Slippers for Laura

Slippers For Laura

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner - increases and decreases used to shape slipper.
Yarn: 2 balls Plymouth Encore, or any worsted weight yarn that knits to gauge with two strands held together (for contrast color sole, a third ball of yarn in a contrasting color will be needed)
Needles: 1 pair US 8 (5mm) knitting needles
Size: small child[medium child,small adult,medium adult,large adult,extra large adult] Finished Measurements: 4.5[6,8.5,9.5,10.5,11.5]” from heel to toe, 4[5,7,7,8,8]” from sole to top of cuff.
Gauge: 3.5 sts x 5 rows per

Sole:
With two strands of yarn held together (for contrast slipper, use 1 strand MC and one strand CC), cast on 24[36,50,60,64,70] sts.
Row 1: purl 12[18,25,30,32,35] sts, place marker, purl to end of row.
Row 2: Inc (knit into front and back of stitch to create increase throughout pattern) in first stitch, knit to one stitch before marker, inc in next st, slip marker, inc in next st, knit to last st, inc in last st. (28[40,54,64,68,74] sts)
Row 3: Knit.
Row 4: Inc in first st, knit to one st before marker, inc in next st, slip marker, inc in next st, knit to last st, inc in last st. (32[44,58,68,72,78] sts)
Rows 5-14: Knit. (If making 2 color slippers, break CC yarn here, and use 2 strands MC till the cuff begins.)
Foot:
Row 15: Purl to 2 st before marker. SPP, slip marker, p2tog, purl to end of row.
Row 16: Knit to 2 sts before marker, SSK, slip marker, K2tog, knit to end of row.
Repeat rows 15 and 16 until 20[28,36,38,42,42] sts remain.
Cuff:
(For contrast color slipper, use 1 strand MC and one strand CC)
Work 2 rows st st.
Work 10 rows gs. Bind off.
Finishing:
Sew back seam from top of cuff to toes, using whip stitch. Make another slipper!

Abbreviations:
MC – main color
CC – contrast color
K – knit
P – purl
st – stitch
st st – stockinette stitch
gs – garter stitch
SPP – slip, purl, pass (slip a st purlwise, purl the next st, then pass the slipped st over the purled stitch)
P2 tog – purl two together
SSK – slip, slip, knit (slip two stitches, one at a time, onto the right needle. Insert the point of the left needle into the front of the two slipped stitches, and knit them together through the back loops)
K2 tog – knit two together

©2006 Melissa Morgan-Oakes
Free pattern, may be liberally distributed among knitterly folk. For pattern support and corrections, email melissaknits@yahoo.com