A Little Loopy
Sometimes it's the tiniest little details that get something started. I've been wanting some slippers with a little loop on the back for, well, for an awfully long time now. So it was time to finally make that happen. I did a bit of planning and fiddling and got everything all sorted out in my head. I knew exactly how this was going to come together. And, as is so often the case, once I figured out how something will work, I sort of feel like I've solved the puzzle and then don't necessarily care about actually doing the thing. (Tell [...]
Behold…an actual slipper
So first came a few decreases. Then everything got all joined up. And then it really started looking properly slipper-like! Now I just have to remind myself (firmly) that my foot is a wee bit longer than the foot form and do one more repeat than I think I need to, and we should be done. And really, the toes on these are going to be unspeakably adorable. Promise. Oh, and this seems like a good post to point out that the blog happens on a bit of a time delay (one post is often a few days of knitting). [...]
Round and round or back and forth
So the way these slippers go together, you work flat for a while and then you work in the round (they're built a lot like Quiescent if you played with those). And whenever you go from working flat to working in the round, you need to pay a bit of attention. The first thing to watch is your gauge. Many people have a different gauge in one or the other, and you'll want to do what you can to make it match. (How do you know if you do? Your swatch...it's always your swatch!) That can mean using a different [...]
Leaves are sneaky
Leaf patterns are sneaky. Usually (not always of course, knitting offers very few cases of always) leaf patterns have you closing off the last leaf at the same time you're starting up the next one. That means when you've knit one repeat, you have two half leaves...and absolutely zero whole leaves. It also means it looks like nothing much to write home about... It's not until you finish the second repeat of the stitch pattern that you actually have one whole leaf. And it's often not until you've done two or three more repeats that you can really start to [...]
Well heeled
So the heel flap is done (this one is taller than usual, a full 56 rows, because I wanted the slipper to come up a bit higher on my ankle). And the heel turn is done...and reminding me of nothing so much as a tiny pirate flag at the moment. But I'm sure that's just the yarn fumes talking! Next I pick up a bunch of stitches and start doing the fancy bit...and then at some point not too long from now, it will actually start looking like a slipper.
Slipper, reincarnated
So when last we left the slipper, he was languishing after a bit of a rip. I put him in time out to see if I was going to pick back up or try the same general idea with a different yarn. And somehow while he was in time out, this skein kept coming to the top of the stash. Funny how that happens sometimes. And then? Well then this happened and I think we're pretty much done for. The yarn is Opulence DK by String Theory in the color Tourmaline. And yes, yes it does change color from picture [...]
At least my feet will be warm…
I'm absolutely positively convinced that warm feet make all the difference on cold days. And you all know I have a slew of wool socks (perks of the trade...). But sometimes you want an extra layer, and that's where the slippers come in. I've been rocking the slippers over socks thing the last few mornings (what can I say, it's chilly...) and found that I wanted some taller ones. So these are going to come up all the way over my ankles. And they're out of seriously thick yarn (Malabrigo's Twist in the color Zinc) knit just as tight as [...]
And done!
Oh hey look, slippers! And yes, they need their proper photo shoot (and, um to be blocked...and to have their ends woven in). But they are totally in the done pile!
Remiss
I've apparently been shockingly remiss. I haven't shown you anything of the second slipper (even though it's been cruising right along). Let's see if we can fix that, shall we? I think by now we all know they start back here. Then they sneak in a few heel stitches and look something like this And once the heel stitches are all in place, they cruise along like this for a while. Until it's time for some quick decreases. Next up, I'll start working in the round, work straight for just a little while, then zap on a toe. Not much [...]
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