Most Beautiful Felted Slippers

Materials:  

• 1 skien Berroco Peruvia 100% wool for slippers.  I made these slippers with other brands of wool but love the way the Peruvia feels and it felts beautifully.  The available colors are lovely as well.  A few yards of scrap wool yarn are needed for petals, leaves and french knots.
• Size 10 straight knitting needle
• Yarn needle
• Mesh bag for felting in the washing machine

Slippers:

• Cast on 42 stitches and knit stockinette stitch for 7 1/2 inches
• Knit 4 rows
• K5, k2tog and repeat till end of row (36 stitches)
• K next 3 rows
• K4, k2tog and repeat till end of row (30 stitches)
• K next 3 rows
• K3, k2tog and repeat till end of row (24 stitches)
• K next 3 rows
• K2, k2tog and repeat till end of row (18 stitches)
• K next 3 rows
• K1, k2tog and repeat till end of row (12 stitches)
• K next 3 rows
• k2tog (6 stitches)
• K next row
• Thread 20 inch tail through last 6 stitches and weave end in body.

Flower petals:

• Cast on 9 stitches
• Knit first 3 stitches (leaving remaining 6 for next two petals), turn
• Purl 3, turn
• K1, increase 1, K2, turn (4 stitches)
• P4 , turn
• K1, inc 1, K1 inc 1, K2, turn (6 stitches)
• P6 , turn
• K1 inc 1, K1, inc 1, K1, inc 1, K1, inc 1, K2, turn (10 stitches)
• P10, turn
• K1, K2together, K1 K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1(7 stitches), turn
• P7, turn
• K1 K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 (5 stitches), turn
• P5, turn
• K1, K2tog, K2tog (3 stitches), turn
• Purl 3 stitches
• Cast off remaining three stitches and using yarn needle weave loose yarn into petal

Using a new piece of yarn, repeat above with the next 3 stitches on needle and then again a third time with the last three.
After felted, you can use the purl side if you like the curled petal look or the knit side if you prefer smooth petals.  The slippers above have just one three petal flower but it also looked nice with two layers of petals with one color slightly varied from the other.

Leaf
Same as above but with just a single group of 3 cast on stitches.  You can knit a couple extra rows of 3 on one end for a stem if you like.


Felting
Set washing machine on hot water and extra small load.  I used a small amount of laundry soap (Meyers basil scent - mmm!) but have successfully felted without adding soap as well.  Place slippers and flower parts in mesh bag and agitate 3 minutes and check size, resetting to beginning of agitation cycle each time.   Mine took 3-3 minute cycles but I have found the time varies by yarn.

When the slippers looked the right size, I tried them on to make sure.  When they are the right size,  rinse them with cold water, gently wring out and roll in a thick bath towel to remove excess moisture.  Shape slipper including pointed toe and stuff lightly with newspaper or paper.  When dry, layer the leaf and petals on the front of the slipper and attach with a grouping of French knots -  I used black yarn.