wool and it forms itself into a tighter and tighter form allowing you to add shapes, mold, and sculpt until you get what you like. Actually, it does require a bit of finesse. And you certainly do not want to stab yourself. However, it is simpler than you would imagine reading directions or looking at finished pictures.
And its monotonous. And a little bit violent. It really helped with the blah I was feeling. Don't read this and assume I was thinking while stabbing, "And this is for not learning the menu!" because, honest to God, I was not. But, there was something so therapeutic in stabbing an object over and over again only into to form it into something completely new and different.
I don't know that I can explain it any better than that. Except to say that of those of us who tried it, the other person to really get into it was an elementary school teacher. Someone who deals with far more politics, immaturity, and probably stress than I ever do. But... sometimes I feel like by offering a teenage their first job, I can relate to a third grade teacher rather well. As my mother in law mentioned though, I may think my employees are at the same level as third grade teacher, but then I still have to PAY them. So there is that.
Here is a picture of my creations:
So, either the repeated stabbing or the fact that I finally created something rather than just sitting on pinterest thinking about things I COULD create... either way. It was a pleasant end to a weekend. And I have to say, it ended with me in a much more pleasant mood.
