On the Needles

Soctober    I was browsing through knitting patterns and found a really simple pattern for felted slippers  Drops Design 104-4 from Garn Studios. And to purposely shrink something to make it fit looked like a lot of fun. Half way through knitting the first slipper I decided to knit a sample to see how it would felt, I got it wet and not much happened then I squirted some dish soap on it and agitated it in hot water and suddenly it was smaller I repeated a couple times until it was much smaller and thick! I finished the first sock in no time and couldn't knit the second one fast enough. Finally they were off the needles and seams stitched so into the washing machine with towels and hot water. Not much happened in the washing machine maybe I didn't have the water hot enough, maybe I needed more soap, maybe I need to keep a pair of glasses down there to read all the buttons. So back to the kitchen sink and dish soap and rubber gloves I knew it would take a while to reduce these to fit my feet. They shrank considerably more in width than length in fact they were 2 inches too long so after repeated washing I gave up and machine stitched a new seam in the heel so now they fit sorta at least they stay on my feet;  they are soft and warm and easy to slip into and kick off. I intend to knit another pair and leave off the last 5 stitch increases on the heel. In the mean time I read a column in Quilting Arts  magazine about felting and the writers anguish over buying a new washing machine because our new energy efficient machines do not felt wool very good. Mystery solved.  I did not use the brand of yarn recommended by the pattern, I used some that I had that was intended for mittens but it was recommended for felting.   Ann   link to Judy's on the needles.