Sheep Tutorial

Basic Sheep Tutorial

Warning! Needles are very sharp

The fiber chosen for this project is Iceland wool, washed and carded to batting. You will need white or natural for the body and black or brown for the face and feet, and a piece of stiff foam or the pink back ground you see on my pictures is a square of insulation that is 1 ½ “ thick. Begin by pulling off a light colored fiber about 20” x 5” for the body.

With this length of wool, roll it to the shape of an egg. Roll and fold in the fuzzy edges as you go. Keep the fiber tight as you go to get as much air out as you can. You won’t have to needle quite as much. Roll all the way to end and start to needle until the fiber holds its shape. Needle just to make it nice and sturdy. The more you needle the smaller and tighter it will get. I do it just to about a medium feel. Set body aside when finished.

For the head pull off about 11” of fiber. The head will be done somewhat as the body. It will be only about 1/3the size, but leave the fuzzy ends on one end to connect to the body.

Smooth the fuzzy end to body hold and needle the head to body.

                Needle all the way around the head until it is firmly on the body.


                                       
For the legs start with apiece about 7” long. Pull all four pieces off at one time so you will have about the right amount for each leg. That way you don’t have to remember how much you used. The legs will be worked like the body only you want a tube shape instead of egg shape. Turn in one side while rolling up, but leave one end fuzzy to attach to body.

Fuzz out the one end as much as you can and put in place and begin to needle the legs to body. Repeat until you have all four lags on. The tail is done the same as leg only much smaller scale. About2”to 3”, roll and leave one end fuzzy to attach. Needle tail to body.

It takes very little black to cover the nose. Start wrapping the face and needle it as you go until covered.

To do ears, start with a small amount of dark fiber. Fold it to the shape of a triangle leaving fuzzy ends at the bottom. Needle felt the top part of ear to shape. Lay ear on side of head and needle the fuzzy ends down to meet the nose that makes a line that looks like eye. Repeat on other side. Refer to pictures. Add a little of dark fiber to bottom of legs to look like feet.

Here he is in the rough. Now you can take some of your fiber and cover him to make him fuller and bring all the parts together where all the lines don’t show. You can cover him with curly locks. Just use your imagination and make him your own.

I hope you can follow this. This is my first try at writing in words to make sheep. Enjoy and I would love to see any yours when finished, and would like to post it.