from the designer: “Take one part need for fun game that I could play with both hubby and kiddo without boredom setting in and two parts need to torture wool into submission and you get a felted game, of course.

”Mancala is believed to be one of mankind’s oldest games coming from either Africa or the Middle East 1000 to 3000 years ago (that should narrow it down). Empires have been won, and lost over such a simple game (okay I’m making that up but hey, it could happen).

“Players take turns moving their beads around the board, whoever has the most beads in their big bowls when all of the little bowls have been emptied wins! There are countless variations to the rules, as well as over 350 different names for the game, I’ve included the rules that I most frequently use.

”I used Cascade 220 for the very first time on this project and I’m hooked! So many colors and felts like a dream. A great little game to use up all those feltable odds and ends, I used three different colors, the turquoise and blue heather as main colors and the gold as the contrasting color on the cups in random stripes. An attached i-cord brim was added for extra stability. Use your or the recipients favorite colors, don’t like stripes? Do solids!“

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Width: 6.3 inches (16 centimeters)

Length: 21.26 inches (54 centimeters)

MATERIALS

MC1 Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 220yd/201m per 100g skein; color: #9457 Dark Blue Heather; 1 skein

MC2 Cascade Yarns Cascade 220; color: #9455 Turquoise Heather; 1 skein

CC Cascade Yarns Cascade 220; color: #7827 Gold; 1 skein

1 set US #8/5mm double-point needles

1 set US #8/5mm straight needles

Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Sharp needle for attaching cups to base

Thread

36 half-inch (13mm) or larger in diameter beads (or the like) for use as game markers.

GAUGE

16 sts/22 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch (before felting)