Knitted slippers

A pattern for knitted slippers/socks/baby booties

From The Children’s Year: Craft and clothing for children and parents to make by Stephanie Cooper, Christine Fynes-Clinton and Marye Rowling. Gloucestershire: Hawthorn Press, 1986.
ISBN 1 869 890 00 0.

For babies’ bootees approx size 1-4 months you will need 20g (1 oz) 4ply baby wool and 1 pair 3mm (size 2 US) needles.

For children’s slippers you will need 50g (2oz) DK 8ply wool and 1 pair 4mm (size 5 US) needles.

For adults you will need 100g (3 1/2 oz) DK 8ply wool and 1 pair 4mm needles.

This pattern is good for using up scraps of yarn and making stripey socks.

Cast on 56 (for children’s size 68; adults 80) stitches and knit 26 (30; 40) rows in garter or moss stitch. At the beginning of the next two rows, cast off 12 (14; 16) stitches and continue knitting with the remaining 32 (40; 48) stitches. Knit 22 (26 or more, measure against foot) rows and then decrease as follows:
1st row: K2 stitches together and repeat until the end of the row. You should have 16 (20; 24) stitches.
2nd row: Purl
3rd row: same as first row. You should have 8 (10;12) stitches left.
4th row: Purl.
Break the wool, leaving about 15cm. Run the wool through the last stitches and pull tight. Sew securely. Sew up top and back of slipper. For bootees, make a twisted cord and run it through the folded over bit.

If you have a piece of leather, sheepskin or window chamois cloth, cut it into a foot shape and sew it to the bottom of the slipper for extra strength.