Simple Knitted Slippers

As with many of my patterns, this isn't so much original, as a reworking of an old standard. I am putting it in writing for those who remember the pattern but can't find a copy anywhere. The pair shown were knitted with two colors. I will give directions for them at the end of the main instructions. The pair in the picture were knit one at a time. This caused me to run out of yarn before the second slipper was finished. I had to improvise the purple toe of Sock #2. To prevent this, knit both slippers at the same time.  I have found knitting socks two-at-a-time on a 40 inch circular is a breeze!

SIMPLE KNITTED SLIPPERS.

2 skeins bulky or super bulky yarn (2 more skeins of second color if doing multicolored slippers)

Size 10 1/2 long circular needles

1 yarn needle

Knit two at the same time: *Using the Long Tail Cast on Cast on 32 stitches from 1st skein. Make sure you have a tail at least 8-10 inches long hanging down.* Drop yarn. Repeat between ** for 2nd slipper. You now have both slippers started on your circular needles. The long tails will be used to sew the heels when the slippers are finished.

Row 1: Knit across first slipper. Drop yarn. Knit across 2nd slipper. Turn.
Row 2: *Knit 10 stitches, Purl 1, Knit 10, Purl 1, Knit 10*. Drop yarn. Repeat between ** for 2nd slipper. Turn.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until the fabric is 5" long.

Row 3: *K2, P2* across first slipper. Drop yarn. Repeat between ** for 2nd slipper.

Repeat in pattern until slippers are 1/2 inch shorter than the foot that will wear them. Cut yarn leaving a 12" tail. Thread tail of the first slipper into a large-eyed yarn needle. Work stitches off the knitting needle onto the tail using the needle. Draw up toe. Secure it by sewing through the loops one more time.

The two parallel rows of knit stitch that run across the sole mark the "bend" for turning up the sides of the slippers. They should be on the outside when the slipper is finished. Turning slipper to the wrong side, sew the seam from the toe across the arch to the beginning of the garter stitch section. Secure yarn and cut off extra. Repeat for second slipper.

Sew up heels using the tails from the cast on. Add a pompom over the arch of each slipper, if desired.

To make colored slippers:

Full stripe: When you start the rib stitch section, tie in color B and knit 2 rows. Drop yarn at end of row. Pick up color A and knit 2 rows. Drop A, Pick up B and repeat until you have stripes to the end of the slipper. I had about 5 rows of Color A and 6 rows of Color B.

Saddle shoe slipper: When you start the rib stitch section, tie in color B and knit 2 rows. Drop yarn at end of row. Pick up color A and knit 2 rows. Drop A, Pick up B and repeat once. You will have 2 bands of each color. Drop A and cut yarn. Continue to end of slipper with Color B.

The original pattern for this slipper uses worsted weight yarn. If you chose to use worsted weight and you do not double the yarn, you may need to use a smaller needle. Test the 32 stitch cast on to be certain the sole is large enough for the foot that will wear the slipper. If it is too narrow, increase the three sections evenly, two stitches at a time.

Advice for Beginning Knitters

I posted the following message to one of the knitting lists I read. A woman who learned to knit as a child was returning to knitting and wanted some pointers. This note is one spot where I put together everything I usually tell beginners. It's worth posting here, as well.

Knitting is a great way to keep your hands busy. I got back into it a few years ago when I was dieting. Can't do mindless eating when you have two sticks in your hands. :)

Since you are refreshing dormant skills, start with something basic. Don't be too hard on yourself if there are mistakes at the beginning. Frogging (Rip-it! Rip-it! ) and Tinking (Knit spelled backwards which refers to unknitting stitches one at a time) are a very real part of knitting.

I'd suggest a simple garter stitch scarf. I start beginners with size 15 needles, worsted weight yarn of their choice, and have them cast on about 20-25 stitches depending upon how wide they want the scarves. Garter stitch is created by knitting every row. By the time you have a five or six foot scarf, you will have the mechanics of tension and stitch creation under control. Your second scarf can be a k2, p2 rib to let you practice the purl stitch. After that, check some online sites, such as Lion Brand's website ( http://www.lionbrand.com/ ) or www.knittingpatterncentral.com to find new projects to create. The Lion Brand site rates their patterns by difficulty. I'm sure you will find other sites that do the same.

Two mnemonics my grandkids use to remember stitch formation are these ditties:

Knit stitch:

In through the front door,
Run around the back;
Out the window,
Off jumps Jack.

