Scientific method

Okay, I've had one hectic day. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that the human race would be far more advanced if the concept of "meetings" did not exist. If I spent the time working rather than having a staring contest with an overhead projector, I'd be unstoppable. You can't be unstoppable if you can't get started because you're drawing doodles on the minutes from last week *insert heavy sigh*

This weeks problems have all been "reverse engineering" types ones - loosely where I have an outcome and now have to work backwards to work out where it came from.

Hmmm... excess wool roving... maybe a spot of reverse engineering is in order here :)

If you have a look at the "making section" on folksy, you'll find a great tutorial by glassprimitif (who's wonderful glass things I covet very much) about making felt beads. I have a lot of left over wool roving from another one of those "ooohhh isn't that shiny!" moments, so I thought I'd have a go. Nothing like taking out meeting frustration by pummelling inanimate objects after all. Inanimate objects don't answer back for start. Or write presentations.

One of the major lessons learnt from my last foray into felting is organisation is key. Aims and objectives clearly defined! So, this time I got everything in place to start with. Plastic sheet - check - warm water - check - wool - check - detergent - check - rubber gloves - check. I think that's everything on today's agenda.



Same principle as before - fibres need heat, water, detergent and friction to mat. My rubber gloves are great as they have a grippy rough surface for extra friction. Wet wool, add bubbles, roll into a ball until it mats. Simples.



I carried on until I was bored. Then I made another ten. Okay, I admit, I have the attention span of goldfish - I can't help that.



Sewing together - cubic close packing (geek alert!)



and one on the back... (takes ten spheres to get this far)



A few slightly smaller black spheres...



...and a pattern starts to emerge







...add sticky eyes and true to the scientific method, a little critter that can be broken down and considered as a set of perfect (ish) spheres is born



...and not a set of minutes in sight :)