I finally finished my Mukluk slippers. It ended up turning into such a labor of love for me. But I still think that it didn't take me horrendously long considering I started them this weekend. And, as promised, I took highly detailed notes in order to supply a pattern.
REMINDER: This pattern is sized for women's size 10 feet. An easy way to alter the pattern to fit is to consistently try it on as you are crocheting the front of the slipper.
Items Needed:
+2 skeins of Simply Soft yarn (I used black and pale blue, for high contrast since the pair I envy is off white and black)
+Size K or L crochet hook
+Pom-pom maker
+Slipper bottoms
+Scissors
+Needle and thread OR heavy duty fabric glue
Holding two strands of yarn together, chain 2
Make 6 hdc in 1st ch.
join, chain 2 and make 2 hdc in each chain around (12 sts)
Chain 2, 1 hdc in each stitch around
Chain 2, 2 hdc in each stitch around (24 sts)
Chain 2, 1 hdc in each stitch around for 12 rounds (or until front of slipper is long enough for you. You will want to start the heel when the working round reaches the top of your foot where your ankle joins it)
Make 1 hdc in the next 19 sts (you want about 4 or 5 stitches unworked), chain 2, turn
Skip the first stitch, hdc in next and each st and continue working only these 19 stitches in this manner (missing first stitch on each row) for 8 rows. Or until it fits snugly behind your heel
With right sides together, use a slip stitch to seam the back of the heel shut (to avoid attaching new yarn, I slip stitched down one side of the seam and then back up the other side.)
Make 25 hdc sts around opening, join, chain 2.
Work 6 rounds and on next round, 2hdc in first stitch, 1 hdc in each of next 23 stitches. 2 hdc in last stitch of round. (27 sts)
Next round: 1 hdc in each stitch
next round: 2 hdc in first stitch, 1 hdc in each of next 25 stitches, 2 hdc in last stitch. (29 sts)
Switch directions *optional* and Continue working for 7 more rounds.
On following round, 2hdc in first stitch, 1 hdc in each of next 13 sts, 2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 13 and 2hdc in last stitch. (32sts)
switch directions again and work 4 more rounds
On next round, *1hdc in 2 sts, chain 2 and skip next stitch* repeat to end
On next round, work 1hdc in each stitch and 1hdc in the chain space.
Work one more row, hdc in each stitch
Fasten off and make 2nd slipper.
Weave in all loose ends of yarn.
After both slippers have been made, make an iCord for each slipper using the method found here or any method you prefer. For my iCords, I used one double strand of blue and one double strand of black to make each cord. My cords were roughly 15 to 18 inches long (I didn't measure them). Make sure you leave a long tail at each end of the cords
After the cord has been made, create 4 pom-poms to attach to each end of the iCords (one pom-pom per cord end). In keeping with the blue and black combo, I made my pom-poms multicolored. I made them in three layers and two of them are blue with two black stripes and two of them are black with two blue stripes (basically: first layer blue, 2nd layer black, last layer blue for the blue ones and first layer black, 2nd layer blue and last layer black for the black ones). You can make your pom-poms however you like to match the slippers.
After everything has been made, take the slipper bottoms (Mine came from a pair of mukluk-esque slipper socks) and attach them to the bottom of the slippers. I used Aleene's Platinum Bond fabric glue because I didn't have any large enough hand sewing needles. You can also stitch the bottoms on. I do have plans to do at least a decorative blue stitch in yarn where the slipper and bottom meet, but I haven't yet.
After the slipper has been attached to the bottom, thread the iCord through the openings in the top of the boot, leaving the loose ends hanging out on one side of each slipper. This is a bit harder for me to describe than I thought. If it's confusing, the pictures will help once I get them taken.
Attach the pom-poms to the ends of the iCord, and then tie the cord into a bow.
And that's basically all there is to it.
Again, Pictures coming soon!
Showing posts with label Crochet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crochet. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Mukluk Redux
I started working on making my crochet (yep it won) mukluk slippers this weekend. I was uncertain for quite some time about just what pattern I wanted to use, what stitch I'd want to use and what craft as well. I was waffling between knitting a simple fair isle pattern or crocheting in two colors. But it all got decided when I found a pattern on Crafster for Crochet Mary Jane Slippers and liked the simplicity of the pattern, the shape of the foot on the pattern and the fact that it would work up very quickly. It uses two strands of worsted weight yarn (I decided to hold a black and a pale blue strand together which is kind of like cheating to get two colors, but I like it very much) and the pattern calls for a size L hook.
Unfortunately, even with all 82 crochet hooks, I don't seem to have a size L. I checked my Ravelry hook chart, and even though it told me that I did NOT have one, I still dug through all my hooks anyways. So I settled for using a size K hook.
I also altered the pattern a LOT from the original pattern while creating my slipper. Part of the alteration was due to me not paying attention (that happens more than you could imagine) and the other part was due to not wanting a pair of mary jane style slippers but wanting mukluk slippers.