Purl stitch:

Under the fence,
Catch a sheep,
Back we come,
Off we leap.

A note on needles: metal and fiber (bamboo, wood, etc.) needles each have their purposes. Fiber needles work well with slippery yarns because they grab them better than metal. Metal, on the other hand, lets rougher yarns slip off the needles easily. My beginners usually like to start with short, size 15 bamboo needles because they feel good in their hands. It's part of the tactile experience of knitting. You should pick the needles that you like. Many experienced knitters only use circular needles, even on flat project. I prefer circulars when I'm traveling. I can't loose a needle if I drop it. (I can guarantee I will drop a needle at the most awkward moment, in the most crowded situation.)

Another note on yarn: don't work with too cheap yarn. After you put hours of work into a project, you don't want it wasted on a yarn that doesn't hold your stitches well, or that is scratchy and uncomfortable to work or wear. My mother made me a pull-on vest when she was a beginning knitter. She worked too tightly (it's a common problem with beginners) and she literally stretched all the spring out of the yarn. The vest couldn't stretch enough to go over my head and shoulder! I was never able to wear it. We always felt half the problem was her too-tight stitches and the other half was cheap yarn that didn't have a lot of memory. (Memory is the quality that lets yarn spring back after stretching.) Your work is worth decent yarn.

By the same token, don’t be a yarn snob. Every yarn has its purpose. Some folks who start knitting with the “good yarns” such as wools, wool-blends, and other animal fibers, decide they are too good to knit with acrylic or plant fiber yarns. The animal fiber yarns are lovely to touch and work up beautifully, but they require special care and they cause some people to itch. Don't forget to look at the other yarns. Suit the yarn to your project.

If you are making a baby blanket that will be washed constantly or a hat for a rough and tumble child, acrylic is a far better choice. Acrylics and other synthetic fibers can be made to feel like animal fibers, but the are wash and wear. Many of your fun furs, ribbon yarns, and other specialty yarns will only be available in some sort of man-made fiber. If you don't use man-made fiber, you will never have the joy of making items from these yarns. Lower priced acrylics often feel scratchier than those that are more expensive. The oils and sizing used in the processing of the yarn will generally wash out over time and the product will become softer, but that doesn’t help your hands while you are making it. Touch your yarns and see which ones feel better right now. After all, you are going to be handling this yarn a lot while creating your project.

Plant fibers don't have the spring that animal fibers have, but they are cooler, they wick moisture and they breathe better. A summer tank top or a kitchen dishcloth is far better made from plant fiber (cotton, linen, bamboo, etc.) than from wool. If you want to make socks or something that needs the springiness of animal fiber, but you want to make it from a plant fiber, look for a blend that has some elastic in it. The elastic will help your socks keep their shape.

You can check further on my blog for hints and directions for doing the thumb cast on (a variation of the long-tail cast on) and other helps for beginners.

Happy Knitting!

I have just finished five Spirit hats for my Kansas grandkids. The hats are quite easy to make -- there are only about 40 rows in a hat. I can make one in about four uninterrupted hours. Yeah -- as if that is going to happen!

I'm sharing the pattern in case others would like to make hats for themselves or a family member. I apologize for not being able to include a sample of the graphing of the letters. There are some limitations to blogs. If you use it, please recognize me as the developer of the pattern.

School Spirit Hat


This might be a good project for beginning knitters. It gives practice with the knit and purl stitches and introduces Knit2Together decrease, knitting in the round, and Two-Color knitting. If creating words seems too advanced, the 5 rows of lettering could be changed to a solid band of Secondary color.

Any washable worsted weight yarn may be used for the hat. Red Heart works up stiff but softens a bit after washing. It will have a more defined shape that some other yarns. My favorite, Lion Brand Wool-Ease, is soft from the beginning and makes a hat that can be jammed into a coat pocket or worn with pride. Check your stash. You may have yarn on hand that will work.

Equipment needed:

• 16” Size 8 circular needles

• 1 set Size 8 double pointed needles

• 1 stitch marker that will fit size 8 needles

• 1 yarn needle

• ¼ inch grid graph paper

• Pencil

Yarn needed:

Worsted weight, any washable yarn:

• About ½ skein Primary color,

• About ¼ skein Secondary color

Step 1: Planning lettering

Using the graph paper, sketch out the letters that you will need for your hat. If either the school mascot or the person’s name is long, you may have to use some creative abbreviations to get everything to fit within 72 spaces. Remember you will need 3 spaces between Go and the Mascot name and at least 4 or 5 spaces between the “Go Phrase” and the person’s name as well as 4 or 5 spaces after the person's name.

