How to Make Knit Felted Slippers
If you can knit a pair of slippers, then you can make knit felted slippers with only a few extra steps. Felting is the process of shrinking and agitating your knit fabric so it has a solid, matted look. Felting will give your slippers extra durability and warmth, and it doesn't take much more effort than needed to make regular knit slippers.
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Things You'll Need
- Wool yarn
- Circular or double-pointed knitting needles
- Washing machine
- Pillow case
- Dryer
Instructions
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Knit your slippers as you traditionally would. Follow any basic pattern, or make up your own as you go along. Typically, you will knit the base or sole of the slippers first, to the desired length. Then work in the round to make the sides, heel, and toe. The key is that if you want to felt your slippers later, first you have to knit them a size larger than you need them to be in the end.
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Felt your slippers using hot water. For one method, simply immerse your slippers in a bucket of hot water and agitate them with your hands; stir them around and around until they take on a felted look.
For an easier method, put your slippers inside a pillow case, and tie the pillow case shut. Place this in a hot water load in your washing machine; when you pull it out at the end of the cycle, your slippers will have felted. If they aren't small enough, simply run them through until they reach the desired size.
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Place your slippers in the dryer for approximately 20 minutes to finish the felting process and dry them off. Now they are ready to wear.
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Tips & Warnings
Use only 100 percent wool yarn for best felting results; acrylic or synthetic fibers will not felt.
If you're not sure how your yarn will felt, first make a swatch and measure it. Felt the swatch according to instructions, then measure the resulting felted piece.
Once your slippers are felted, you will have to wash them in cold water or they will felt even more and become too small to wear.
