What have you taught yourself?

Last winter was a very long, cold and snow filled one! I was also going through a spiritual battle, and needed to fill my days. I wanted to create something.

I played with knitting, until one of my cats wanted to play too! So, I could only knit when she was asleep in the other room.

I started looking on pinterest and found some really cute animals that said they were wool needle felted. I googled it. I watched a video. I placed an order through Amazon and excitedly waited for a kit to arrive, plus some extra wool.

The day the kit came, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning! It was a red fox and appeared easy enough.

When I was finished, it looked nothing like the picture on the box. I was so bummed. I sat there and started stabbing ( that’s part of the process) my extra wool, all the while turning it. I looked for a picture to copy on pinterest and found several. I work with what I had and it turned out better than the kit!

I ordered more wool and needles. I spent my winter stabbing wool until it formed whatever I was creating. I contacted a local gallery/store that displays local artists. I asked what she thought of my wool felted animals. She loved them and had never heard of it before. I kept creating and by the time I went to meet her at the gallery, in March, I had a good amount to display.

I made a few turtles, as the town near me, does turtle racing every Wednesday all summer long. My turtles where selling quickly, so I made more.

This winter, I am making one hundred turtles so the gallery can keep them in stock.

I also make bears, owls, dogs, cats, trees and more. I started asking a few friends if I could practice by looking at a picture of their pet. I am happy to say, they all loved them and asked to buy them. I had told them, since it was practice, they could just pay shipping.

Share with me something you taught yourself to do.

Above is my second ever polar bear.