1st stage felted slipers

This is all the pieces knitted and blocked ready

to put together. They were really quick and easy

to make. I did them all in one evening. I had read

you can do it in 90 mins! I wasn't that fast.

You knit the sides and tabs using 2 strands of yarn together and the sole using 3 stands of yarn.

I found this pattern on the web.

It is by Melynda Bernardi of French Press Knits.

I purchased it and within a couple of hours I had the pattern sent to my e-mail as a PDF file.

The instructions on how to felt them are included

too.

Most instructions for felting that I have found are expecting you to be using a top loader washing machine. Here in England we mostly have front loaders which of course you can't open

mid cycle to check on progress of felting so I

devised my own system to felt the slippers.

Here it is.

I used:

1 plastic container with a lid

washing up gloves + old pair of knitted gloves that fit inside.

Tongs

washing liquid

(When using a top loader it is recommended to throw in some old shoes and tennis balls to help agitation) I compromised and used six golf balls. (We live by a golf course and we have a ready supply of them in our garden all year).

I started with the tabs first so I filled the container with water boiled from the kettle threw in the tabs, squirt of washng liquid and the golf balls and snapped on the lid.

I donned the gloves + washing up gloves and proceeded outside with the container into the garden. I should add at this point that this was about 2 weeks ago during the spell of deep snow and freezing cold so I was also suitably attired.

If the neighbours had been watching they would have seen me doing a type of war dance on the spot shaking the tub first one way then the next and up and down. (I might actually have devised a new keep fitness program).

To cut a long story shorter it worked.

Checking progress every 5 mins and 3 kettles of boiling water + one exploding golf ball ( don't ask) later the tabs were felted.

The slippers took 5 kettles of water and a considerably longer war dance.

Post script

I have now bought one of those mini washing machines ment to be for caravans. Basically a large bucket with a lid and a paddle in the bottom which sits on a base with the electical controls . You fill with hot water and plug in. It has a timer which you can set from 3mins to 15mins cycles. Ideal for the job I think. Will let you know on the next felted project. I have my eye on a felted bag with Pears decorated on the side.