Part of the process
Pad and setup
The pad takes the needle after it has passed through the wool. Foam is cheap and wears out; a wool mat costs more and lasts longer. Add finger guards and two or three needle sizes, and a first setup is complete.
- Foam pad
- commonly 1.5 to 2 in thick, a consumable
- Wool mat
- about 1.5 in thick, long lasting
Never felt on a table or on your lap. The needle has to pass through the wool into something soft, or the tip breaks. A foam pad is the usual start: light, cheap and commonly 1.5 to 2 inches thick. Foam softens and sheds bits with use, so treat it as a consumable. A wool mat costs more, is quieter and lasts much longer. Foam, wool or brush compares the surfaces.
The hand that holds the wool is the one that gets stabbed. Leather or silicone finger guards on the thumb and first two fingers reduce needle sticks; they do not rule them out. Work in good light, keep your eyes on the needle and stop when you are tired. Keep needles in a tube or case, not loose on the table.
A first setup is short: needles in two or three sizes, a pad, core wool and a few colors. What you need for needle felting lists it item by item. A starter kit is the same list in one box, and what matters is what is in the box, not how many colors the photo shows.
Common mistakes at this stage
- Felting on a pad so thin that the needle hits the table.
- Keeping a foam pad after it has gone soft and started shedding into the work.
- Looking away from the needle while stabbing.