Some mascot names may be too long to squeeze into 72 spaces if you include the wearer’s name as well. Experiment with the graph paper to see if you need to shorten “Wildcats” to “Cats” or just use the mascot and omit the person’s name. (“Go Trailblazers” would probably fill the entire hat.) Do try to include the person’s name. If an entire group of people – such as a pep club or a sewing class – wears identical hats, it will be hard to recognize your own if it gets misplaced.

I used block letters 5 stitches high to shape the letters. Most letters were 3 stitches wide (A, C, L, E, etc.) Some letters need more space to shape them: G, M, N. Y, but nothing required more than 5 spaces in width.

Directions for Hat:

Cast on 72 stitches with Primary color. Being careful not to twist the stitches, insert stitch marker between the stitch 72 and stitch 1 and knit in stitch 1 to join the circle. Weave in the long tail from the cast on as you knit or later (your choice.)

Rounds 1-8: *K2, P2* ribbing to form cuff.

Rounds 9-16: Knit each row.

Rounds 17-21: Two color knitting

Following the graph you created for your lettering, pick up Secondary color and knit the letters with the Secondary Color and the spaces with the Primary color. Carry the second color behind the one being used; catch it every 3-4 stitches so it doesn’t cause the back side of the fabric to become a snarled nest of yarn. When Round 21 is finished and all letters have been formed, cut Secondary yarn leaving a long tail. Carry the tail, catching it behind the primary color, for at least 3 inches to secure it completely.

Rounds 22-30: Knit each row.

First Decrease round: Round 30: Knit first two stitches together (K2t), knit 10 stitches, K2t, Knit 9 stitches, K2t, Knit 9 stitches, K2t, Knit 9 stitches. There will be seven decrease sections. These will form a pie shape wedge as you taper toward the top of the hat.

Round 31: Knit around.

Repeat rows Round 30 and 31, reducing one stitch between the decreases each row. For example: Round 32: K2t, knit 9, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 9, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 8. :

Round 34: K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 7, K2t, knit 7, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 7, K2t, knit 7, K2t, knit 7, etc.

Continue in pattern until the last round is: K2t, knit 1, K2t, K2t, K2t, knit 1, K2t, K2t, K2t.

(This assumes you are knitting with 4 dpn.) When it becomes uncomfortable using the circular needles, switch to the double point needles (dpn). Insert the first double point at the beginning of a decrease. Put two sets of decreases on the first and second needles and three sets of decreases on the third needle. Use the free double point to knit from the ones carrying stitches.

After the last round, cut the yarn leaving a long tail. Thread the needle with the tail yarn and thread it through the stitches on the needles. Remove each needle after the stitches are on the yarn. Pull up the drawstring to tighten circle at the top of the hat, slip the yarn needle through to the back and tie off the yarn. Leave a short tail (about ½”) so it doesn’t unravel, and enjoy the hat!

Machine washing the hat will help even out stitches and soften the yarn. If you have a wig stand, let the hat dry on the stand to shape it to your head. (That’s nice, but not required.)

Tricks for Two-Color Knitting

Carrying yarn: I carry the color that is being used the most (dominant yarn) in my right hand, knitting American, and carry the second color (carried yarn) in my left hand, knitting Continental. This allows me to catch the “carried yarn” behind a knit stitch periodically. I do this by laying the second color over the top of my knitting needle, throw the yarn with my right hand to form the knit stitch, then the draw the dominate yarn through the loop. The carried yarn stays behind the fabric, but is caught in the knitting so it can’t be pulled loose. This technique may also be used to weave in tails from casting on or joining yarn.

Switching hands: If you have a run of carried yarn that is more than 4 stitches long, switch the hands that carry the yarn. If blue yarn has been the dominant yarn and gold the carried yarn, put gold in the right hand and blue in the left. This lets you continue to catch the carried yarn every 2-3 stitches. It makes for a neater backside to your work and prevents loose threads that may catch on something.

Need more help for knitting with circular needles or Continental or American knitting? Check out http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques (circular needles) or http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knit-stitch (Continental and American knitting).

Copyright 2009 Iris Jones