Baby, it's cold outside. Need some footies??

Midgauge Slipper Footies

Knitting Notes and tips:

These are knit on the main bed only, on any midgauge or bulky machine.  Yes, I hid the seam that goes up the side of the instep in the picture, but honestly the seam is not bothersome.   I used two strands of Jaegerspun acrylic yarn which was labeled 3/8.     Use any yarn that achieves the tension indicated in the pattern.  It seems you have to do a bit of experimentation to fit a specific person in which case you'd need to change the stitches and rows. If you are knitting these for charity, they will fit someone.  One strand of navy and one of black made the slipper appear to be knit from variegated yarn.  I strung them through their own eyelets and joined them at the carriage.  To prevent a hole forming on the heel, take the purl bump of the adjacent stitch at the inside of the end of short rowing and exchange it with the adjacent needle. Also try exchanging the stitches to see if you like the look of this better.   

 Because of the rolled hem, it is best to use the stockinette side as the right side.  If you don’t like the rolled hem, you could knit rib either by hand or knit the cuff by latching up the stitches, then proceed with the pattern. Or, if you have a machine with a ribber, have at it.  Since these work up so fast, they’d be a good project for Operation Toasty Toes or other charity that takes slippers.   If you are knitting these with cotton, it’s really important to swatch and wash since cotton is notorious for shrinking.  Call me weird, but I like to knit a big rectangle, wash it and put it in the dryer, then rewind the yarn.  That way it is preshrunk and the gauge is pretty much accurate.

Machine:  Any midgauge; bulky would work achieving the same gauge

Yarn: Any yarn to achieve the same tension if you want to follow the pattern. I used yarn that was slightly thinner than sport and doubled it.  Do a swatch with your chosen yarn to get the same gauge.

Tension:  at T 5, 4 st x 7 rows = 1” with yarn doubled

Finished size of large = man’s shoe size 10-11 

 Sizes medium and (large).  If one number, it applies to both sizes.  You’ll have to experiment if the first try doesn’t fit.

Directions:

With waste yarn, cast on over 46 (48) N, knit a few rows, one row ravel cord.  With main yarn ewrap on, leaving a 12” tail for seaming.  Knit at T 3 for 12 R for roll hem.  Change to T 5 Knit 8 rows (7 rows for second footie to end on left side of bed).  Note:  if you want these to rise higher on the ankle, knit more rows here.

Heel – Set carriage to hold position.  Pull all needles left of zero to hold.  Short row down to 8 working needles by pulling the working N closest to the carriage to hold before each row. Reverse short row by putting the needle opposite the carriage into working position, knit the row, until all N are in work again.  Remember to close up the hole before you begin doing the reverse short rowing.

Put carriage on N. All needles knit.

Foot-  RC 000.  Knit 42 (48) rows. (Use an odd number to end up at the left side for the second footie’s heel.)

Toe – Knit exactly as you did the heel.   (Another option is to do ff decreases for the toe.  Some people like the look of this better.)

Knit one row overall with main yarn and then remove on several rows of waste yarn.  

Fold the waste yarn back and kitchener stitch the toe seam.  I find it is easier to graft from the purl side.  Remove waste yarn.  Do a flat seam for the side. Hide yarn tails.  Knit the second footie putting the heel and toe on the other side of the bed. 

Using the same basic design, you can make women’s footies.  You’ll need to experiment to find out how many stitches and rows to do.  My stitches and rows for a size 6 shoe with  Bernat Baby Boucle was 6 st and 8 rows to 1”  I cast on 42 stitches, did 10 rows for the hem and did 38 rows for the foot.   I’m not even sure this yarn is made anymore so you will really have to calculate your own with your chosen yarn! 

The fluffiness of the boucle made it ideal to use the purl side as the right side.  When you do this it totally hides seams so that the slipper looks like it is knit in the round.  The only difference from the above pattern is that, rather than making a rolled hem, this hem is hung from the first row.  You would begin with waste yarn, knit a few rows, then change to main yarn and knit the number of rows you want for the depth of the hem x 2.  (Don’t do a permanent cast on with the main yarn, just knit.) To make the hem, pick up the first row and hang it on top of the stitches in work.  It naturally rolls to the outside.  On the picture you can see that the hem is stockinette on the outside but the body of the footie is purl stitches.

Be sure to write down your gauge, number of stitches to use, number of rows for the hem, rows for the foot and anything else.  I have been known to knit merrily away and forgot to write down the vital info so had to take a wild guess for slipper #2.  Sometimes successfully!  Sometimes not.