Polar: Arctic Ocean Mermaid

I finished my third mermaid today. Her name is Polar because she is holding a polar bear cub! Each mermaid is named after what they are holding or the ocean they represent (or should I day "live in"!). This mermaid's tail is made from deep purple wool overlaid with a white lace. Her bodice is the same deep purple wool as her tail sans the lace. On her bodice is a vintage pin (another from my grandmother's old costume jewelry box that I was fortunate to inherit).  Some of the rhinestones were missing from the pin, so I embellished it with purple beads. Her hair is hand-spun yarn that is very soft. It is 40% angora (bunny) and 60% merino (sheep) which translates to 100% yummy! I bought this yarn at the NH Sheep & Wool festival and have been saving it for the right doll.

As with the other two mermaids, Polar has a needle felted head and upper torso and a stuffed fabric tail. The little baby polar bear cub is entirely needle felted

Here is a picture of the three mermaids on the closet door in my studio. Pearl (Atlantic Ocean), Pacifica (Pacific Ocean) and Polar (Arctic Ocean). Only one left to create- Indian Ocean- think of the possibilities!

Needle Felted Polar Bears

Group Photo

I received two needle felting books for Christmas so I decided to make a few polar bears since I had a large amount of white wool on hand. I think these turned out well considering they are a first attempt. They are quite small, the seated one is the tallest and he is only 3 inches. The two standing ones are less than 4 inches long and approximately 2 3/4 inches tall. Needle felting takes hours!!! The process consists of poking a barbed needle into a mass of wool shaping as you go. I have been knitting up a storm lately and decided I needed a change of pace so tried my hand at a new skill. I must admit that I really like needle felting and will certainly be making more creatures in the future!