Filzschuhe Ballerina (Felted Ballerina Slippers) by Sarah Henkelmann
(Loosely translated from the German by Grace Ke) SIZE Woman's 7.5 - 8.5 (European 38-39) MATERIALS 200 yards (220 meters) of felting wool. 16 inch US #11/8mm circular needle 1 set (5 needles) US #11/8mm double-point (dp) needles 2 buttons 1 stitch marker tapestry needle waste yarn for provisional cast-on.
PATTERN (Make 2)
With a 16" circular needle, CO 32 sts using a provisional cast on. (Note: if you want to use a long-tail cast-on, purl 1 row after casting on sts, then follow pattern as directed.) Starting with knit (RS) row, work 41 rows in stockinette stitch. Row 42: CO 2 sts at beginning of row, p34. Row 43: C0 2 sts at beginning of row, k27, place marker, k9. (36 sts) At the end of row 43, do not turn. Join sts into the round and knit until you reach the marker. This completes the first round. (Note: my stitches fit on a 16"' circular needle, but you can also transfer them to 4 dp's, 9 sts on each needle, where needle 1 contains the first 9 sts after the marker.) Knit 16 more rounds. Then (if you have not already done so) transfer sts to dp needles as described above, and start the decrease rounds: Round 1: \*(k2tog, k7). rep from \*. (32 sts) Round 2: \*(k2tog, k6). rep from \*. (28 sts) Round 3: \*(k2tog, k5). rep from \*. (24 sts) Round 4: \*(k2tog, k4). rep from \*. (20 sts) Round 5: \*(k2tog, k3). rep from \*. (16 sts) Round 6: \*(k2tog, k2). rep from \*. (12 sts) Place the first 6 stitches on one needle (the top of the slipper) and the next 6 stitches (the bottom) on another needle.
FINISHING
Use Kitchener stitch to graft the 12 toe sts. Remove the provisional cast on from the waste yarn and use the Kitchener stitch to graft the 32 heel sts. (Note: if you used a long-tail cast on, seam the 32 heel sts with the mattress stitch.) Weave in loose ends.
FELTING
Place the slippers in a pillow case or mesh bag and place in the washing machine with a pair of old jeans. Add a small amount of regular laundry detergent. Use the setting for \*heavy duty” or “whites" (hot wash, high agitation) and the smallest possible water level. Start wash. Check every 10-15 minutes, turning the dial back as needed (probably 3-4 times) to extend wash cycle, until each slipper is about 9.75 inches or 25 cm long. Remove everything from washing machine. Rinse the slippers by hand in cold water, put back in washing machine, and run the spin cycle to drain excess water. Shape slippers and lay flat to dry. Sew on buttons. Note: If slippers are too large, you can felt them again, checking progress every 10 minutes. If they are too snug, they will stretch a little after wearing.
