Double Thick Slippers
Similar to Men’s Romeo-style Slippers. When my children were little, they called them “Peter Pan shoes.”
For Knitters With Experience in Short Row and Sew-As-You-Knit Techniques
Materials Required: approximately 4-5 oz 4-ply knitting worsted weight yarn
Tension: approximately 5 on the LK 150 (T 10, EON on standard gauge machines, and 3-4 on Chunky knitters.) This will vary with the yarn used.
The numbers for each step on written instructions correspond to numbers shown on chart below.
1. CO 20 sts with WY, K 4 rows. K 1 row ravel cord. Change to MC. K 1 row. Set carriage to hold. *Bring 1 needle out to HP next to carriage (automatic wrap), K 1 row. Repeat from * until 6 needles remain in WP. **Push 1 st back to UWP on side opposite carriage, K 1 row. Repeat from ** until all needles are in WP.
2. Immediately SR dec down to 6 needles, and inc back out until all needles are again in WP.
3. K 24 rows for Ladies’ shoe size 5, 28 for size 7, and 32 rows for size 8-9. Different yarns and dye lots will affect fit. Adjust length here as needed.
4. SR dec down to 4 needles, and inc back out until all needles are again in WP.
5. K same number of rows as for step 3. To avoid having to sew seams together later, join side seams by sew-as-you-go method. *On side oposite carriage, pick up a loop from the edge st of the row below and hang on the end working needle, K 1 row. Repeat from * until required number of rows have been knitted, and fabric is joined along both side edges.
6. SR dec down to 6 needles, and reduce tension 1 number for standard gauge machines, or 2 clicks for chunky knitters. Inc back out until all sts are back in WP.
7. K same number of rows as for step 3.
8. SR dec down to 4 needles, then inc back out until all sts are again in WP.
9. Work exactly as for step 5.
10. SR dec down to 6 sts, then inc back out until all sts are again in WP. Clip yarn, leaving a 16″ tail. Remove on WY. Weave beginning and ending MC sts together with yarn tail.
For the man in your life, use the same instructions, but cast on 24 sts, and knit 32-36 rows even between SR shapings.
Three children’s sizes are included in the downloadable PDF pattern, as well as a blank chart to make your own custom size.
A few people have had trouble visualizing how this weird shape can turn into a slipper. First, this is actually a slipper with its own lining, or a slipper inside a slipper; both outer and inner slipper are completed when the fabric is removed from the machine, and all that remains in construction is to weave the beginning and end together. Secondly, there are side seams along both inner and outer edges of foot, running from end of heel shaping to beginning of toe shaping. This creates a very strange shape until the slipper is completely finished.
Slipper begins on the inside, just above the heel. You will knit up the inside to the shortrowed point above the back ankle, down to the heel, out to the toe, and back up the top of the foot to the shortrowed point above the front ankle, seaming by sew-as-you-go method between toe and ankle while knitting the top section. After shortrowing the top front point, knit back down the inside of the slipper to the toe, then back to the heel on the inside of the slipper, again seaming both side seams between toe and heel while knitting. While knitting, it will look like six pockets (two small, one large, one small, one large, and one small) are stacked up one on top of each other. This is caused by shortrowing, and it is supposed to look this way.
Sew as you go is suggested because the slipper is nearly finished when removed from the machine. We will be working backwards down the previous straight section, picking up the loops and skipping the knots. In other words, pick up the next loop stitch coming backwards down the fabric towards your body and away from the machine. Pick up only the very outer strand of the loop stitch; if you pick up the whole stitch the seam will be very thick and lumpy.
When finished, remove on waste yarn and weave first row of MC sts next to the ravel cord to last row of MC sts next to the waste yarn. Fasten a small safety pin in the MC just below the waste yarn on the top edge (the end without the ravel cord) to make it easier to find the lining part of the slipper. Be sure to have the knit side outwards while weaving, or the slipper will have the purl side for the right side. There will usually be a little hole on each side next to the waste yarn; this will be closed later by overcasting corresponding edges.
When weaving is completed, tuck the lining toe inside the outer toe, and adjust the heels inside each other correctly. Lining was knit at tighter tension, so it fits inside better. Now finish closing the little holes on each side of the waste yarn at the seam. It may also be necessary to tack the V if there are loose areas. Tack each side and fasten off, running the yarn tail between the layers of the slipper, then exiting the needle and clipping yarn close to the surface. When clipped, the yarn tail will spring back inside and be hidden between the layers.
You will just have to knit the first slipper and finish it on blind faith, following the instructions as written. If you do them correctly, it will work. You may not be able to visualize this at all until you actually tuck the lining toe inside the outer toe, but at that point, as if by magic, a thick, lined slipper that looks like Romeos or Peter Pan shoes suddenly appears.
This pattern is from the book, Knitting For Bazaars And Gifts by Irene Woods, copyright 1988. It was knitted on a standard gauge knitting machine, using every other needle, and was uploaded onto the original Clearwater Knits website in 1997