16 ply slippers

In May, when Bendigo Woollen Mills offered a 16ply yarn, made by recycling their leftover wool, bamboo, silk, cotton and alpaca, I bought three balls to experiment with. At the same time, I had bought a copy of Pauliina Kuunsola's Soothing Stitches: knits for a quiet mind,  which included a pattern for slippers - in 16 ply.

I gave up knitting slippers over ten years ago, when those I had been knitting in quantity kept slipping off the heel. This pattern  extended well over the ankle and invited me to try again.

My brother's birthday is in early May and I had not sent a present, so I took up my needles.

The pattern is relatively simple. You knit from the toe, in the round to the ankle, then flat to the heel, cast off and join the back seam. The pattern leaves the turnover loose, but I thought it better to stitch it down. Although I worked the largest of the three sizes given in the pattern, my brother. whose feet are average size for a man, reports them being a bit of a stretch.

I bought a pair of wooden sock blockers from the Yarn Trader. I'm sure, had I blocked my brother's pair, they would fit perfectly (when it's warmer, he can, of course wet them and wear them until dry!).  

My next pair, still knitting the largest size, was for a friend's July birthday. Her feet are, I'm sure, still smaller than mine, although it's decades since we compared. I tried them on the blockers, but didn't actually block them. The colours are not intended to indicate gender - just following what I thought the recipient would like. They are both of the colour intensity I like.

I've used up the remainder of these two balls for scales of justice on the beanies, but I am up to knitting more should these prove a hit. I love working in this Elixir 16 ply yarn

I can post this now that both pair are delivered to (notice I’ve avoided in the hands of, wouldn't want to invite puns) the intended recipients and hopefully doing their job in this winter weather.

Mending slippers

Last year a much-travelled friend gave me a pair of knitted slippers she had bought in Uzbekistan. I had admired hers and she kindly sent me a spare pair she had. They were truly charming and very comfortable for wearing on my carpeted floors.

They even won me a prize in a photo competition promoting Bundarra clothing!

However, my fondness for them produced holes in both heels and they looked like unravelling. Drastic action was required - and some of the skills of my grandmother and mother. 

 It was easy enough to pick up the unravelling stitches.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   I had a good supply of oddments of 4 ply wool in the right colour from Fair Isle jumpers made many years ago, so I could construct my set of bars across the hole and weave my patch.

The result was pretty neat (and on the underside anyway).

For good measure. and longevity, I added a couple of little felt patches over the mend, both on the inside and outside.
















I'm very pleased with the result.
I'm happy to be able to continue using my lovely slippers, pleased to have preserved both a gift and a treasure. I'm also pleased to have used the skills given to me by my mother and grandmother.

Lots of wins for many women.

Kwiki slippers

Another pattern I bought online on spec earlier this year was Kwiki Slippers from Patternfish.I have been very grateful for this purchase over the last couple of months. It was a perfect pattern to carry in my bag and pull out in any situation. After the first pair I could knit without referring to the pattern, adjust the size and produce a pair of slippers in a matter of a couple of hours.

The first pair I knitted were to match the cardigan and hat for my Canberra daughter. I didn't manage to photograph those.

I then had a go at knitting an oversized pair in Murano - and felting them. I simple made them enormous, put them through the washing machine three times

with added boiling water - then left them to dry wedged in an upside down pair of my shoes.

As unorthodox as that was, it worked and they were claimed by a good friend.

From there I knitted pairs for the grandchildren. The mohair ones were popular for the look, but not the feel, so I made additional pairs using Murano - the manly brown-black mix for Fionn, a rainbow mix for Brigid and a blue mix for Veronica.





Niamh chose a very soft Moda Vera Flammone, 50% wool, 50% acrylic, from my stash. I only had a single hank - 70 metres, and have been looking for a project to use it. It worked really well  for slippers.




This is a highly successful pattern and one I can see myself using as a standby for a long time to come.