Plain or Flowery Slippers
by Sarah M. Hughes
This is a simple adult-sized slipper, worked in one piece, and seamed. It can be left plain, or optionally embellished with flowers, or whatever takes your fancy! Yarn suggested: Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 12 Ply Yarn weight: Bulky / 12 ply (7 wpi) Gauge: 5 sts and 5 rows per inch, in garter stitch, unstretched. Needle size: US 6 - 4.0 mm Yardage: 130 - 150 yards (119 - 137 m) Sizes available: To fit foot 9 inches in length This yarn is a bulky weight, crepe superwash wool (7wpi). Substitute as you require! You wil want something that's going to stretch a bit - my sample goes from 5 sts per inch to 3 sts when stretched. Flowers require small amounts of red, brown and dark green yarn (or your own choice of colours). DPNs are needed for the(i-cord) leaf stems if you choose to embellish with the provided flower. Note on sizing: This pattern was written to fit foot length of 9 inches. The slippers are knit to be a relatively snug fit (stretching one to two inches in length). For a smaller or larger foot, adjust Co up/down sts, and following rows as noted (ignoring st counts). Since the pattern was originally written in 2008, I've had a few questions about sizing. As noted above, the pattern was written for a 9 inch foot - my own! My foot is 9 inches from the heel to the toe - if I trace around my foot on paper, the length is 9 inches. My pattern, knit in the yarn and gauge I used, gives a slipper that stretches to fit. If your foot is smaller, or if you use a different yarn, or have a different tension/gauge, your slipper may be too small or too large. I would suggest that you either knit a tension square (or even a rectangle) in garter stitch, and then measure the unstretched piece from side to side (not cast on to bind off) and then measure again the strefched size,and compare the amount of stretch in your fabric, for the number of rows and stitches you have. Or, you could just cast on - the sole of the foot is worked first, and once that is done, you should be able to compare it to your foot, to see if it going to be OK. If it's OK, you can keep going, otherwise, you can just treat the already knit bit as your test, and determine how many less stitches to cast on. You want to have to stretch an inch or so at least, so that the slipper won't fall off! If your yarn itself has no give (ie. it's a single, or tightly spun), then it might not work so well. The Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 12ply yarn the original slippers were knit fron is a crepe yarn, with some inherent stretch to it. I've made the slipper since in a semi-felted single, and an alpaca blend - these obviously have less stetch, so the slippers knit to the same size are more slack - it they were being worn to bed or walked around in a lot, I might put in some elastic around the opening to keep them in place. :-)
Abbreviations:
CO: Cast on. K: Knit P: Purl K1fb: Knit into the front and back of the stitch (increasing one stitch). K2togtbl: Knit 2 together through the back loops (decreasing one stitch). I fyou prefer, you can simply K2tog. BO:Bind-off/cast-off. RS: Right side. ws: Wrong side.
Plain Slippers
Rows 52-56: repeat rows 50 and 51, ending with k row (18 sts) Row 57: CO 24 sts, k (42 sts) Row 58: k, k2togtbl, k to end (41 sts) Row59:k Rows 60- 73:repeat rows 58 and 59 (34 sts) BO, leaving long tail. Finishing: With ws facing (stocking stitch is on RS), sew back of heel, using ends where possible. Fold upper over sole portion (with ws facing), and stitch around, easing upper evenly around sole. Refer to the pictures below if you're unsure of how to seam the slippers. CO 26 stitches Use 4.0mm needles (or needles required to get the gauge desired for your fit). Each slipper is knit in one piece and seamed. Knit two! Sole: Row 1: klfb, k to last st, klfb (28 sts) Row 2: k Rows 3-16: repeat rows 1 and 2 (42 sts) Row 17: kl, k2togtbl, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 (40 sts) Row 18: k Rows 19-32: repeat rows 17 and 18 (26 sts)
Upper:
Row 33: CO 8 sts (heel sts), k (34 sts) Row 34: klfb, k to end (35 sts) Row35:k Rows 36-48: repeat rows 34 and 35, ending with an increase row (42 sts) Row 49: BO 24 stitches, k to end (18 sts) [BO begins the "hole" for your foot to go in. If you want the slipper tocover more ofyour foot, don't cast off so many stitches. Keep track of how many you cast off, so that you will cast on the same amount at row 57.] Row 50: k Row 51: k1, P to end
After knitting the slipper piece, you should have this shape!
