"THE KNITTED SLIPPER BOOK" - want a chance to win?

Several months ago, I saw that Katie Startzman (a fellow Kentuckian!) had a new book coming out. Katie and her sister, Laura Poulette share a blog, Duo Fiberworks, that I've been following for some time (there's a link on my sidebar, too) and I'm continually impressed by their creativity, enthusiasm and energy.  I was intriqued enough to pre-order "The Knitted Slipper Book" and as soon as it arrived, I spent some time reading and checking out the projects.  Take a moment right now to watch the trailer that Katie, her husband and sister, Laura, put together for the book. It's so sweet and clever.

First, let me say that I love the styling of this book. As far as I'm concerned, Melanie Falick has the magic touch in editing.  The books she edits for STC Crafts are all so aesthetically appealing, I believe I'd want to buy them even if I didn't knit!  The styling, different font styles and beautiful photographs have had me thumbing through the book over and over again.

I knew right away that I wanted to start with the knitted clogs.  I'm a clog lover from way back and the idea of knitting and felting my own sounded like something  I had to try.  The instructions are quite specific and easy to follow and the clogs knit up quickly.  Pattern sizing is included for everyone in your family, so these would make a great gift idea.  Katie also has provided very clear illustrated instructions for hand-felting the slippers in the book and has a link to great video tutorial on the  Duo Fiberworks website.  The most difficult part of the whole project was picking out colors for my first pair of clogs.  In the end, my love of autumn colors won out and I made them in Cascade 220 Heathers,  #9445 Green and Orange blend and #2452 Turtle.

This is how they looked before felting ...

and, after the magic of felting,

 and then after shaping and drying .... there they are - your very own handknit clogs!!

Aren't they the cutest things?  I love that the toes have that traditional clog shaping.  Since I finished this pair, I've been thinking of all the other color combinations I could knit.  And, wouldn't it be fun to do some embellishments? (although I like them plenty enough just as they are). I intend to put a latex bottom on this pair for a little non-skid insurance.  Katie has provided step-by-step (no pun intended) instructions for adding a variety of soles to the slippers if you'd like to make them even more sturdy. I think next up for myself might be the Beaded Moccs.  I've never done any beading (I know, where have I been?) and I believe the Moccs are a perfect place for me to start.
 
If you've been looking for some fun and quick projects to knit while waiting for yet another snowstorm  to pass, I can highly recommend this book. There's such a variety of slippers in the book, from baby Mary Jane's to slipper socks with leather soles (my three boys wore those all the time when they were young). I also think this book and a couple of skeins of Cascade 220 would make a great gift for any knitter on your friend list.  So, here's the great part for you. If you'd like a chance to win a copy of the book and two skeins of Cascade 220 Heathers, leave a comment here, maybe telling us who you'd like to knit some slippers for (and it's perfectly fine if it's for yourself!).  I'll leave the comments open until Thursday morning, February 21, 9 am, EST.  Then, I'll let the random number generator do the work of picking a lucky person. Good luck!

Edited to add:  It's Thursday morning and comments are now closed.  Thanks so much for entering.  Check back a little later for the winner!