Learn What’s Up with Your Favorite Indies in One Place

I love supporting independent yarn makers, dyers and designers, but sometimes it can be difficult to keep up with all the different sites you’d need to visit (or mailing lists you’d need to be on) in order to keep up with your faves or to know when a great indie is having a sale or introducing a new product.

Enter Indie Untangled. This website aims to be a clearinghouse for independent yarn, notion and accessory makers, where they can post information and readers can learn about lots of different companies all in one spot.

The site has been live since the spring, and it has a marketplace where you can scroll through news or visit particular participating vendors. When I looked there were just over 50 vendors (and if you’re an indie you can apply to be a part of it).

The site also includes a blog with knitting tips, product updates and more. Looks like a great one to bookmark if you’re a fan of small makers!

[Photo via Indie Untangled.]

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The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check out more knit slipper options in this post all about sailor slippers) and they’re still consistently popular with knitters.

Which makes sense because they are fun and fast to knit, and seeing them go from this giant thing to something that actually fits a foot feels a little magical.

I have always loved felting (in fact my first book was about felting knitting) and it’s always fun for me to see people rediscover this technique.

If you’ve knit enough plain slippers to fit all the feet you know, maybe it’s time to stitch up some tabi style slippers instead.

Maymade Knits has designed these cute tabi ballerina slippers, made with bulky yarn and felted. They’re worked flat at first and then in rounds, and are available in 10 EU sizes (the Internet tells me add 31 to your American shoe size to get your EU size). The designer says the slippers are meant to have a close fit and you should choose a size a little smaller than your foot for the ideal fit.

The pattern includes a video tutorial along with the written pattern.

You can grab this pattern on Ravelry. The same designer has her own version of the striped felted slipper as well, called Sarah’s Striped Slippers. These are worked in super bulky yarn and have a contrasting foot and a striped body. These are knit flat and seamed and there are 7 size options available. Check that pattern out here if you’re looking for a more traditional slipper shape. They also look roomier so you can wear them with socks if you like.

[Photo: Maymade Knits]

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