Sitting Cow with a Bell Needle Felting Kit by Charivna Mit V-119C

Felt the Sitting Cow with a Bell, a needle felting kit by Charivna Mit: a sitting golden-brown cow with dark brown hooves, little horns and a bell pendant.

In mountain villages cows wore bells so that herders could find them in the high summer meadows, and a cowbell still sounds like summer to many people.

Why this kit: needle felting needs no sewing and no counting, only wool and a barbed needle, and Charivna Mit sorts the wool by color and adds a color scheme so you always know which shade goes where. With just 4 wool colors it is a quick, forgiving project for a first try.

Kit includes: 4 colors of Corriedale wool, wire, a pipe cleaner for the frame, 2 felting needles, a color pattern and an instruction chart. Made in Ukraine. Not included: a foam felting pad to work on and small scissors for trimming stray fibers.

How to felt it: pull off small tufts of wool, roll them loosely and jab them with the felting needle, turning the shape as you go so it firms up evenly. Build the body first, then the head, legs and colored details, following the color scheme. Then add the wire parts as the instructions show. Work on a foam pad, keep your fingers clear of the needle tip and store the needles safely after use.

Finished size: about 13×8.5 cm (5.1×3.4 in). Stand it on a shelf, desk or windowsill, or give it as a homemade gift for farm lovers, teens and friends; the kit itself is an easy present for teens and adults. Recommended for ages 14 and up; the felting needles are very sharp, so keep them away from young children.