Knit Yourself a Pair of Slippers

Slippers might seem like a cold-weather project (and if you’re in the colder part of the world, now’s a great time to make some!), but I think slippers are even more important in the summer.

I don’t wear shoes in the house, and in the summer I don’t want to wear socks if I’m wearing sandals when I go out. But my feet tend to get cold in any weather, so a pair of slippers is a great way to keep my feet warm in the house without having to wear socks.

And of course I’ll also wear them with socks when it’s cold outside. So basically I’m saying there’s not a bad time to knit, or to wear, slippers. Here are a few patterns to get you started.

I love the classic look of a garter stitch slipper, and this pattern from Kween Bee on Etsy is a good one. It is a moccasin style bootie with a cuff, which will keep it on your foot. It’s worked on straight needles and there are lots of photos in the pattern to show you how it all comes together.

Another great option for a garter stitch slipper is Lisa Chemery’s Cozy Toesies. The sole is worked flat, then you pick up stitches and work the top of the foot and the cuff in rounds. The cuff folds over and has elastic inside to ensure the slippers stay right where you want them. This pattern is available on Ravelry.

The slipper sock booties from Lulu Pattern on Etsy knit up super fast in super bulky yarn. They’re worked flat and seamed, and available in four sizes.

The Better Dorm Room Slippers from Kriskrafter on Ravelry are worked with two strands of worsted weight yarn held together for extra thickness and durability. It also makes them a fun stash busting project. They are knit flat and seamed and are a super quick project — the designer says they can knit a sock in about two hours.

The Woodland Warmers on Ravelry from designer Claire Slade are so pretty and they fit your feet well, too, because there’s a lot of shaping involved to make it hug the foot better than a lot of slippers do. The sole is worked flat and the rest of the slipper is worked in the round, and this one uses bulky yarn.

The combination of garter stitch and stockinette on the Cloud Slippers from Adrienne Sullivan gives these slippers a distinctive look. They’re super quick and easy to knit and you can make any of the four adult sizes with just one skein of super bulky yarn. This free pattern is available on Ravelry.

Wooly Moccasin Slipper Knitting Pattern

Simple Slippers to Keep Your Feet Warm

Simple Slippers to Knit for Women

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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