Karla Jacobs, Howling Wool
Felt Art and Collectables
Howling Wool Felt Art & Collectibles
Felt Art & Collectibles
Hand-made, lovingly crafted sculptures, wall art, and clothing made of felted wool.
Karla learned to needle felt in Iceland, during the long, dark winter of 2014. Using wool from extra-fleecy Icelandic sheep and inspiriation from local artisans, she started poking the fluffs of wool into shapes and faces that took on lives of their own. Her elves and fairies are inspired from Icelandic folklore—most Icelanders believe it's possible that "hidden people" exist in their land and are responsible for much of the unexplained mischief that happens.
With each new technique she learns, she marvels at how versatile wool can be in creating beautiful works of art, both in 3-D and 2-D. Karla teaches felting classes at Dharma Trading in San Rafael and is constantly updating her skills with online by taking in-person and online felting classes herself.
Processes:
Needle felting is a craft where wool fibers are interlocked using special needles to create solid, felted shapes and designs. The barbed needles are poked into the wool, causing the fibers to tangle and mat together, resulting in a non-woven textile.
Wet felting is a process that uses water, soap, and agitation to bind wool fibers together, creating felt fabric. It relies on the natural crimp and scales of wool to interlock and shrink under these conditions.
Nuno felting is a fabric felting technique that combines loose wool fibers with sheer fabrics like silk or cotton gauze to create lightweight, rippled textiles. The process involves wetting and agitating the wool and fabric layers, causing the fibers to intertwine and shrink, producing a unique rippled texture on the surface of the fabric.
