Simple Knitted Slippers for Papa

I’ve been spending time this past week, catching up on unfinished projects, one being knitting a pair of slippers for papa.

Here is an extremely simple knitting pattern I followed for my husband’s slippers. This pattern has been around for a very long time. My mother used it for many pairs of slippers over the years for us children. One winter I recall when my mother decided to try making slippers for us using Phentex, a nylon yarn, they were the best for sliding around the house. Those were some of the best fun times we had during the cold winter months. Needless to say, the slippers didn’t last, even with the extra knitted sole.


This pattern is for a men’s medium size (from front to back approximately 9.5 inches with some stretch available)

Supplies:

• One skein of wool (non shrink) yarn. (Two skeins of worsted weight yarn can also be used. (by using both the outside strand and the inside strand of your yarn, you will have two strands)
• Size US 6 needles, bigger needles can be used.
• Tapestry needle for seams

To knit heel:
To knit heel, we will be increase one stitch every 2nd row.

• Row 1: With two strands of yarn, cast on 3 stitches.
• Row 2: Knit all stitches
• Row 3: Knit 1 stitch; add 1 stitch by picking up the middle bar yarn, placing it on the left needle and then knitting it from the back. For more instructions, please view this video, http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-add-a-stitch. Continue to knit the next two stitches.
• Continue rows 3 and 4 until you have 10 stitches on your needle.
• Last row: Knit all stitches

Increasing to include remainder side of slipper stitches:

• Row 1: With ten stitches already on your needle, cast on another ten stitches and continue knitting the heel (ten stitches).
• Row 2: Cast on another ten stitches and knit remainder 20 stitches. You will now have ten stitches for each side of slipper along with ten stitches for bottom of slipper.
• Repeat row 2 until your piece measures desired length. I knitted until my piece measured 9 ½ inches long from the start of my extra 20 stitch increase.

Finish the slippers:

• With at least an 8 inch piece of yarn, seam stitch the triangular heel from left bottom of the slipper up to the top of the heel (top of triangle) and continue to seam stitch back down again to the right bottom of the slipper.

• With at least a 24 inch tail, thread the yarn onto the tapestry needle and slip it through all of the stitches on the needle. The stitches will now be on the yarn thread. Pull the stitches as tightly as you can to close the toe of the slipper. Start seam stitching the top front of the slipper from the toe to at least 4 to 5 inches depending on how big of an opening you prefer.

• Secure all of the yarn ends with a few stitches and/or weaving in the yarn so they no longer show.  I finished off the slippers by single crocheting an edge around the foot opening.

Extra Sole:
You have the option of knitting an extra sole piece for more added thickness if you prefer. Simply knit a 10 stitch rectangular piece the same length as your slipper.

I chose to add a suede sole to the bottom of the slipper as my husband John requested a non slip bottom.

• We purchased a used suede jacket at our local Salvation Army. This gave us bigger panels not only for the slippers non-slip sole but also for other projects at the fraction of the cost of a new piece. We were able to save 50 percent on the jacket by shopping on Wednesdays, the discount day.

• To determine the sole pattern, simply trace the foot on a piece of paper or soft cardboard, such as a used file folder. Cut out your sole pattern. Now trace this on the suede and cut out two pieces. 

• Because I had to make holes for threading to secure the suede sole to the bottom of the slipper, we used a nail and a hammer and an old cutting board by simply making holes every ½ inch or so by banging in the nail into both soles until the nail pierced through. I then sewed the sole to the bottom of the slipper using a piece of wool thread and a tapestry needle. I needed to stretch out the slipper a bit to ensure the suede sole would fit properly.

Et voila!  If I calculated properly, I don't think these slippers cost more than $4 or 5.00.  This included the wool yarn and the suede pieces.  Fancy or elegant? No.  Simple, easy to knit and practical? Yes.

And how shall they proclaim if they are not sent? As it has been written, “How pleasant are the feet of those who bring the Good News of peace, who bring the Good News of the good!” Romans 10:15

  Blessings ~ Carmen

This pattern was shared with:
Raising Homemakers
Gnowfglins Simple Lives