Tutorial | Simple, Old Fashioned Slippers

(pardon the slipper that's stretched out...)

The weather is finally turning cold in the Bay Area, and a little wet, too (thank goodness!). It's starting to feel like the holiday season, and the nostalgia is bubbling up inside. It was cold this weekend, so we turned on the heater and I started a search for some easy-to-make slippers for my cold toes.

I went to Ravelry, typed in my search, specified that I wanted something knitted with worsted weight yarn, and free. What I saw depended that feeling of nostalgia: slippers that looked like the ones my great-grandma used to make. She would make slippers for the whole family at Christmas, always adding little pom-poms to the girls slippers, or sometimes a crocheted flower. I could almost taste her sugar cookies while I was looking at the pattern photos. She passed when I was seven or eight, and I was so sad when my last pair of slippers wore out - they were a bright, Christmas red with a pom-pom on each one.

Diagonal Baby Blanket, and How To Do a Yarn Over

When I first started knitting I would scour the Lion Brand free patters, because it was pretty much the only brand of yarn I was familiar with and liked, and I didn't know about Ravelry yet. I had found this Diagonal Baby Blanket pattern, which is pretty and simple, but I was intimidated by the yarn over, and just couldn't get it. I was also intimidated by the thought of using circular needles. I guess I was a wimp… And really, I had no reason to be afraid; this is a beginner pattern, and a great way to learn how to make a yarn over, and work diagonally.

Anyway, I recently saw a few pictures of diagonal knit blankets, remembered the pattern, and decided to give it a try. I haven't finished it yet, but I will give you my notes so far, as well as a little video (my first knitting video!) on how to do a yarn over in the knit stitch.

Though this project would be great in a cozy merino wool, I am using Wool-Ease Worsted, because it's affordable in bulk, and machine washable. I found a pretty, neutral grey, which is great for any age or gender. I was able to get six skeins in the same dye-lot, and it seems this thing will probably come out to be about 32"-36". We will see.


Pattern Notes

I don't really like the way this pattern starts out. It's a bit skimpy, going almost immediately into the yarn over (yo) "eyelet," which just looks weird and won't match the other corners very well. So I changed it, twice.

Version 1 (the blanket I'm working, now) and Version 2

The pattern says to cast on five stitches, and then go into the yarn overs in row 2.