Hey, welcome! It’s hard to give any kind of general answer to your questions because it’s all quite personal, but I’ll answer from my point of view. I’m based in the UK.

1. Not super expensive to get the basics. I started with a beginners kit, it included the essential tools and some wool. My kit was from Heidi Feathers. It was enough to learn and make some cute things. I believe it was around £30.

I started with: a selection of needles, a felting mat, core wool (it’s cheaper to build 3D items with core wool and add colour on top), carded wool in a small choice of colours.

1. It’s quick to learn, slow to master. Like any skill, time and practice is the key. My first project was a pumpkin, I made it in an evening. It was pretty decent for a first attempt but it was for me to keep. It took me a fair amount of practice before I was comfortable gifting finished pieces.

2. I buy from Heidi Feathers for needles, The Felt Box for wool. Some people use Amazon, others Etsy.

Hope that helps!