Marr Haven Homemhyarn@marrhaven.com
The Clover Company has done it again. I was very impressed with their original Clover needle felting tool. Now this pen tool adds another level of needle felting comfort.
 The Clover Pen Style Felting Tool with three 40 gauge needles is $15.50. | The pen style tool is just over 6 inches long with the protective clear cap in place, only 1/2 ounce (14 grams) in weight with little finger indentations to let you poke and poke without tiring. It comes with three 40 gauge triangle needles that can easily be removed so you can use only one or two. The slim pen style felting needle
tool is perfect for getting down inside a small piece of needle felted sculpture.
I made the flower below to test the tool, the flower is about 3 inches long and
2 1/2 inches wide. I used just the pen style tool so you can get along with only
the one tool for small pieces. When I brought out the original Clover tool to
compare them, I found for my "instant gratification" attitude that the
two tools are perfect partners. |
Clover Manufacturing Company does have refill sets of felting needles, 5 to a package. One of our Case of 3 needles (see below) which are Foster Needles, would cost less than the Clover package of 5 needles 40 gauge which they call Fine or 38 gauge which they call Heavy so I will not carry the Clover refill needles.
| The Clover Company also has a small plastic mat that is shown on the package of their felting tool. You do need something beneath your work, primarily to protect the tips of the needles, however the largest Clover mat is only 6 1/4 inch by 4 1/2 inch and costs approximately $17. I use the foam rectangular form shown in this picture. The foam rectangular form is 10 in. x 15 in. long, 2 in. thick $10.00. See more information |  |
 | 3
Felting Needles in a snap open case, $3.50 for case of 3
needles of the same size choose: 36 gauge triangle for general felting. 38 gauge star point has more sides, faster than 36, more resistant to breaking than 40. 40 gauge triangle is for fine fiber and detail. |
The
original felting tool firms the fibers and smoothens the finish quickly, then
the pen tool slipped in to reshape the petals to stand up and the leaves to curl
inward. The pen tool will hold 36 or 38 gauge needles, however I felt because
of its light weight the 36 gauge did not poke as easily as the 38 and 40 gauge.