Some of the fleeces from my sheep are not suitable for felting into the Living Landscapes, or in the case of some of the coloured fleeces, I just don't need so much of a particular colour. I can't bear to see wool go to waste, it's such an incredible material, so I felt many of the remaining fleeces to make rugs.
The result has all the luxury of a sheepskin, but the sheep still has its skin and is grazing out in the field.
To do this the sheep must have been sheared with great care, and the fleece held together in its shape well.
I lay the fleece out on a clean floor and remove as many bits of organic matter as I can, and 'skirt' the fleece, or remove any really dirty or matted edges. Then I carefully transfer the fleece to a special high table, covered with an old towel. I lay the fleece cut side up on the towel, remove any bits of debris from the side, and make sure that the locks of fleece are all sitting close to their neighbours, right -side up, with no 'second cuts' on the surface.
Then I take 3 or 4 batts of carded wool, and lay it on the fleece until it is completely covered. Repeat this twice more! Then lay a large piece of gauze over the carded wool, spray it with hot water and gently pat the fleece down.
Change the gauze for a thin plastic sheet, and then you've got a couple of hours of gentle rubbing the surface, using water and soap. When the carded wool is felting well, remove the plastic and repeat the process directly onto the wool.
Eventually the wool forms a stable felt, ready to be rolled, one hundred times in each direction. A great work out for the arms!
After this, there is the simple matter of washing and drying the fleece. It's about 1 1/2 to 2 days work all in all. I'll be taking the fleece rugs to some of the Christmas markets around Cornwall.