Supplies and Resources
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Below are links to some of the supplies that I use for needle felting as well as some needle felting resources.
Needle Felting foam provides a soft yet firm surface that allows the felting needle to pass through the background fabric far enough to embed the wool fibers. I usually purchase larger pieces and then cut down to a size appropriate for each project. You can usually do1-2 portraits on each side of the foam. Some felters prefer using a felting mat, which is firmer and longer lasting.
There are many sizes of felting needles. I tend to use a 38 star most often for portraits but will sometimes pick up a 40 triangle if I want something a little smaller. Triangles are great for 2d and 3d felting and stars are great for 2d however, selecting the best size and shape will depend on what you are felting, the type of fiber as well as personal preference. The pack pictured here includes multiple sizes which allows you to figure out what size you like best. Note: the larger the number, the smaller or finer the felting needle.
I prefer to use a medium weight linen for my backgrounds. I have handful of neutrals and soft colors in stock. I find that the linen is easy to work with and is quite strong. You can also use wool felted fabric (not the polyester craft felt as it stretches and is not sturdy).
My favorite pen is a Micron .005 for transferring my outlines onto the background fabric. They have a very fine tip which allows me more precision when laying down my guidelines. They are permanent, so you do have to be a bit more careful when drawing the outer edge since you want to make sure they will be covered with wool.
Wool
While you can use a lot of different types of wool, I prefer to use wool that has shorter fibers. I tend to get most of my wool from:
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I use a lot of their MC-1 fibers as well as a few colors of their short fiber merino. They also offer a fabulous Dabble Box which contains 30 critter colors in 1/8 oz amounts of their MC-1 fiber. It is a great way to try out a lot of their colors to decide which ones you like.
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I also use a lot of Felter's Pallette. It comes in 1/8oz, 1/2 oz, or 1 oz sizes. They also offer a great bundle, Colorbox - Dani Ives' Favorite Colors, which includes 1/8 oz assortment of 30 colors that are great for pet portraits.