I drove up to Eureka yesterday to attend a workshop at the North Coast Knittery with Franklin Habit The Panopticon, on "Photographing Your Fiber". It was a lovely drive and the workshop well worth while. I took with me a couple of projects that have given me a hard time, one way and another, and came home with great new knowledge and some photographs I'm happy with!
We learned basic photography skills, and some cool inexpensive ways to maximize whatever lighting conditions we have to work with.
See! beads! you can actually see the beads on my shawl! I was a little discouraged as I practiced photographing this shawl, but when I got my photos home, and could look at them on the larger display of my computer, there they were....Beads!
If you get an opportunity to take this class with Franklin, I recommend taking it! Franklin is both fun and informative, not to mention nice.
I first came across this slipper pattern, when it was handed out at church for a charity knitting project. I've since lost the original pattern, but I've long since memorized it. I've made a few minor refinements. My hat's off the the original designer of these slippers, they are easy to make, fit most feet, and can be easily adjusted to different sizes, and a fast knit. They can also be a fun way to use odd bits of leftover yarns, to create fun color combinations.
I can't begin to count how many of these I've made over the years, as they are a family favorite. However, I've rarely kept a pair long enough to photograph.
Yarn: any Worsted Weight yarn, held double through out.
Needles: US 10 for a ladies slipper, and US 10.5 for a man's slipper.
Gauge: should be about 3 st /inch, in St St.
Directions:
With yarn held double ( you can work from both ends of the same skein, or from two different skeins), cast on 60 st.
Slipper Sole:
Continuing with both strands, and Working back and forth, Knit 13 rows
Decrease rows:
Place a marker in the center of the row, between stitches 30, and 31.
Slipper Body:
Row 1: (rs) K27 (three st before marker), ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, K2tog, K27 (58 st remain)
Row 2: (ws) P26 (three st before marker), P2tog, P1, slip marker, P1, ssptbl*, P26 (56 st remain)
Row 3: (rs) K to 3 st before center marker, ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, k2tog, k to the end
Row 4: (ws) p to 3 st before center marker, p2tog, p1, slip marker, p1, ssptbl*, p to the end
Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until 30 stitches remain.
Slipper Cuff:
Knit 8 rows,
Bind off loosely, leaving a long tail for seaming. Turn right sides together, and seam heel and sole.
*ssp: slip next two stitches knitwise, insert the right needle through the two back loops, and purl these two stitches together.
OR alternatively, this decrease can be worked this way:
* pssops: Pass Slipped Stitch Over Purl Stitch: purl 1, slip next st knit wise, slip 2 sts back to left needle (maintaining orientation), then pass the slipped stitch over the purled stitch, and slip the decrease back to the right needle.
I find the second option easier to work with the bulky yarns. They both make a left leaning decrease on the right side, and that is what you are looking for.
