This elegant design is the perfect ornament for a Mediterranean-themed room. You can add additional silver sea-themed charms to the chain or pearl beads to the dolphin – or just keep it classically simple.
25g blue merino roving
2 × size 40 triangular needles, for shaping
1–2 × size 42 triangular needles, for surface finishing
Small amount of white merino roving
Blue embroidery floss or thick thread
2 × 3mm black glass eyes or seed beads
3 × 4mm jump rings
40cm thin trace silver chain
1 × 8mm closed jump ring
Thin-nosed pliers, chain cutting pliers, awl, thin tweezers (optional tools)
Finished size: 22–24cm along the curve
1 Take 3 lengths of blue roving, measuring 30 × 4cm, 20 × 4cm and 10 × 4cm. Lay the 30cm length out horizontally, place the 20cm length on top of it in the middle, and then lay the 10cm length on top of them both, also in the middle.
2 Pull the sides of the long length around the filler lengths and begin working with two size 40 needles to form a fat tube that curves gracefully.
3 Shape the tail, twisting it to an angle as you work. Go down to one size 40 needle: this makes it easier to work at a small scale.
4 Still with one needle, shape the nose, using your thumb and forefinger to pinch it into a point. Careful, precise jabs are best here.
5 Now you should have a lovely leaping dolphin shape like this.
6 From a pinch of wool, shape a fin on the felting mat and then join it to the topmost point of the curved back.
7 Cover the whole body with thin layers of wool until it is smooth and firm, making sure the covering fibres follow the same direction as the body fibres. Then add a tummy, using 10 × 1cm white wool. Needle it directly onto the body and shape it into a thin oval. Sew in the eyes using the sideways method and stitch three lines in the tail with blue embroidery floss.
8 Insert a small jump ring on either side of the flipper. It’s easier if you drill a tiny tunnel through the felt, using an awl, for the ring to go through first, then link it to the chain end. Close the ring and use fine-nosed tweezers to twist the jump ring round so that the gap is inside the felt body. After this, you will probably need to tidy up the area. Repeat on the other side and add a closed ring for hanging, using another small jump ring to connect it to the chain.