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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
I know about mohair bears. But I see the thread on TT about needlefelting. Not exactly sure what that is and what makes that different? Then I think I've seen crochet bears. What are the differences? Are there any other kinds? I have mohair and plush bears. Can someone please help me? 
Posts: 8,574Oh Chrissie,
I know the answer!
after the wool has been sheared and cleaned and carded (combed) it's called a roving. (sometimes it is dyed too)
Rovings are wool before it is spun into threads for yarn
needle felters take rovings and special felting needles ( which are simply the same needles that are used to make felt in factories) and we use those needles to poke down the flufy rovings into shapes.....in this case we make gollies, teddies, dragons, pigs, bunnies etc.
Think of it as sculpting with wool instead of clay or marble.
The needles are barbed in special ways so that every time we go in with a needle the wool gets more matted, it eventually takes a handful of roving down to something about the size of your big toe.....would make a great teddy body.
Right now I am needlefelting a face on a Father Santa- curly beard etc. Then I am using JazzyFran's sisters idea of setting the curls with mod podge.....I water it down by 50% and put it in a spray bottle and then spray it on the beard......haven't a clue if it will work but am having a great time trying.
This is another case of "you don't have to be an artist to do this" ......
Hope this helped you 
Posts: 8,574PS
we can add needlefelting to crocheted or knitted critters as well as to mohair or muslin or fabric critters...... :clap:
So many ways to do so many things!
Kiprie BearsBravo Dilu :clap:
I keep saying that I have kit for Needle felting bear
in my hand(from long time ago) and I still not
started yet !!! I promise that I will start needlefelting
next year and make my 1st enter to the needlefelting
room..... til then please wait. 
Hi Chrissie!
I heard that Needle Felting is so fun and
that's all I can tell for now. :redface:
Hugs/Marie
Bumpkin Bears
Hi Chrissie,
Nice to 'see' you here :)
Needle felting is great fun, but somewhat dangerous for the fingers if you don't keep track of where the needles are going when poking through the ball of wool! 
It takes a long time but some great creations can be made, as you will have seen here at Teddy Talk. I have created a few mini needle felted bears and it is very therapeutic and surprising what you can create out of a pile of wool! Judi (Luxembears) adds some fantastic needle felting to her bears faces and feet.. So you can also get bears where different techniques are combined. I recently made a little mohair hedgehog that I needle felted red woolly boots on to, to keep him warm in the snow
In the photo you can see the wool and the needles (with barbs on the ends that grab into the wool), and the foam block that you needle into rather than your fingers (at least that's the idea!)
Other than needle felting some artists make bears from recycled genuine fur, others make them from antique velvets or patchwork fabrics, or special clothes items from loved ones... the sky is the limit with ideas I guess!
Hugs,
Catherine
Kim-Bee Bears
Here is a pic of my latest needle felted critter... They are fun to do and it is kind of dangerous LOL (like was said)
Posts: 1,277Well, Chrissie, so far I've only done crochet bears. When I started I just used cotton crochet thread. I only did a couple of those before I started using angora yarn. Angora is my favorite so far because they are nice and furry and with the bigger ones I do you can barely even see the crochet stitches. (Like the guy in my avatar) I also have some lace weight cashmere yarn. I did a couple of bears with that. While they turned out super soft they weren't furry so now I save the cashmere for hats and scarfs and such. And the cool thing about the angora and cashmere is that I don't have to buy a huge assortment of colors. I have a very easy and CHEAP method of dying...Koolaid! The Koolaid only works on yarns and threads made from animal fibers...wool, angora, cashmere, mohair, alpaca.
Posts: 3,177:hug: Hi Chrissie
Here's a mohair bear of mine that has a needle felted face and paws - i have'nt tried making a thread bear yet as i am not a keen knitter, although i do love to crochet. Just don't seem to find the time anymore.
The great thing about needle felting is that it's like painting with wool but without the mess!
Penny
Thanks everyone! There are so many different kinds! 
What do needlefelted bears feel like?
How do you decide what type to make? How do artists get into making a certain type? Do a lot of artists do different types or do they tend to stick with one kind?
Sandi, you dye with koolaid? That's funny! 
I didn't know you could crochet in different types of material like cotton, angora, etc.
That brings up another question. Do artists usually dye the materials they use?
Since you can make bears, can you also make clothes, pillows, etc. and sew other things?
Also, are the materials for needlefelting and crochet expensive? I know mohair isn't cheap so I just wondered.
Sorry for so many questions. Thanks for the help. I'm trying to be a more informed collector! :)
I forgot to add this in another post, but I can do needlepoint. That's the one crafty thing my mom taught me. The colors are already on the thing and you just add the yarn. I've only completed one thing in the 10 more or more years since I've learned it, but it's something! It was a bear with three balloons and it's framed on my wall. But don't expect an expansion into other crafty things.
