Fuzzyfeet are the perfect project for a beginner knitter looking for a bit of adventure. You get to try (if you haven't already): knitting in the round on circular and double-pointed needles, turning a heel, picking up stitches, AND felting. You get to do all that using enormous needles, and it doesn't matter if you make a mistake or two, or if the gauge is wacky, because that all comes out in the wash. Literally.
For posterity, I shall record that I knit my first pair of Fuzzyfeet in Alafoss Lopi (Red Earth), which smells like animal, and even has bits of straw in it, for that authentic experience. I used 8mm double-points: I didn't realize that they'd be big enough for circs, and I didn't have any in that size, so I forged ahead while McPie looked on in awe of my mastery of the DPNs. I was skeptical about the heel instructions, but I followed along (sheeplike, you know), and it worked out. (Then I checked out the heel turn vid on knittinghelp.com, and the mystery was solved.)
Gauge-schmauge, the only size these babies needed to be was huge.
(Wine bottles are included for scale only. They do not - necessarily - indicate the effort required to knit the ENORMOUS SOCKS on double-pointed needles.)
I felted them using the bucket o' hot water and long-handled potato masher method. I have no idea whether this is an accepted method or not, but my coworker had felted her first fuzzyfeet into pint-sized gnome boots by chucking them wholesale into her washing machine, so despite the wonder of a front-loader, I was taking no chances.
I felted on Valentine's Day, while Sweetie McPie cheered me on from where he was washing the post-romantic-dinner dishes; I felted while he shouted encouragement from the basement where he did some laundry, and while he serenaded me on his drum kit... Yes, all of that, because I mashed the damned fuzzies for the better part of two hours.
But, voila! The feet fuzzed.
And also, they fit.
3 comments:
ms. hedda! they are lovely! you are a star! and the post is fab too!
how many skeins did you use? i have me three skeins in the stash of that lovely/animal-y yarn. all different colors of course but your stripes look just jim dandy.
and how did you manage to sprinkle pictures throughout your post? when i try to post more than one pic, they end up crammed together at the top.
This from the Guru! Thanks. Each slipper used almost a skein. I was able to do the top round of the 2nd slipper with the leftover of the first skein. My yarn is self-striping (of course), but you could combine two of your colours.
I have been buying up gently loved wool sweaters at Village des Valuers simply for felting purposes. Nice socks honey. See you next week.
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