Now that these slippers have been given and received and there's no secret left to keep, I thought I'd share them here for yarn along today. They were an experiment, and I didn't have very high hopes that they'd actually become usable footwear, much less well-loved, perfectly-fitting (well, close), warm, cozy slippers, but that's indeed what they became! I wrapped them up and put them under the tree before felting them so that my husband could witness the transformation (pre-felting, they looked like I had knit them for a giant), and so that he could wear them around to shape them while they were wet.
The pattern is great--I followed it without making any changes and the sizing turned out just right.
And reading...I'm so boring these days. I still just can't get enough of James Herriot (All Things Wise and Wonderful now). I'm thinking of trying to tackle Middlemarch next. My daughter has really loved Jan Brett's new book Home for Christmas--a sort of winter Swedish troll version of the prodigal son story, with the most beautiful illustrations, and vocabulary and story line that satisfies the adults as well as the preschoolers.
Now a question for all you yarn-alongers out there. I'm fairly new to knitting sweaters, and with my last several sweater projects have been so disappointed at the pilling that occurs within days of wearing the completed sweaters. Is this inevitable? Preventable? Possible to remedy once it's happened? Have you found particular yarn or brands that pill less? It never seemed to happen with my mom's handspun wool. It's so satisfying to complete a project that can actually be worn, but it seems hardly worth it when the garment becomes so pilled that it's not suitable to be worn in public. Any advice?
Pop on over to Small Things for more yarn along inspiration!