Bumpkin Bears
Hi Chrissie,
I can't speak for others but I certainly sew a lot of other things, such as clothes for my bears (from my own patterns). I also make lots of things for my house, like pillows and curtains... and then cross stich pictures... then I also do lots of other crafts like hand made cards, rubber stamping... I like to try my hand at different crafts.
As for bears, I think each persons character tends to come out in their bears, so that tends to lead them to the style or type of bear ... ie; modern and cartoony or traditional and old looking... but of course there are a million styles in between! I like to think that each bear brings his own character as well as that of his creator that brings him or her alive!
I do not often dye the material for my bears, however I have tried some natural dyes from my garden and got nice effects - such as Little Toby (here in the photo) was hand dyed with rose petals (although the scent does not stay!). Dyeing can either give wild funky looks or more subtle looks. Some people dye the clothing on their bears with tea to look more antique... yet again the only limit is ones imagination :)
As for the cost of needle felting, it is not hugely expensive and with mini bears, a little goes a long way... however it is a very time consuming technique and takes a lot of practice. Entirely needle felted bears are very light of course because of no filling.. I have never tried crochet bears to comment, but I should think they are very light and soft too.
I hope this gives you a few answers, I'm sure the others will have lots of ideas too.
Hugs
Catherine
Posts: 1,277
Yup, 
Koolaid is very easy and very cheap and non-toxic; although you shouldn't inhale it. But I'm no Koolaid sniffer so it works great for me. They make all sorts of threads and yarns you can crochet with. I wouldn't use the same kind of yarn for a bear as a baby blanket; but I could if I wanted. The picture is of a dollhouse-sized doily I made using a single strand of embroidery thread and a miniscule crochet hook. Anything goes as long as you can imagine it!
The cost of threads and yarns really varies. A skein of embroidery thread is only a quarter and angora yarn can go up to $10-12 per ball. I only buy angora when I can get a really good deal around $4-5 per ball. With my smaller bears I can get 3 bears per ball and the thicker, fuzzier ones like in my avatar take about 1 1/2 balls per bear. So it really does vary, but still inexpensive on my standards.
I can also sew, embroider and cross-stich. I dabble in scrapbooking. I really love all different crafts and have experimented with lots of things over the years. My mother and sisters can barely sew on a button! Everything I do has been self-taught.
Posts: 3,540"I Love Teddies" wrote Since you can make bears, can you also make clothes, pillows, etc. and sew other things?
For me 
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ~ NO! I can handsew my bears, but hubby lives in slim hopes of me being able to sew clothes. I have managed a couple of pillows...again handsewn, but that was only because I cheated by filling a pillowcase with the stuffing, and sewed it shut.
As for the different media, I've only made my bears from real fur or a very, very few synthetics. 
Kim-Bee BearsI have done draperies, pillows, small blankets (baby or bear blankets), pj pants, a couple shirts and a pair of pants... I have also done a sweatshirt and gym bag (but that was in Jr. High School)
Posts: 3,177
Hellooo Chrissie,
Well, as we are all showing off our hand made goodies i thought i'd blow my own trumpet and show you a few pieces of work that i have done.
I love tapestry work and started off making a cushion from a kit but then sussed out how to design my own patterns - thanks to Kaffe Fassett for the inspiration!
I designed the cushion with roses on and the green man head is taken from a piece of medieval stone masonry found in Bamburg Cathedral, i drew the pattern design from a photograph and the two other pieces are going to be turned into handbags - when i get around to it that is!
I will sew just about anything given the opportunity and time! 
Penny :hug:
Penny, those are truly gorgeous. What talent you have... !
Past Time BearsVery cute bear, Debbie and very lovely tapestry work, Penny!! My goodness, Teddy Talk has more talent on its board than I can imagine being in any one place at any time. Hmmmmm . . . does that sentence make sense?? Hopefully, you know what I mean - right? 
Wild Thyme OriginalsPenny... what beautiful work! I have a personal infatuation with the Green Man!
Beray truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals
Luxembears
Hi Chrissie, I thought I would add a photo to this thread to show my needle felting onto mohair. It is quite addicting! and very time consuming. The supplies are pretty inexpensive and come in a variety of colors.
I also sew, knit, crochet, draw, and airbrush...kind of all fits in the art category.
Here are a couple of bears I have done. I do lots of different styles...and they seem to take on a life all thier own.
Kim-Bee BearsJudi, i absolutly love your new needle felted mohair guy! I love that mohair! He is wonderful!
Luxembears
Hi Kimmy, That first picture in the previous post is not a new one. I did him about a year ago. Here is my new one: SHerwood. He is 22" made from hand dyed mohair with needle felted muzzle, paws details and eye details. He is my baby boy.
