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In 2008 when I moved to Rotterdam I joined the local Stitch and Bitch group of knitters.  There I found lots of knitting friends and I also found felters, weavers and spinners. I am not sure exactly when it was but I remember being giving the options of learning to spin or to felt.  I chose felting.  Looking back that was a pretty momentous decision. The lady that taught me to felt , Els , has become a really wonderful friend.  In a few weeks I will leave the Netherlands and move back to the UK , although I am really looking forward to this move,  there are things I will miss and seeing Els on a regular basis is one of them.

As my move approached I felt (no pun intended) that I should give Els a piece of felt as a thankyou for changing my life in so many ways.  I then discovered that Els , translated into English from Dutch was alder . Fantastic. Alder cones are a wonderful natural dye .  So I have made Els her own piece of felt dyed with Els , with lots of love and many many thanks. 

Here it is after felting, Blue faced Leicester in two natural shades plus loads of silk and cotton fibres , both felted in and machine and hand stitched.

And after dyeing

  
I hope Els will add to to her wonderful eclectic collection of textiles and sometimes remember the day at her house when she taught me to  make my first felt flower.