in grandpa's garden

With pretty much all my older female relatives wearing the Swedish Docksta-slippers when I was a child, they have been firmly fortified in my mind as granny (no chic whatsoever) wearables. Back then they came in beige or white only I think, at least that was what those old aunties wore only. And that wedged cork heel, well, very much not my cup of shoe tea. All and all, they were not something you associated with aesthetics.

Then some six years ago I spotted them again with an upper sole in one of the snazzy handprinted fabrics from Dalecarlian family design company Jobs - I do adore their fabulous colourful fabrics, also something I grew up with, albeit expensive so to make/get something from a piece of Jobs fabric was a treat - and suddenly they didn't look all that bad. Rather (granny) chic in fact. An eye-opener that made me contemplate actually getting a pair.

But of course they had to be absolutely right, the perfect colour, fabric and since the pattern area in most of their fabrics is quite large you can't be sure to get that perfect piece attached to a pair of slippers unless you're prepared to wait. And wait. And wait. And...

So, when we were in Dalecarlia last month we popped by the little Jobs shop, brimming with immensely droolworthy fabrics, and I tried a pair of slippers on for fun. Extremely comfortable they were, available both in sturdy cotton and wax cloth, every pair unique. Someone very kind said they could serve as an early birthday gift so my biggest problem (briefly) was to chose one pair, the perfect pair.

I narrowed the choices down to these pairs, still it was a tricky tricky situation... But in the end, I knew I'd be very unhappy if I didn't came home with a twin pair that boasted a pretty blue bird and pink flowers. It was only after I had put them in their box I realised the pattern was called "Morfars trädgård" - Grandpa's garden. So they are in a way a little hommage to my maternal grandfather (morfar) - from whom I inherited my pink bike - who was a keen gardener/garden architect. I am, in many ways, very pleased with my choice of slippers. Bobbaloo, cat and loaf approved and all.

It would be a pity to wear them as indoor shoes only and not to show their awesomeness to the world I think, so they will now be resting in their box, bide their time of wear until next year, get fabric proofing and then show their true prettiness next summer. It's like wearing a little piece of art on you feet and I'm sure one will get happier for it. The feeling I get from them is the same I get from the strawberry shirt. And that, that can never be wrong. Oh life should really be more garden and strawberry-like on a regular basis, no matter time of year.