Alpacas for AirCrafting

 Felted Alpaca

1.       Lay a long rectangular piece of alpaca fleece vertically on top of a sponge or tea towel as ’paca’ is a little slipperier than other fibres. Starting from the bottom up roll the fleece into a cylinder.  This will be your ‘paca’s body. 

2.       With felting needle gently work the fleece into a symmetrical shape. (This can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes depending on the density of your fleece)

                                             

LEGS

3.       Lay 4 small rectangular pieces of alpaca fleece on a sponge or tea town.  Roll it into a small cylinder and felt it until it is symmetrical. (Again this will take 10-15 minutes). The cylinder will be your ‘paca’s left back leg (if you are to the left) or your paca’s left right leg (if you are to the right). 

4.       With your felting needle, stab (yes, I said stab) your leg into the body, it may probably take a few stabs

5.       Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining fleece. You will now have a blobby of fleece which in no way or shape resembles a ‘paca’, but have faith.

HEAD AND NECK

6.       Lay out a long but narrow rectangle piece of alpaca fleece horizontally and roll it from the bottom up until you have what looks like a Cuban cigar. Bend the top 3^rd of your cigar 45 degrees. You will now have what looks like a very bent Cuban cigar. The bent-part is your ‘paca’s” head

With your felting needle gently work the fleece into a symmetrical shape (and yes it will take between 1-015 minutes). Then with your felting needle stab the neck and head into the body. You will now have a large ball of fleece that marginally resembles a ‘paca."

Don’t give up! 3-D felting is a patience craft.

EARS, FEETSIES AND TOESIES 

7.       With a contrasting colour (okay, you can use a main colour if you want) make two small balls and stab onto sides of heads for ears. They will look wonky but don’t worry, you will be able to needle felt them into more triangular shape later.

8.       Stab 4 small balls of  contrasting colour fleece onto the bottom on the legs. These will be your paca’s feetsies. Your ‘paca will not stand up but later on when you needle felt the feetsies into little heart-shaped toesies they will.

9.       Okay your “conceptual idea” of a ‘paca is now done. With your felting needle, needle felt and intermittently stab your “big hunk of fleece” into a ‘paca.’ I cannot explain how to do this exactly but by working with the ‘paca’ fibre you will get a FEEL for it and it will tell you what to do. (No, this is not some ‘paca’ whisperer thing, but you will get it with some perserverance and practice-I promise)

10.   Keep needle felting and stabbing (this willd take you anywhere from 90 to 120 minutes) until you get a ‘paca’. Make sure you take some time with the ears which you will need to make pointy and the feetsies which you need to turn into heart-shaped toesies.

TAIL & AND EYES

11.   Alpacas have fluffy tails, make up a large loose circular ball of fleece for the tail and stab it into your ‘paca’s rear end. You can gently needle felt the tail in or make a firmer tail by stabbing the fleece.

 

12.   Now with a contrasting colour make two very small balls for the eyes and gently poke (not needle felt and not stab but something in between) into the head. I like to give my ‘pacas’ a slightly goofy expressions, so I make their eyes a bit asymmetrical but if you like symmetry go for it.)

13.   Needle felt in any stray bits of fleece and smooth out any rough patches.

14.   Then give your ‘paca’ a hug and please don’t forget to say “goodnight” to it.

Copyrighted to Glenn Goldman & Beryl Tsang, AirCrafting, 2013, for personal use only .