The first day of 2010 - my family and I are relieved that 2009 is over. It started badly and didn't end very well and the middle part was pretty horrible too! I'm not going to say that 2010 will be better, has to be better or at least couldn't be worse because I feel that's tempting fate a bit too much!

The picture is of my hat that I started a few days ago. I didn't have my camera handy so couldn't take the pictures of wetting the fiber with my soapy solution, rolling it up with the resist and extra plastic in place to keep the sides from felting to each other and then putting it in my felting machine to work for a while.

Once the felt was pretty solid I began working it by hand, rinsing and re-soaping as needed. My guide was how spongey the felt was as I worked it against my washboard.

The "tails" I added were originally going to go on the top of the hat, but I decided that they would also work like the chains on tire flaps. They're in place to keep the ear flap things down. The only problem is that for the ear flaps to act like ear flaps I've got hours of fulling/hardening ahead of me. So I think I'll work it a bit more and then call it good. The "root" of these tail ends didn't take very well so I'll be doing a bit of needle felting to give them a stronger connection to the hat.

Unfortunately the wind and rain have kicked up which is interfering with my picture uploads. The last one I was trying to add was of the back of the hat - it's very long, at least to someone's shoulders - which shows why the ear flaps aren't really ear flaps. I don't think anyone has ears that big or low on their head.

My plan now is to work it a bit longer to harden it a bit more, which will also shrink it some more. Then I'll rinse it in vinegar and spin it dry in my laundry spinner. Then get my husband or sons to model it. It's hairy enough that I'll try and shave it with the sweater shaver I just got - but I have a feeling there's just too much needing to be done for that little tool.

Happy New Year!!!