I guess wool is not really a tool. It belongs more in the materials section. But since I use wool for pretty much everything in my craft, it has become like a tool to me. I use it in various forms and shapes. It is beautiful to look at and touch. It is soft and warm like a newborn puppy. I have mainly three different types of uses for it.
First of all, I use wool for stuffing my dolls. I use raw wool because it can be shaped into dollheads and bodies for waldorf dolls. I buy it in large quantities. When I open the latest shipment, it smells fresh and earthy, and a bit like the animals it came from. I like to transform the large fluffy clouds of wool into soft warm little baby dolls. I know when a child cuddles them, they will warm up to their body temperature and reflect the warmth. Who wants to cuddle a cold plastic baby?
Secondly, I like to work with wool that has been processed into long strands of yarn. I love the soft mohair yarns with long fibers. Long fibered mohair yarn almost gives the impression of real human hair. I crochet dollwhigs with it. I am always amazed at the effect it has in handmade dolls – making them come to life and look like real people.
Lately I have been browsing the internet for new handspun yarns. They have amazing texture and brighten the studio. Above you can see a beautiful batch of handdied and handspun yarn by artist Jossimer from Luxfish in Canada. I am afraid that soon it will become a new addiction of mine. So many pretty colors and textures…
Last there is the wool pressed into sheets of felt. I mainly use sheets of felt from Holland that are 100% wool. They come in beautiful rich colors. They are perfect for handsewn doll boots or vests. They are great for making small toys, like the little felted leafbeds I can’t seem to keep in my shop.
Wool – has become to me what paint is to a painter. There are endless ways to utilize it and make beautiful arts and crafts with it. I hope you discover it soon for yourself if you have not done so already. Please, share with us what you make with it.
Ulla Seckler is a dollmaker who was born and raised in Germany. She lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and two kids. You can find her Notes by a German Dollmaker on her blog where she shares some great German recipes, pictures of her sweet dolls, and life lessons learned.
Oh, how I love wool! Like you, I use it it all it’s various forms and just can”t even remember my crafting life before it.
Such a lovely post Ulla!
Love it! Makes me want to go and get to work!
I love wool too, even though I am allergic I can’t help use it!