Saturday 1 September 2012

Felted Slippers

I have never attempted making slippers before but am glad I persevered with these. I got the pattern from Hilde (and if she doesn't mind, I will post it here once she has given her permission).

Hilde had warned me that they are very big when knitted. She was not wrong! They looked more like short ankled wellingtons!


I am a notoriously slow knitter but enjoyed doing these. They took me about 6 weeks knitting every now and then. I washed them at 60 C to felt them, in with a couple of towels and 2 flannels. Maybe I had too much other stuff in with them and they only half felted.

Not to be outdone by a pair of slippers, they went back in, this time with just a pair of old jeans. I was rather alarmed at how much they had shrunk second time around and was worried they were now too small.

I gently stretched them out and even more gently put my feet into them to stretch and shape them. I sat for about 5 minutes letting the warmth of my feet do some work then very, very carefully, teased them off my feet and re-shaped where necessary. I'm not sure if they are meant to be this hairy on the outside but inside, you can't feel it.



They have now been drying for a couple of days indoors. Here they are, on my feet, ready to keep them nicely toasted in winter. As of yet, they are undecorated. They may stay that way or I might get around to jazzing them up.




I have padded around in them for a while on a hard floor - which is difficult to feel through the bottom - so they are very comfy. The wool cost me £6.75 in total (used 170g from 200g Aran pure wool) plus double wash - my mistake). I reckon they would cost oodles more to buy. I have now bought some more wool for the next pair and will use what is left over from these to make a different coloured band for the ankle part.

Hilde - can these be washed if they get dirty?

5 comments:

  1. Well done, they look so pretty and cosy :) A beautiful pair of felted slippers that will keep your feet nice and warm through winter.

    Those slippers make very nice gifts too.
    And yes, they can be washed if they get dirty, I think on wool programme is the best.

    You can post the pattern if you want to :) The pattern is not originally mine I must add. I found it on the internet long time ago and wrote it down, and I really can't remember on which site I found it.

    Good luck with the next pair! And have a nice weekend :)

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  2. They are great, I love them! I might even try and knit a pair myself!

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  3. They are lovely and look extremely comfortable. Well done.

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  4. I would love to have a go at making some of these. They're lovely! I can think of nothing nicer on a cold day than warm slippers! Thanks for posting. :)

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  5. OOh please post the pattern - this would help my Christmas making enormously! FM xx

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