Calli Felted Boots

Calli Felted Boots by Wendi Gratz

What Is Being Made

The Calli Felted Boots are a pair of adorable crocheted and felted boots designed for indoor or outdoor wear. This pattern creates boots in three women's sizes—Small (women's 6-7), Medium (women's 8-9), and Large (women's 10-11)—with sizing determined by foot length. The boots feature a unique construction where the sole is not crocheted, making them ideal candidates for custom sole finishing options. Each boot includes 16 rings or eyelets for lacing, adding both functional and decorative elements to the finished design.

Techniques Used

The Calli Felted Boots employ two primary techniques: crochet construction and wet felting. The boots are crocheted using two strands of worsted weight yarn held together simultaneously, which creates a thicker, more durable fabric suitable for felting. After crocheting is complete, the boots undergo a felting process that significantly alters their final dimensions and texture. The felting process controls the exact finished size of the boots, with the sample shown felting to 2.75 x 3.75 inches. This combination of techniques creates a dense, warm, and weather-resistant finished product that is more durable than standard crochet alone.

Stitches Used

This intermediate-level pattern utilizes fundamental crochet stitches to construct the boot structure. The primary stitches employed include:

• Chain (ch): Used to create foundation chains and stitch multiples throughout the pattern
• Single Crochet (sc): The primary stitch used to build the boot fabric, providing a tight, dense fabric ideal for felting

The pattern is written with sizing information included in parentheses, allowing crocheters to easily follow instructions for Small, Medium, or Large sizes simultaneously.

Materials and Gauge

The Calli Felted Boots pattern calls for Shepherd's wool in worsted weight, with the sample shown in the colorway Misty Blue. You will need 250 yards per boot, requiring 3 skeins total to complete both boots in the pattern. An 8 mm crochet hook is used throughout, holding two strands of yarn together for the appropriate fabric weight and density.

The gauge for this pattern is 11 stitches and 13 rows over 4 inches when measured in single crochet before felting. Keep in mind that the felting process will significantly alter stitch definition and overall dimensions, so exact gauge before felting differs from the finished felted measurements. Additional materials needed include a piece of felt for the sole and laces for the 16 eyelets, with specific sole soling options detailed in the pattern's finishing information section.