What can I do to protect my hands while felting? I just bought my first set of needles and I plan to start some felting. Going to put a face on a Pachimari.

Needle felting is done by repeatably stabbing felt or roving to tangle fibers. There is risk with those repetitive motions. Now, I have seen tutorials, like this one that created a felted purse,  that used a foam pad or brush as a work surface. That seems fine and dandy but what about smaller things?

It is very tempting to pick up the work and use my hands for more control but I am not likely the idea of stabbing myself. Is using the foam pads and/or brushes the only way to accomplish this? If I wanted to make something small like a mushroom...



Image from Pintrest

Even if I am wrong about how to do felting on that scale my question still stands. What safety precautions should I observe while needle felting?
You might consider a small piece of leather.  I've seen leather pot holders that would likely work, but any suitable size piece of suede of sufficient thickness would work.

You could also wear a heavy leather glove on the hand that you're holding the piece you're felting.

(note -- I don't do felting, but I've done plenty of other needlework projects ... including hand-sewing leather, so I know needles don't go easily into it unless it's that thin stuff they use for driving gloves and such)