SOFT GRASS & STONE

When I was on Inis Mór, I kept noticing the contrast between the softness of the island and the strength of its stone walls.
 

The grass was everywhere. Soft, green, and almost endless.
 

And then there were the walls.
 

Stone walls running across the landscape, dividing fields and stretching toward the water.
 

I spent time walking through it all, and what stayed with me most wasn't any one particular place.
 

It was the stillness. There aren't many cars on the island. People walk. They ride bicycles. They move at a slower pace.

And the island is much bigger than you might imagine until you're actually there, walking through it.
 

There was something wonderful about that.
 

A SLIPPER THAT HUGS
 

I had seen a photograph of a slipper with a shape I loved. A design known as the Harper Slipper and I wanted to see if I could recreate that kind of close-fitting shape myself.
 

I worked from the photograph and adapted the construction as best I could, using two strands of merino wool together.
 

That extra layer of wool gives these slippers their thickness, softness, warmth, and beautiful structure.
 

They hug the foot. They mold gently to its shape. When they're on, they feel almost like they're part of your feet rather than something sitting on top of them.
 

The softness reminded me of walking through the grass on Inis Mór. The structure reminded me of the stone walls. Softness and strength. Grass and stone. Movement and stillness.
 

That's what I wanted to bring home from the island.
 

Made slowly and intentionally by hand, one stitch at a time.