If at first you don't succeed...then hopefully you learned something. My first attempt at the French Press slippers didn't work, the wool just wouldn't felt.  Frustrating.  I've never had that happen before that I can recall.  What to do with unfeltable ballet type slippers that are large enough to fit my husband's big feet?
Happily I already had another pair on the go with Paton's wool which always felts up quickly for me. Here they are drying by the fire and waiting for their buttons. So...what was the lesson here?  Hmmm, use the wool you know?  Get to know more people with huge feet and a penchant for ballet slippers?  It couldn't be to try to felt a small swatch first, could it? Posted by Heather at 2:17 PM Labels: Handmade Jamie @ Woodside Gardens said...

Don't suppose you would be interested in sharing the pattern? These are adorable!

February 24, 2010 at 3:04 PM Cute! I'd wear those outside as day shoes even.

Great colour.

February 24, 2010 at 4:31 PM Mary-Sue said...

LOL! i REALLY want to see a photo of S wearing the blue ones. pleeeeeeeeeeeease?
the pink ones are GORGEOUS! and looks like they felted up beautifully! neat button collection. that'll be fun too!

February 24, 2010 at 6:28 PM Fantastic Five said...

They look lovely. That was quick. yesterday they were just knitted pieces and now they are a beautiful pair of footwear! Very nice indeed.

February 24, 2010 at 8:17 PM Hi Jamie, the pattern can be found online at http://frenchpressknits.blogspot.com/
She has a button you can click on to purchase it. They really are such cute slippers and they will make great gifts this year for all the women in my life.

February 25, 2010 at 3:50 PM Argante YM Dillon said...

I have some "superwash" wool at home. I didn't know what that meant at the time I bought it. Oops! Why would anyone want wool that doesn't felt? (I'm a felter and wool artist, not a knitter.) A yarn shop clerk explained it to me. The whole chemical bath to strip the natural oils and dissolve off the scales thing just creeps me out. Felted knits are so cute! And I don't mind hand-washing my non-felted wool knits. I like natural wool best. Seriously though, I'm interested in when one would choose to use non-felting wool?

March 3, 2010 at 12:58 AM The only time I have ever bought superwash wool on purpose was for knitted socks. I would be very upset if, after all the knitting it takes me to make a pair of socks, they ended up shrinking or felting on the first wash. Eep!

I can't think of any other time I would want superwash and I guess I'd never really thought about what the process is to make "superwash". Thanks for the info.
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