| Author |
Stitching & Crafting Room:  Need Help from Knitting Experts  |
|
|
sewsweet
True Blue Farmgirl
172 Posts
Carol
Canada
172 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 17 2009 : 09:59:22 AM
|
I am new to knitting. I have 4 balls of "Freedom Wool by Tilleys of Stamford (England)", in various colors. (2 balls the same color) I would really like to make a pair of slippers and thought this 100 percent wool would be great for felted slippers. I wanted to make Norwegian House slippers.
http://blog.craftzine.com/craftprojects/easy_house_slippers/
But, the gauge called for is 22 stitches equals 10 cm on a size 9 needle.
My Freedom wool yarn says 10 stitches equals 10 cm on size 15 needles.
I made a swatch, and as far as I can see, on size 9 needles I get 16 stitches in 10 cm.
Because the pattern is made up of colored squares I'm confused as to how to proceed. I'm thinking that when the pattern calls for 40 rows per square, that figure has to be reduced because of the thickness of the wool. Since these are felted slippers, I don't want to make them, only to find they are too small or too large after the fact; or that the color blocks don't match up because I made them too big or something.
Any suggestions? Or better yet, does anyone have an easy pattern for slippers made with this particular yarn? Thanks!
Carol |
|
|
FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2009 : 10:37:39 AM
|
Unfortunately, I have never knit to felt before, I usually just upcycle an already felted sweater into something (now THAT'S an easy felted slipper!)...
i hope someone can answer your questions--I knit constantly, but I don't every approach it this methodically. Usually just utilize the needles that the wool manufacturer advises.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
 |
|
|
sewsweet
True Blue Farmgirl
172 Posts
Carol
Canada
172 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2009 : 11:31:34 AM
|
Thanks Jonni,
I think maybe I should find a pattern for this particular wool, since I haven't much (ANY!) experience with winging-it in knitting. I tried a google search and couldn't find any free patterns online for this brand of yarn. :-(
I guess the trick is to find a pattern that I can make with just a few balls of yarn, with a gauge of 10 st to 10 cm on size 15 needle that is fairly easy. My daughter needs a pair of slippers, so that's why I was hoping I could use the yarn for that.
I had a look at your blog...very nice! I loved your piece on the German Christmas fair. My grandmother was born in Cincinnati (they were German Catholic). It makes me curious to know what kind of family traditions her family had.
Merry Christmas,
Carol. |
|
|
|
FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2009 : 11:48:09 AM
|
I find a lot of free patterns here...most of them are really pretty simple, and they give great direction. http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory.php
I always end up with WAY too many projects!!!
Oh, that was so nice of you to look at the blog. I try to keep up my posts for far-flung family that don't get to see the little girl growing before their eyes! It was such a lovely time at the festival. Do you know what part of Zinzinnati (the German pronunciation) she was born in? We actually have an area, downtown, called "Over The Rhine" because there was, during the turn of the century, a large canal running through downtown and the Germans lived beyond that canal, hence "the Rhine". Towards the 20's and 30's, many moved to the West side, and even some in Mt. Adams (the "foothills to the East"). My husband's paternal grandmother, who is German, tells of actual fist fights between the German and Irish parishoners of Immaculata Church because they would only say mass in German! Is she still living? If so, you should ask her about Goetta...
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Carol!
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
|
|
|
MasterGardener
True Blue Farmgirl
572 Posts
Chandra
Louisiana
USA
572 Posts |
|
|
AmethystRose
True Blue Farmgirl
254 Posts
Rosemary
Huntingdon
PA
USA
254 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2009 : 4:57:34 PM
|
I've never done this pattern before and make no claims of expertise, but here are my thoughts--
The instructions call for eight squares per slipper, and the size of the slipper is determined by the size of the square,determined by the number of stitches cast on. It looks like the largest size on the instructions use a square very close to 10x10cm.
I googled your yarn, which seems to be bulky or superbulky. Since you got 16sts/10cm on size 9, I would cast on 16 sts, and count the number of rows needed to make a square. That's all. You can felt them twice to adjust the size down.
|
|
|
|
createmyworld
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
Beth
Akron
PA
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2009 : 05:04:49 AM
|
I have only ever knitted and felted one item - it was a bag... and my experience from that was that it felted down further on the vertical than it did on the horizontal (if that makes any sense)... I too would love to knit and felt slippers, as I have wool waiting for just that purpose... but haven't come across a pattern specifically for that (then again, I've been so busy I haven't really been looking!). If you have luck with this project please post pics and any info you think would be helpful to others...
www.createmyworld.etsy.com
http://www.soopsee.com/profile/createmyworld/
"He who works with his hands is a laborer, he who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman, he who works with his hands, head and heart is an artist." -St. Francis of Asisi |
|
|
|
sewsweet
True Blue Farmgirl
172 Posts
Carol
Canada
172 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2009 : 08:20:40 AM
|
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. I'm going to try Rosemary's suggestion and see how it goes. That's what I came up with as well, so we'll see. I'll post the results, unless they are completely unrecognizable as slippers ;-) I like the fact that you can possibly re-felt them if they turn out too big.
Jonni: no, my grandmother isn't still living, so I know very little about my German roots.I know her family moved to St. Bernard, a suburb of Cincinnati after living on Beecher Street (also lived on Jefferson Ave & Peete Streets circa 1880-1890's). When we were in Cincinnati a few years back we found some of their homes still standing.
|
|
|
|
sewsweet
True Blue Farmgirl
172 Posts
Carol
Canada
172 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2010 : 10:50:22 AM
|
Well, I finished them!
I think the results would be much better if I had used the type of yarn the pattern suggested (I used chunkier wool since that's what I had). I probably didn't felt it long enough, but I was afraid that if I did so, they would shrink and wouldn't fit my not-so-petite feet!
I definitely think it's a great pattern and would recommend it to beginners, because it's nice and easy. Here's a pic.
 |
Edited by - sewsweet on Jan 08 2010 10:52:07 AM |
|
|
|
AmethystRose
True Blue Farmgirl
254 Posts
Rosemary
Huntingdon
PA
USA
254 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2010 : 6:58:39 PM
|
| Thanks for posting your results. On a cold night like tonight, they look soooooo tempting! That's a favorite color combination. |
|
|
|
brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
|
|
sewsweet
True Blue Farmgirl
172 Posts
Carol
Canada
172 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2010 : 09:42:38 AM
|
| Thanks! I'm amazed that I actually finished them. I'm notorious for starting one project and then leaving it to start another one. But I was determined to finish these. My DD got a pair of gorgeous slippers from someone else for Christmas that never leave her feet, so I have inherited these. |
|
|
|
prayin granny
True Blue Farmgirl
1874 Posts
Linda
Kansas
1874 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2010 : 1:56:48 PM
|
| They are adorable! |
|
|
|
pinkroses
True Blue Farmgirl
2350 Posts
Sheila
Virginia
USA
2350 Posts |
|
| |
Stitching & Crafting Room: Need Help from Knitting Experts |
|
Need Help from Knitting Experts
