Do you remember these red slippers? I knit them with a friend in mind, but it has been a long while since she let me know she’d worn through the last pair. I have knit dozens and dozens of these Fibertrends clogs and sometimes I can’t face knocking out another pair!
Today I took them to the farmers’ market where my friends run a stall selling their locally grown fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs, wine and vinegar. They are an extraordinary couple whose Food Forest is a wonder and a delight as well as a place of education and inspiration in our local area. When she saw the slippers, her face lit up! And an exchange of gifts immediately began. I love this part of crafting–being part of a gift- and joy-economy instead of one that’s all about dollars. All this, after a delivery of locally grown greens and delicious tempeh had already been left on our doorstep by our nearest and dearest!
Local & Bespoke 
Gift-and-joy-economy – what a lovely expression! I LOVE swapping things, too. We swap eggs or jam for the freshly caught fish our neighbour occasionally brings us. Or we swap cake or bread for lemons, of which we never seem to have enough. In autumn, we swap feijoas for pears. It’s such a basic human thing to do that we sometimes forget how stimulating and rewarding this immediate kind of exchange can be.
Lovely felted bootees, too! I just learnt from my mum how to make slippers that are first knitted, then felted in the washing machine (free pattern here: http://www.knittingdaily.com/felted-knitting-patterns/), so I’m just at the beginning of my slipper obsession 😉
Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
That’s my pleasure, indeed! Happy slipper knitting/felting…. I have more planned too, and that is just how I make them–knit then felt in the washing machine. Be sure to clean the lint filter!
LikeLike