Tuesday, February 19, 2008

River Rock Slippers


I finally took better photos of this so I can share the pattern! Enjoy!

River Rock Slippers

These “adult booties” are the color of river rocks, and look like trendy ski boots, but much more comfy and cozy for lounging around the house. In this pattern you will get to practice a number of skills: circular knitting with the “magic loop” method, figure-8 cast-on, the make-1 increase technique, yarn-over eyelets, and knitting with novelty yarns.

Yarn:

You have two choices for the main color (MC):

Choice 1: Bertagna Filati Flauto color #0069 (45% wool, 35% acrylic, 15% kid mohair, 5% nylon) four 50-gr. skeins.
Choice 2: Muench Yarns Big Baby color #5505 (100% microfiber acrylic) four 50-gr. skeins.

For Contrasting Color (CC):

OnLine Linie285 Smash-Crazy color #004 (70% polyester, 23% polyacryl, 7% polyamid), two 50-gr. skeins (CC).

Note: Any super-bulky weight yarn can substitute for MC (and would not need to be knit doubled) OR any bulky weight yarn, doubled will work for MC. Any fuzzy or furry novelty yarn can substitute for CC. If you want to be able to machine wash and dry the slippers, use acrylic or superwash wool. 100% wool WILL felt if machine washed, and you will end up with teeny slippers! Also be sure to choose a CC yarn that will withstand the washing method you will use.

Needles: US Size 8 45” or longer circular needles, or needles that will get the right gauge—these booties are knit at a very tight gauge so that they will be sturdy and hold up to hard wear. One way to change the size is to use larger or smaller needles.

Notions: Row counter (optional). Crochet hook for making tie and pulling tufts of yarn to the outside. Measuring tape.

Gauge: 3 stitches per inch in stockinet stitch.

Finished size: To fit about a women’s size 7- 8 foot. Try larger needles to get a larger slipper, or you can cast on more and make the instep portion longer (you’d do more back and forth rows before going back to circular knitting for the cuff), but keep the cuff 36 stitches in circumference.


PATTERN

Sole: Cast on 48 stitches using a figure-8 cast on, holding 2 strands of MC together, if using Flauto or another thinner yarn. Start with a slip knot, then line up both ends of your circular needle in parallel. Wrap yarn in a figure 8 fashion around each needle in turn, starting with the needle without the slip knot. When there are 24 loops on each needle, arrange the needles so that the one with the slip knot is in back, and the other needle is in front. Note that you already have stitches arranged for “magic loop” circular knitting.

Slide the needle with the slip knot forward (so you can knit with it), leaving the other needle’s loops near the edge (this is the needle you would have wrapped next if you’d continued wrapping). Bring the yarn from the rear needle forward and use it to purl across the loops on the front needle. You will be at the end where your cast-on tail is, and this is where your rounds will begin. Use the tail as the marker, or pin a marker to remind you.

It’s a good idea to measure here. If the knitting is very close to 9” long (within 1/8 inch either way won’t matter), you are on track for a size 7-8 slipper. If it’s too big or small, you may wish to start again with a larger or smaller needle.

Round 1 first half: K1, M1, K23, M1, K1; repeat for second half of round, maintaining your loop (27sts each half)
Round 2: P
Round 3 first half: K1, M1, K24, M1, K2; second half: K2, M1, K24, M1, K1, maintaining your loop (29 sts each half)
Round 4: P
Round 5 first half: K1, M1, K24, M1, K4; second half: K4, M1, K24, M1, K1, maintaining your “magic” loop. There should be 62 stitches, 31 on each half of the loop.

Sides:
Starting with a purl round, work 10 rounds in garter stitch (knit one row, purl one row).

Instep: K36, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, turn. It’s easiest to keep half the instep stitches on each side of your loop.
Row 1: slip 1 purl-wise, P10, slip 1 purl-wise, P2tog, PSSO, turn.
Row 2: slip 1 knit-wise, K10, Slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, turn.
It’s easiest to keep half the instep stitches on each side of your loop.
Repeat rows 1-2 six more times.
Slip 1 purl-wise, P10, Slip 1 purl-wise, P2tog, PSSO, wrap yarn around the next stitch on this round, turn, put the just-wrapped stitch back on the right needle, K11, work the next stitch together with a strand picked up from around below (to avoid a hole), K to end of round.

Cuff: K one round –when you get to the stitch with the wrap, work the stitch and the wrap together (preventing a hole).
Eyelet round: K1, YO, K2tog 12 times.
Knit 12 rounds in stockinet stitch (knit around).
If using thinner yarn, cut one strand of MC and pick up two strands of CC. You will finish the slippers using three strands, two of CC and one of MC.
Starting with a purl row, complete 9 rounds in garter stitch. Bind off as loosely as possible.

Make another slipper!

Ties (make 2): holding two strands of CC together, make a chain as long as desired. Thread through the eyelets. In the sample, the tie is long enough to wrap around and tie in the back, making for the look of a tassel at the heel.

Finishing: To get a “furrier” effect, you may want to use the crochet hook to pull strands of the trimmings from the CC to the outside of the slippers.

Abbreviations:
K = Knit
P = Purl
K2tog = Knit two together
P2tog = Purl two together
PSSO = Pass slipped stitch over the stitch previously worked
YO = Yarn over (wrap the yarn once without knitting, creating a new stitch and a “hole” in the knitting)
M1 = Make one (create a new stitch by inserting the needle in the bar of yarn between two stitches and drawing up a loop)
MC = Main color
CC = Contrasting color

These booties were inspired by a standard baby bootie pattern.

Copyright ©2006-2008 Sue Ann Kendall. This pattern may not be reproduced except for personal use. Rev 2.19.08

2 comments:

  1. Those do look really fun! I love the extra fluff at the heel.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The slippers look great! Exactly what I've been looking for. What do you mean by the "magic loop" circular knitting method?

    ReplyDelete

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