Warm Slippers

I've been knitting slippers for our family since I went searching for a new pair, and couldn't find any that I liked. I originally started out with a self-designed pattern for a sock style slipper, but couldn't quite get it right. On top of that, they kept wearing out faster than I could darn them, possibly because of the acrylic wool I was using. So I took a leaf from my mum's book, and used a simple rectangle pattern, knitted with two strands of wool.

I started knitting this pair for DH with some leftover pure wool I had, but since they were a little too tight for him, I wear them. I do love the way the two different colours combine in these ones though. Unfortunately I ran out of wool near the end of the second slipper, so had to finish the toe in black acrylic. You can definitely tell the difference, on a cold day, that toe is a little colder than the other one.

The pattern is very simple and easy, perfect for a beginner. Basically, using two strands of wool, you cast on 30 stitches. Knit in garter stitch for a bit less than the length of your foot (they tend to stretch, so don't worry if they seem a bit tight at first). Then in the next row, knit 1, knit two together to the end of the row. The final row is knitting two stitches together all across the row. Then break off the thread, thread it through the remaining stitches, and pull them up. Use the rest of the thread to sew up the top, and the casting on thread to sew up the heel. Repeat for second slipper.

It doesn't really matter what ply you use, or what size needles. I used 8ply and 6mm needles for the first, and I think the green wool was 10 or 12 ply. For the 8ply, two 50g balls weren't quite enough, so you'll probably need three, or two and some scraps. For the thicker wool, I used nearly 2 50g balls for just one slipper, since obviously you get a shorter amount for the same weight because it's thicker. Of course, experimenting with two tones, or even stripes, could be really interesting. I use wool I've bought second hand, or have already, making them very frugal. The blue/black slippers were free, since I made them from leftovers, and the green slippers cost about $4 for the pair, from wool bought for $1 a ball at the markets.

I can knit one slipper in about 2 hours, but I'm a pretty fast knitter. Even so, they are comparatively quick to make, and they certainly are warm!