Children‘s Ladybird Ballerinas in Schachenmayr Wash+Filz-it! fine - 7198 - Downloadable PDF

Children's Ladybird Ballerinas – Knitted and Felted Crochet-Finished Slipper Pattern (Schachenmayr Wash+Filz-it! fine, Design 7198)

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Schachenmayr (Design 7198) guides knitters through creating a pair of charming children's ballerina-style slippers decorated as ladybirds (Marienkäfer), sized for children's shoe size 26/27. The finished slippers feature a whimsical ladybird face complete with wiggle eyes, making them a delightful handmade gift or wardrobe accessory for young children. The pattern is published by Coats PLC under the Schachenmayr brand and is available as a free downloadable PDF.

What Is Being Made

The project produces a matching pair of felted ballerina slippers for children, knitted in the round and in rows, then wet-felted down to their final wearable size. Each slipper is shaped from heel to toe in a classic ballet flat silhouette and is embellished to resemble a ladybird, complete with a face, antennae-style straps, and decorative detailing. Two small strap tabs (Riegel) are knitted separately and attached to complete the ballerina-strap look. The ladybird character is brought to life using embroidery, sewn-on wiggle eyes, and contrasting black and pink yarn colours.

The pattern also includes instructions for applying Regia ABS Latex to the sole of the finished slipper, which provides grip and makes the ballerinas safer for children to wear on smooth floors — a practical and important finishing detail for any children's slipper project.

Sizes and Dimensions

• Size: Children's 26/27
• Before felting: approximately 29.5 cm in length
• After felting: approximately 18 cm in length

This dramatic size reduction — from nearly 30 cm down to 18 cm — is characteristic of wet felting with wool yarn. The knitted fabric is intentionally worked much larger than the intended finished size, and the felting process shrinks and densifies the fibres to create a firm, durable, and warm slipper fabric. Understanding this pre- and post-felting size difference is essential when following the pattern instructions, and all centimetre measurements given in the pattern refer to the knitted size before felting unless otherwise stated.

Materials Required

Yarn

• Schachenmayr Wash+Filz-it! fine — an aran-weight, feltable wool yarn specifically designed for wet-felting projects
• Colour 00111 pink — 50 g (used for the main body of the slipper and the straps)
• Colour 00101 black — 50 g (used for contrast detailing and embellishment)

Wash+Filz-it! fine is a specially formulated yarn that felts reliably and evenly in a domestic washing machine or by hand wet-felting. It is made from pure wool and is engineered to shrink in a controlled and predictable way, making it ideal for slipper and bag projects where a firm, dense fabric is required. The fine variant produces a more refined, smooth felted surface compared to the standard Wash+Filz-it! range.

Needles and Tools

• Milward knitting needles, size 5 (for flat row knitting)
• Milward double-pointed needle set (Nadelspiel), size 5 (for knitting in the round)
• Crochet hook, size 7 (for finishing details)
• Tapestry needle with point and tapestry needle without point (for seaming and embroidery)
• Black Coats sewing thread and a sewing needle (for attaching wiggle eyes)
• Regia ABS Latex in black (applied to the sole for grip)
• 4 wiggle eyes for sewing, 15 mm diameter — Rayher Art. 8912700 (available from craft shops), two per slipper

Techniques