I'm working the first slipper and thusly still working out the pattern for the leg of the slipper, but once I have that all worked out I will be putting up a pattern. The pattern WILL be for a foot size 10 in womens, but it is incredibly easy to alter the pattern to suit if you try the slipper on while making it (which is what I did). I'll give resizing the pattern a go, but will need people to test the pattern, I'm guessing. I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out even if I've never resized a pattern before. But I'm looking forward to finishing them and as soon as I do, I'll throw my pattern up on here and Ravelry.
Unfortunately, even with all 82 crochet hooks, I don't seem to have a size L. I checked my Ravelry hook chart, and even though it told me that I did NOT have one, I still dug through all my hooks anyways. So I settled for using a size K hook.
I also altered the pattern a LOT from the original pattern while creating my slipper. Part of the alteration was due to me not paying attention (that happens more than you could imagine) and the other part was due to not wanting a pair of mary jane style slippers but wanting mukluk slippers.
I'm working the first slipper and thusly still working out the pattern for the leg of the slipper, but once I have that all worked out I will be putting up a pattern. The pattern WILL be for a foot size 10 in womens, but it is incredibly easy to alter the pattern to suit if you try the slipper on while making it (which is what I did). I'll give resizing the pattern a go, but will need people to test the pattern, I'm guessing. I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out even if I've never resized a pattern before. But I'm looking forward to finishing them and as soon as I do, I'll throw my pattern up on here and Ravelry.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
My Love Knows No Bound
Can I just say that I fucking LOVE crochet?? Don't get me wrong, knitting is and always will be my main love in the world of crafts followed closely by sewing, but crochet is fucking amazing.
I just made a dog sweater in two days. Now, granted, I'm sure I could have knitted one in an equal amount of time, but with all the alterations I made on the fly while I created this sweater I would have had a lot of frogging to do had I knitted it. That's one of the things that I love about crochet over knitting. Like, with this dog sweater, I followed the pattern for the leg holes and they were just too huge for my FLB. With knitting, I probably could have knitted a couple of little swatches and sewn them in place. Or picked up stitches on one end of the leg hole and then sewn it down once it was all knitted up. But with crochet, I just chained some stitches and crocheted three rows of DC stitches, securing each row with a slip stitch and that was it. Done.
I also love that I have the ability to crochet pieces onto things. Using the dog sweater again as my example, the original pattern called for crocheting the leg bands and then sewing them on. Pfft. No way. I simply chained the required number of stitches and crocheted the leg bands on the sweater, slip stitching at the bottom of each row to attach it on. Ta-da. Again, with knitting that would have been merely a matter of picking up stitches with some DPNs and knitting the band. So that wasn't much simpler than my first love.
I am making some good progress on the jammer hat as well. I have about 14 more rows of the star pattern and then 14 more rows of solid black knitting before I start the decreases. Of course, I'll probably wind up having to start my decreases early since I didn't use a pattern at all for this hat aside from a general guideline for the decreasing and a chart for the star. But I'm soldiering my way on through and should hopefully have it finished by Monday night at the absolute latest.
I can't wait till I'm at the same level in crochet, where I can just take yarn and a hook and make something. I'm going to attempt that once I finish the jammer hat, I think, in fixing my mukluk sock slippers. I was going to knit them in the Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks stitch, but I may decide to do them in a star crochet stitch which, really, is the same stitch, just a different craft form. All I know is that I want to do a star stitch/HHFD stitch and alternate each 'star' black and the ice blue yarn. I think that would look so neat. Either that or I want to do some ridiculously easy fair isle pattern. One of my many knitting books has some in it that don't look terribly hard. It has solid striped rows and a couple rows broken up with different colored stitches. So we'll see.
I just made a dog sweater in two days. Now, granted, I'm sure I could have knitted one in an equal amount of time, but with all the alterations I made on the fly while I created this sweater I would have had a lot of frogging to do had I knitted it. That's one of the things that I love about crochet over knitting. Like, with this dog sweater, I followed the pattern for the leg holes and they were just too huge for my FLB. With knitting, I probably could have knitted a couple of little swatches and sewn them in place. Or picked up stitches on one end of the leg hole and then sewn it down once it was all knitted up. But with crochet, I just chained some stitches and crocheted three rows of DC stitches, securing each row with a slip stitch and that was it. Done.
I also love that I have the ability to crochet pieces onto things. Using the dog sweater again as my example, the original pattern called for crocheting the leg bands and then sewing them on. Pfft. No way. I simply chained the required number of stitches and crocheted the leg bands on the sweater, slip stitching at the bottom of each row to attach it on. Ta-da. Again, with knitting that would have been merely a matter of picking up stitches with some DPNs and knitting the band. So that wasn't much simpler than my first love.