Turn with right-sides together, and seam along the back of heel ends, then fold this upper bit over the sole (still insdie out).
With upper folded over sole (and heel seamed), now sew the upper to the sole, easing to fit. Then turn it the right way out!
Flowery Slippers
Make as for plain slippers, and embellish each slipper with a flower.
Flower
Make 2 (10 petals, 2 leaves, 2 bobbles)
Petals
Make 10 Yarn: Cleckheaton Country 8 ply, in red Needles: 4 mm Gauge: Not important! CO 5, using long-tail/continental method Row 1: (wS): p Row 2: klfb, k to last st, klfb Rows 3-5: repeat rows 1 and 2, ending with p row (9 sts) Row 6: k1, k2togtbl, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 Row 7: p Row 8: repeat row 6 (5 sts) Row 9: p2tog, p1, p2tog (3 sts) Row 10: kl, sll, kl, psso (2 sts) Row 1l: p2tog Draw yarn through final stitch, and fasten off. Thread cast on end back through cast on stitches, and around to cast off stitch (so both ends are together - this is the centre edge of the petal), pull a little to curl the edges up if desired, then sew in ends. Each flower is formed with five petals - arrange petals with the point of the petal to the center, and sew through points to join together.
Leaf Make 2
Yarn: Humminbird Ikaros, 10ply, in dark green (8ply is fine - gauge isn't important here). Needles: 4 mm, double-pointed CO 4 sts. work i-cord over to a length of $4\;\%$ cm. Do not break yarn, continue with row 1 with right side facing. Row 1: k2, yo, k2 Row 2: p (5 sts) Row 3: klfb, k to last st, klfb (7 sts) Row 4: p Rows 5-8: repeat rows 3 and 4 (11 sts) Row 9: k1, k2togtbl, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 (9 sts) Row 10: p Rows 11-13: repeat rows 9 and 10, ending with k row (5 sts) Row 14: p2tog, p, p2tog (3 sts) Row 15: kl, sll, kl, psso Row 16: p2tog Draw yarn through final stitch, and fasten off. Weave in ends. Bobble Make 2
Yarn: Treliske Organic Merino (8 ply), in dark brown Needles: 4 mm CO1 Row 1: Knit into the same stitch as follows: kl, klfb [twice], k1 (5 sts) Row 2: k Row 3: p Rows 4-5: repeat rows 2 and 3 Row 6: k2tog, k1, k2tog (3 sts) Row 7: sll, p2tog, psso Fasten off, leaving long tail. Thread cast off tail through the cast on stitch, to form bobble, leaving ends.
Finishing:
The bobble forms the centre of the flower - take both ends of bobble and sew bobble to the assembled flower, and to the completed leaf, and then the slipper! This slipper pattern is my own, inspired by a pair of baby slippers by Zoe Mellor. You can use the pattern for personal, non-commercial use - knit for yourself, or for gifts. You're free to print a working copy, but please don't distribute the pattern to others, or use it to make items for sale, without first obtaining my permission. You can email me at sarah@this-chick.com or contact me via Ravelry - my username is shessassy. Thanks!
Variations:
If you're really keen, you can make multiple flowers - I made a pair for my mother with two different shades of purple, and green, knitting an additional leaf to a single stem.
If the idea of creating individual petals makes you cringe, you might like my Simple Knitted. Rose & Leaf pattern, also available for no charge on Ravelry. I've seen a bunch of pretty slippers made with this flower.
If you can crochet, a crochet flower also looks great! But don't limit yourself to a woollen embellishment - think buttons, felt, beads, anything that takes your fancy! A few people have made a slightly larger slipper and felted it down to fit, and others have added ankle straps - really, it's up to you. Have fun!
