1. Slippers (or whatever it is you want to make non-slip)
2. Silicone/Latex Caulking stuff. You can get this at any hardware store. Pick a better color than clear – it didn’t turn real clear for me (you’ll see in the photos later) – there’s a good selection of colors – black, white, brown and I think some other colors too… a good variety. Whatever you pick, however, you’ll probably be able to get at least 3 pairs worth of non-slip out of it – so keep that in mind when you buy your stuff (that was why I chose clear). Also – someone advised me to NOT get the cheap kind (which may peel off in layers) – so I splurged and bought the 7$ bottle. I’m not really sure if I succumbed to peer pressure for any legitimate reason – but he seemed to know what he was talking about. Also – please know that Silicone will be EXTREMELY slippery on a wet smooth floor. Latex, not so much.
3. A caulking gun – borrow this from someone you know – I bet someone you know has one. I had to buy mine because there aren’t many people in the residence halls who have done any sealing (with caulk) recently – not that I actually asked anyone, by the way.
4. Some means of spreading the caulk – you could use an old credit card – or a spreader thing like I did.
5. Newsprint – for protecting your table/surface area.

After you cover your surface with newspaper, you’ll need to prepare your caulk tube. Consult the directions on the tube you bought – I had to cut the top off of mine – and poke a hole like below (I used a knitting needle).Next up, load the tube into the caulking gun. You’ll have to pull the trigger a few times to get the caulk to the tip. From here, the next step is to squirt the gel onto the sole of your slipper. You’ll need a lot. Squirt like crazy. If your trigger fingers get tired (it’s hard), do 1/2 a sole at a time.Don’t worry if a string of gel goes off to the side or somewhere that you don’t want it – just let it be and don’t worry about it for now – whatever you do, don’t rub it off and smear it into the slipper. Only smear the gel where you want the gel to be – and definitely smear it – rub it into the fibers.You can try to add a pattern into the slippers with your scraper if you want – try to come up with some sort of “tread” pattern. You can also skip the idea of a solid covering – and use the nozzle of the tube to write “left” or “right” or “hand wash only” or whatever the heck you want. If you’re going for the full coverage affect, make sure you’re erring on the side of too much caulk vs. not enough.Make sure you’re careful to get the edges (especially if you’re worried about stepping into something gross). Once you’ve covered both soles, let the silicone/latex “cure” as directed by the package – make sure they stay “sticky side up.” Mine took 24 hours to fully cure to the point where I was comfortable walking in them.Once the soles are fully cured, you can pull off parts of the silicone that aren’t where you want them – like if one of your squirts went awry – or if you covered too much of an edge – just cut or pull off what you don’t want. It’ll come off pretty easy.In the future, if you wear your slippers so much that you begin to wear through the sole – just-reapply with some more caulk. Double (triple) the length of the life of your slippers!And that’s it – pretty simple.A note about washing: A few readers have asked about the washability of this treatment – and I would say (with no experience, mind you), that a wash on the gentle cycle and an air dry is probably just fine.

Crochet is the bane of my existence as a knitter. While seaming, fair isle and other difficult techniques are no problem for me, crochet makes me want to leap off tall buildings.

For example, I once spent two frustrating hours attempting to crochet a swirl design on a pre-felted bag. Numerous expletives and crochet hooks flew through the air. In the end, I decided that the bag looked perfectly fine as it was, simple and boring.

Many weeks later, I started to hear about needle felting. It was the perfect solution because I was able to embellish the bag that I’d already felted.

In order to needle felt, you’ll need:A felted piece of wool, fully dried (a bag you felted, or a pair of felted slippers)A felting needle100 % wool (not superwash) yarn and/or rovingA piece of Styrofoam

The important thing to realize about felting needles is that they aren’t smooth like the knitting and sewing needles we’re used to. Felting needles are extremely sharp and down the sides, they have little tiny barbs. Jabbing the needle quickly into the wool creates the felt. The friction and heat join the fibers. It’s also important to realize that this process is done without any water. In fact, using wet fibers will cause the felting needle to rust.

Here is a step-by-step process:

1. Prepare the felting surface. Place the Styrofoam under your already felted base piece. (Using a piece of Styrofoam gives the needle something other than your thigh to sink into.) Begin to lay out your design. Realize as you plan your design that since felting causes wool to shrink, your design will pull in a little and you’ll need more fiber to cover the area you’d like to fill. This is especially true if you are using yarn to make lines.

Spread the roving for a transparent effect. Roll it between your hands for a solid, chunky shape. Manipulate it in a way that works for the look you are seeking.

2. Prepare your felting needle according to the package’s directions. My felting needles stick out from a little knob, but yours may be different. If you are going to be felting a large area, and your tools allow it, use more than one felting needle. If you are doing a smaller area, with more detail, use only one at a time for the most control. You’ll probably need to switch from many needles to only one as you need to be more precise.

3. This is the fun and dangerous part. Quickly and repeatedly jab the felting needles into your design, being extremely careful not to poke your fingers, thumbs or any other body parts. You’ll want to make quick, precise jabs that go up and down. You don’t have to sink the entire needle – an inch or so will do just fine. Avoid going in at an angle, or twisting your hand because doing so could stress the needle and possibly cause it to bend. (This might be a good time to pretend you are taking revenge on the the professor who doesn’t know a good paper when it hits her in the head. Go ahead, grit your teeth, mutter angry words.)

Work in one area at a time and as you become satisfied with how felted it is, move to a different section

5. To get a cleaner, less fuzzy edge, get the piece mostly felted, avoiding the very edges. Then, use your fingers to pull the edge fibers toward the center, creating a bit of a fold. Hold your fingers and the fibers in place while you felt just the edges.

6. If you felt some areas more than others, you’ll create a three dimensional appearance. You can also use your felting needle to focus on creating a line to make a clear definition of where an edge should be.

7. To felt a string of yarn, use the same general technique. Just lay the yarn down, and then felt it in the same up and down motions. Just know that when you needle felt yarn, it especially pulls in as it shrinks.

Continue until you are satisfied with how everything looks. Marvel at your brilliance, skill and newfound optimism. Call the piece “complete.”

About what I used in the photos:

My rovings were from Prairie Winds Farm, Lakeville, Indiana. The yarn that I used to write the word “Love” is Knit Picks, Wool of the Andes in Cherry Blossom. The base piece is also KP Wool of the Andes in Hyacinth. My needle felting tool is from the Colonial Needle Co. Fiber Trends also supplies felting needles, as do many others. If your LYS doesn’t carry felting needles or roving, try a local spinning and weaving shop. (And my Styrofoam is from a mini-fridge.)