Sadly, with age comes a few aches and pains. Felt making can be physically taxing. Below are a few tips to make the work less arduous. If you have any additional suggestions please email me – I always love to add some new tricks to my toolbox:
Working Height
If you are working on a table, consider your work height. I carry table raisers with me for workshops. Looking like flower pots they provide a stable base for table legs and can raise the height to reduce back strain. Available from hardware stores or online.
Mats
If you felt standing then foam mats underfoot reduce leg strain. Available from office supply stores, I keep one on each side of my felting table. The mats really make a difference to my feet and legs after a long day felting.
Posture
Rolling seems to be one of the areas that increases back and shoulder pain. My physio friend advises that we should stand with one foot forward and switch feet after every hundred rolls. We should also be rolling with our forearms – not hands and wrists.
Of course, If you are really keen to reduce shoulder strain, the gentle roller is available. I have now purchased one for my new workshop. It definitely makes a difference. I still get a kick from having a coffee while watching the machine do the rolling! I’m sure students will also appreciate the advantage of using a machine to do the hard work!
Lay Out
If laying out wool affects your hands, a simple trick is to use a credit card. Lay the roving in front of you and hold the loose end with a credit card while slowly pulling the roving away. You will have a shingle to lay out on your project. Such a simple idea but a great way to reduce painful hands and fingers.
4 Comments. Leave new
Sorry if I am being dense, but hold the loose end with a credit card… how? Put the roving on the table and hold it down with the edge of the credit card? Or lay the credit card down on it? Or what am I missing?
I appologise it has taken so long for me to respond. I forget to check here and the comments dont go through to my inbox.
Your first idea is correct. put the roving down on the table and lay the edge of the credit card on the tips of the roving. Then pull gently and you create a shingle.
I often have students in my workshops who cant manage to pull shingles out the traditional way so I have them do it by laying the roving down and gently placing their palm on the tips of the roving and pulling. It works fine and after a practice they become quite quick.
Thank you for taking the time to respond
Kind Regards
kate
Another tip: if your Gentle Roller comes with three of the red rollers, use all three for extra pressure. The third one just sits in the slots.
My apologies Ruth that it has taken so long for me to reply – I seem to forget to check the comments here and they dont go through to my inbox.
I havent tried using all three rollers – but thank you for the tip – I will try that. At the moment my gentle roller is out of action. The puppy ate the soft roller and I have to wait untile\ early February to replace it 🙂 Actually not at all funny – but I wont leave it where he can munch on it again
Thank you for your kind suggestion
Kate