Cozy Penguins Wool Felt Christmas Ornament (Set of 6)

Object

Why it exists

Ready for a winter's day out, six felted wool penguins are excited for the cold weather. Ashish Mehta in India presents this ornament set, plumping the penguins with polyfill and adding jaunty scarves and hats. The ornaments arrive in an organza storage bag.

Process

How it is made

First, we procure wool from Bikaner and Jaisalmer. It undergoes an initial cleaning process where burrs and black wool are removed; it is then fed into a 'bilo' machine to separate out dirt and thorns. Next, it passes through an opener machine—a process known locally as *pindai*—followed by a carding machine that forms the wool into rolls. These rolls are then processed in a hardening machine, where they are beaten for two to three minutes while steam is applied to set the material. Subsequently, the material undergoes milling with the addition of soap; it is beaten for two hours until fully prepared. If coloring is required, four sheets are placed together in a large vessel and boiled for 10 minutes, after which they are dried in a hydro-extraction machine. Finally, the material is cut into pieces— either by machine or by hand—according to the required size and sent for stitching.

Origin

HANDICRAFT RAJASTHAN JAIPUR INDIA