Group 1 – https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2024/03/02/fabulous-finger-protectors-i-have-found-group-1/

Group 2 – https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2024/03/12/fabulous-finger-protectors-i-have-found-group-2/

Group 3 – https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2024/03/22/fabulous-finger-protectors-group-3/

This is, what i think, is my final installment, (well unless i stumble over something else that is miss labeled and is obviously a felting safety tool!)

Group 4

Kitchen Knife accessory!

Who would look at these and say they are not obviously felting safety tools!?? I found these at Aliexpress and amazon but check your dollarama/dollar store if they look interesting to you too. This is a bit like the Rake idea but with a different handle orientation and tooth spacing. Looking at the images on line, I had suspicions as to which would be most comfortable to hold and which would be most likely to be useful. Let’s see how that hypothesis went.

4.1.1  Ali express called this a “Stainless Steel Onion Needle” (did not come with a pointy-bit-cover to protect your fingers. This could be quite a surprise for your fingers if it was hiding in a kitchen drawer!)

I thought this one would be the quite comfortable with a large round handle. I was surprised that when holding it at an angle, rather than upright, changed how your hand wants to hold this shaped handle. It is not that it doesn’t work well, it’s just not quite as comfortable as I had expected.

The spacing of the teeth, made it easy to see what I was working on. The teeth are smooth, and did not grab the fiber it was holding.

4.1.2 Easy to see what you’re working on and teeth did not snag wool.

4.1.3 This is what it was originally designed to do, in case you were curious. (There is also a picture of it impaling a Lemon, so it doesn’t just work on torturing onions.)

The next is very similar to the previous with only minor differences. : Soft rubber covers handle for a comfortable grip, and there is a small protective end cover. (It also comes in black, peach and avocado green if you were trying to colour co-ordinate your felting tools?)

 4.2.1 the softer handled version

The soft handled version also allows you to see your work and hold the wool without grabbing it. It seems a little lighter in the hand when using it than the black one.  I will see if I can find my scale and see if this is an illusion or is the black one actually a tiny bit heavier.

The last one in this category was the one I was least excited about from looking at it on line. (That’s why it went last in this list) it looked light and flimsy, ok, assumptions are not always correct. Yes, it is lighter, smaller and has more teeth than the previous two options, but its smaller size fits well in my hand. If I was working vertically trying to hold onions (from the on line images) the smaller handle may be a problem. Working on an angle, holding wool for the needle, the smaller handle is actually an advantage. If the manufacturer ever sees this blog maybe they could repackage it as a much more expensive felting tool? It also comes with the best fitting and longer teeth cover!

4.3.1 Original use of smallest wool holder

4.3.2 Cover covers tines not just the tips.

As you will notice, there are more teeth on this version but you can still see your under-drawings while you’re working. It also comes in white, orange, blue and green. I went with white as a more neutral colour.

  4.3.3 Holding the smallest option was comfortable and you could still see your under drawing.

Three of the tines on this one arrived blunted. Blunted tines may be a better option for you and could be accomplished with a metal nail file or fine metal rasp.  With the closer teeth spacing, the background image is only a bit less visible than the previous versions of this tool.

4.3.4 three of these tines arrived blunted, this may not be the best for threatening violence on vegetables but worked just fine on holding wool still while you stab it.

All three are very similar. The difference is more in how it feels in the hand, the teeth spacing on one and the options to cover or not cover the teeth when not in use. You may have to try them out yourself, to see which might suites you best. This is likely a good option to consider since it holds fiber well away from your fingers, yet still allows you a good view of what you are doing.

 

Knife shields

4.4.1 the back of two knife shields

This is another way to keep knives away from your innocent fingers. I have two different versions of this. Both have a strait and curved edge and on the back, there are two ways to fit your fingers as you hold it.

Here are examples from one of the sellers of its original purpose;

4.4.2 Curved edge used while cutting carrots (from sellers add)

 4.4.3 Strait edge used while cutting cucumbers (from sellers add)

4.4.4 Measurements from seller

Now lets look at what happens when you apply this tool to needle felted pictures.

4.4.5 Curved edge down when felting

4.4.6 Flat edge down when felting

Finger protection is excellent with this, but it does obscure all of the image behind the shield while protecting your fingers. There was no fiber clinging to the stainless steel. The finger ring or rings at the back of the shield are adjustable but may not be as well located for you depending on which edge you are using. Over all I think this option has potential. If you spot this on sale or at a second hand store, try it on and see if it feels comfortable.

Another option would be to do a bit of modification, possibly with a bench vice, you may be able to adjust the curvature to reduce the area obscured while still protecting the fingers. I may have to consult with the local blacksmith this summer and see what he can come up with.

Synopsis

4.6.1 a few of the options we have considered.  (clover rake, cutting finger protector, caller turner, sewing machine finger protector, stylus, kitchen cutting guilds larger and smaller with moose pin in progress in the background.

Another consideration, when looking at all the options, is your felting style. 

None of these options will be any help to you if they don’t work with your style of felting. I have been needle felting a long time now and was very enthusiastic when I started out. I have evolved my style towards slower and shallower stabbing over the years. Like painting, I try to make each brush stroke or stab count (think first then stab like a silver point drawing). This is not the fastest way to felt.  Especially when I want to work with thin layers or wisps of fiber that change subtly the aria I am working on, it’s not fast but fun and i like the finished results.

Are you a needle felter who takes out there frustrations by stabbing deeply and often?  Try the pink rigid insulation foam as a work surface (it screams when you stab it) and an option that keeps your fingers farthest away from the pointy end of your needle. A chopstick or well-sanded wooden skewer or one of the onion holders may work best for you.

Are you a needle felter in a rush, listening to techno and trying to match the beets per minute to your stabbing?  Try a snoozy massage music or a slow building non-stressful audio book to listen to and see if any of the safety options appeal to you, maybe the small handled multi toothed tool with the hart cover will help.

All of these options have been tried with 2D, or picture felting. For 3D, or sculptural needle felting, there is a added challenge of curved surface which will not work as well with some of the options. you may find the stylus, and purple sewing finger protector (why are these so hard to describe?) and leather finger cots, leather glove, or Sara’s Grab it stab it may work better for you.

last thought, part of the reason i let my fingernails grow is that i often use them to hold down wisps of fiber or felt around the end of them, to make a curve. the other reason was spending over 25 years that i had to have short nails for work, so i am enjoying there return since i am not working.

i hope you have had fun reading about ways to keep your innocent fingers and the evil pointy end of your needles farther apart. i am sure there are lots of options i have missed, or haven’t seen yet, that may be mentioned in the chat below (its always good to check the chat for more information or suggestions. There are many Fabulous Felters out there each with there favored solutions to not using too many band-aides!!)