Some Nola knitted slippers this time...

I think these are the last of the slipper socks for this year. Possibly

 Certainly my favourite - to make and the look of. Just so snug looking. I used the nicely named Nola's knitted slippers and it really is a lovely knit. The pattern is written for a men's medium with worsted weight wool held doubled, I used some Cascade 220 (Smoke) and followed the pattern and they ended up fitting me (sorry Ems, I did try on your slippers) and Ems who has larger feet. Not oddly large by the way - I think Ems is a seven-ish and I am a four.  The photograph above makes them look like little people's slippers, I should have taken an in-foot photo...

And then I did go on to make some for little toes

Not sure of wool used for these as it was all from the basket. I think I used a lighter weight wool for this first pair, knitted double for a seven year old, and the second pair I used a variety of chunky wools. I think the red is some Katia Peru... These were for a nine year old

The pair above remind me of some sweet stripes moccasin slippers P had when he was little. Sadly for me P has enough slippers so I shall have to wait to knit him a pair. The wools from the basket were much softer and floppier (impressive knitting terminology) and so will probably not be as robust as the ones knitted in Cascade 220. But they look sweet, and those feet will grow so I'm sure they will do the job of keeping toes toastie this winter. 

Do hope that you had happy birthdays Ems, Logan and Harry! And that your toes are toastie...

Keeping our loved ones' toes toastie

Still keeping toes toastie, this time with Erika Knight's slipper boots from Crochet Workshop. I like these, certainly my favourite slippers to crochet so far. But I have some knitted ones to show you this week (maybe - I feel like I may have made such rash statements before and then nothing for a few weeks. You may see them later on this week, or it may be next month) but anyway it is the knitted ones I may be tempted to make for my own toes...

Back to these delights. They do look rather adorable on a pair of small boy's feet

Or not so small feet as these were made for newly eleven and nine year olds. The pattern is for a women's slipper, with notes on how to adapt for different sizes. I chose the simpler method and selected a smaller hook size. This wool - Wendy serenity chunky - is rather soft and floppy, which is lovely but I wanted something sturdier for slippers so the smaller hook size made for a much denser finish. With the added bonus that the slippers now fitted a child's foot.

I love the pads on the bottom. Happy birthday Reuben, Casper and Barney!

We have had a few enforced quiet weeks as P had another round of chickenpox (or chicky spots as they are fondly known in our house. Well, maybe not fondly). So much to catch up on, haven't even mentioned a January birthday with cakes and parties and makes, and a sofa finally recovered. Hopefully more later this week...

Beastie feet without the beastliness

 I suppose the only beastly thing about these slippers is their name - Beastie Feet from Kat Goldin's Crochet at Play - as I missed off the beastly toes of the original pattern. This winter was the year of the handmade slippers as presents, and as the pattern I had already tried out (oh yes, there are many more of these to show) would have needed a lot of fiddling to make it fit a six year old, I decided to give this pattern a go though keeping my original plan of pompom slippers.

I made the 6year old size for a nearly six year old, and they fit just fine. Wool is tricky... I think it may be some Wendy chunky as I have the paper wrappers for this and the colours seem right. I'm usually so much better than this at keeping a record of wool used! So, Wendy Serenity chunky it is in colours ochre and Tarmac.

These were fun to make until the sewing together bit, that was a little fiddly. They would probably have looked neater finished in the same wool but I thought I was going to like the contrast, and also by this time (these were actually the last slippers to be made using this wool) I had used up all the ochre wool.

Happy birthday, Pippa!

And I do still want to make this pattern again, this time in all their beastly glory...

Keeping our eggs warm

I had so much fun knitting these adorable little egg hats. Almost as much fun as making the small - for me - pom-poms for the top, though I still wanted the pom-poms to look oversized for the hats, just as I would a full grown hat for a real head.

 These are the egg cosy caps from Jessica Biscoe's Knitting Smitten. I used all sorts of unknowns from the wool basket, as long as they were white or a Christmas red and vaguely dk. And rather than jab myself with numerous little sticks I knitted these on a long circular using the magic loop method. I think P may need a boiled egg before swimming