Working Hands (And Feet)

Have you ever wanted to learn how to felt?  I was lucky to have the opportunity to participate in a volunteer event at Wave Hill last week where I got to learn a little bit about this incredible type of fiber art .  For this project, volunteers helped artist Liz Burrow create a felted blanket that would then be used as the canvas for a gorgeous embroidered quilt (to later be displayed at Wave Hill throughout the summer).

It quickly became evident why volunteers were needed---felting is a  lot of hard work!  I think I used every muscle in my body. The key to felting all those little tiny fibers into one durable piece of fabric is moisture, heat and agitation.  In these photos you can see some of my fellow volunteers using soap, hot water and...

...their hands...

and their feet....

and their arms to make this blanket...

The experience made me think about the tradition of turning fleece and fur into clothing, rugs, shoes, hats, baskets and much more.  The fiber crafts of spinning, dyeing, knitting, weaving, and felting have been around for thousands of years and were once a necessity for survival (and still are in many parts of the world).  While many of us now participate in these crafts for more artistic and creative purposes, we are also keeping alive a tradition of handwork that was passed down from generation to generation.

How serendipitous for me that the prompt this week for The Sunday Creative is "traditional".  I used to love watching my Nana knit when I was a little girl, and although I didn't really learn the craft from her, I am a knitter now myself.  Maybe you learned to knit or crochet from your grandmother?  Or, are you are currently trying to teach a child or someone in your family some type of craft involving handwork?

Check out other interpretations and stories of tradition at