Nienke Van Ginkel

Woof Wear

For over 10 years I have been creating felt, I love creating felt as it is very tactile and malleable. The method I use to make my items is wet felting, just rubbing with soap and water! The fascinating process of creating a piece of fabric, or an item, from fibre has grabbed me. Ever since my first try, I have been experimenting and stretching my knowledge of the material.

Apart from woollen fibres, which come in a lot of different kinds, sheep, lama, camel, possum etc., I use silk, tweed, plus, recycle textiles and combine them with the different wools. My main interest is to create texture by using different techniques. Apart from being able to create many different items, another nice aspect of making felt is that by mixing the wool fibres in different layers, you can make felt in any colour variation you like. The possibilities are endless.

Over the years I have attended several masterclasses to expand my felting knowledge and I have also been teaching felt workshops myself. The items I like making are all wearable/useable items, such as cowls/scarves, jewellery, tea cosies and other small items. The beauty of wool is that it is warm and washable! Every item I create is unique.