Preparing for Autumn ~ part III

I think it's safe to say that Summer is my least favourite season.  That's not to say that I dislike it; in fact there is a lot about Summer that I love - sunshine, monsoon-like storms, berry-picking, picnics, being able to wear little more than a flimsy dress... it's just that the novelty of Summer wears off pretty quickly for me.  Like a too-hot Spring gone on too long.

So, needless to say, after a hot and very unproductive July, I was practically counting down the days to be back home, back in my studio, preparing for and looking forward to my absolute favourite season: Autumn.

When it comes to the colder months, I find it's the simple luxuries that make all the difference - and a cosy pair of felted cashmere slippers is just about as luxurious as it gets... For this project I followed (and adapted in the case of Papa's not so pointy slippers) a tutorial from Maya*Made, one of my daily blog stops.

Mama Elf

I prepped the cashmere back in July, felting it by putting it through a high-spin hot wash to shrink it, creating a denser knit.  I decided to use some thin camel suede for the soles to make the slippers more durable, and for my pair I used the last scraps of a delicious metallic paisley printed leather left over from my first collection of shoes back in 2008.

Little Elf & Papa-not-so-pointy Elf

What makes a great pattern or project, I think, is the potential for adaptation.  Something quick, simple and a pleasure to make, that can be tweaked/embellished/adapted/personalised until you end up with a whole series of different variations of the same thing.  Jingle bells on Little Elf's pointy tips, glistening soles for Mama Elf and rustic simplicity for Papa.  And I don't think I'll stop at just three pairs...