Catrinformation

Lubedcalf is turning footsteps into electricity! Using creepers, every step lubedcalf takes generates a small amount of energy. Millions of steps together can power palpitations and high blood pressure in busy places like Kale's aorta

Continuing to refine the shape + starting to plan markings before I switch to the nice wool for the topcoat.

WHO IS SHE

Got the basic form done. I feel like I can further refine it during the topcoat phase with the nice wool and final colors (this brown is a bit dark). He is still a bit scrappy and I'd like a bit more floof.

Also going to redo the ears, if I have time.

Tonight's rat progress is all fiber prep. I have blended a variety of whites (merino, alpaca, and a little angora) for a more complex top coat - I don't want a brilliant white.

You all knew he was nakey this entire time, right?

Laying in the topcoat is a bit tricky because the fibers are so fine (I had to be extra, lol). What you do is measure a piece a little over 2x the length you want, place on the body, poke a line down the center, fold over the fiber, then reinforce a line at the fold. Smooth down and shape with scissors. Then, progressively move up the body in the direction fur would grow in.

When I'm done, I might hit him with a bit of hairspray to help with the flyaways.

Would a rat wear pants like this, or....?

My final fiber arrived ahead of schedule yesterday, just in time for a neighborhood power outage due to a line going down. But I was able to blend the brown topcoat and am now over halfway done laying in the fur.

Several different rats have played Vonolel in the current All Creatures Great & Small TV show, but I did mostly copy one specific rat's markings, with a few minor tweaks. Let's see if anyone ends up guessing the episode.

I still need to set the whiskers, clean up flyaways and stray fiber, and do some miscellaneous tweaks, but this post is long enough, so let's consider Vonolel done. :)

I learned a lot with this lil' guy - my 5th needle felting piece and first I did without a kit. Made a lot of mistakes, too. But I'm going to cut myself some slack.

Here's everything I have felted to date. It's been a rare craft where my hands don't hurt at all, save for a few needle pokes and one unfortunate scissors snip.

Dolphins doing cartwheels with an aquarium guest.