I am making some good progress on the jammer hat as well. I have about 14 more rows of the star pattern and then 14 more rows of solid black knitting before I start the decreases. Of course, I'll probably wind up having to start my decreases early since I didn't use a pattern at all for this hat aside from a general guideline for the decreasing and a chart for the star. But I'm soldiering my way on through and should hopefully have it finished by Monday night at the absolute latest.
I can't wait till I'm at the same level in crochet, where I can just take yarn and a hook and make something. I'm going to attempt that once I finish the jammer hat, I think, in fixing my mukluk sock slippers. I was going to knit them in the Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks stitch, but I may decide to do them in a star crochet stitch which, really, is the same stitch, just a different craft form. All I know is that I want to do a star stitch/HHFD stitch and alternate each 'star' black and the ice blue yarn. I think that would look so neat. Either that or I want to do some ridiculously easy fair isle pattern. One of my many knitting books has some in it that don't look terribly hard. It has solid striped rows and a couple rows broken up with different colored stitches. So we'll see.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas Time Is Here....
So I've been lax in posting on here, as per usual. Meh. It's not like I haven't been knitting or crocheting though. I have, most definitely!
I crocheted my mom a scarf for Christmas out of Bernat's Baby Boucle (I think it was Bernat) in a rainbow colorway. She asked me for a thick, long scarf that was also fluffy and warm that had purple, green and blue colors in it. This yarn definitely fit the bill, especially since it came in a huge skein and I was able to make her entire scarf from the one skein. Complete with Fringe. To give you an idea of the size of it (because I suck and have no pictures) it is about a foot wide (wider in some places because I'm still VERY green with crocheting), and over 6 feet long. I'd guess it's close to 6 and a half feet long. Without the fringe. She loves it. And I'm glad she does, especially because once I was halfway through it, she had asked me if I was able to find a yarn in the colors she wanted....gray and black. Ugh. I'll probably make her one in gray and black post holidays.
I'm also dutifully working on a stocking for myself since I have no personal stocking. I was offered the use of a spare stocking that Bone has, and that will suffice for now, but I want my OWN stocking. So I'm crocheting one out of this random skein of TLC yarn I had in a dark purple (I think I had gotten it once when it was on sale and I never used it because it just didn't work well with most of my patterns in terms of comfort and softness. I've finished the entire stocking except I'm adding a 'cuff' of Paton's Classic Wool in Ivory at the top of the stocking because, like I said before, I am not good at Crocheting yet and I tend to randomly increase stitches. SO to disguise the fact that the opening of the stocking is obviously smaller than the rest of the stocking....I'm putting a nice, big fold down cuff on top to detract from that. It also gives me plenty of space to stitch my name on :D But am I doing "Ashley" or "Busty" hrrrm. Probably Ashley since I'll use it for quite some time I'm sure.
I'm also in the process of making a jammer knit hat for Bone. When she was at the Northwest Knockdown (WFTDA Nationals), she saw a company selling knit beanies with jammer stars on either side. But they were almost $20. I offered to make her one in black and purple. It'll take a bit longer than I had hoped since she picked this sparkly yarn that I have (which I fear may be itchy once the hat is done...but I can always crochet a liner for it out of my lion brand micro spun yarn which is UBER soft) and it uses size five needles. And apparently I was drunk when I started it (or I should have been) since the first few rows are all wonky on the ribbing, but that's ok because I wanted to give the hat a fold under brim anyways so I'm still working on the ribbing. But once that's done I'll whip the hat out no problem. And to save myself stress I'm going to double stitch the stars onto the hat for her. They too will be sparkly, cause they are made of the same yarn.
Other than that, I have ideas in my head for another project or two. I want to crochet a dog jacket for Bone's Mom's dog Wicket(aka my Furry Lil Boyfriend). He's a Shih Tzu and gets cold easily so we ended up getting him a sweater and rain coat for Xmas but I want to make him another sweater/jacket because the one I got him is blatantly Xmas. And I've heard rumors that this is going to be a very cold winter as it has already proven to be.
I also solemnly swear that while I'm off from school over Christmas/Winter Break (A whole month....kinda.....) I will post more and work on more projects. Afterall, I need to keep warm this winter. brrrr.
I crocheted my mom a scarf for Christmas out of Bernat's Baby Boucle (I think it was Bernat) in a rainbow colorway. She asked me for a thick, long scarf that was also fluffy and warm that had purple, green and blue colors in it. This yarn definitely fit the bill, especially since it came in a huge skein and I was able to make her entire scarf from the one skein. Complete with Fringe. To give you an idea of the size of it (because I suck and have no pictures) it is about a foot wide (wider in some places because I'm still VERY green with crocheting), and over 6 feet long. I'd guess it's close to 6 and a half feet long. Without the fringe. She loves it. And I'm glad she does, especially because once I was halfway through it, she had asked me if I was able to find a yarn in the colors she wanted....gray and black. Ugh. I'll probably make her one in gray and black post holidays.
I'm also dutifully working on a stocking for myself since I have no personal stocking. I was offered the use of a spare stocking that Bone has, and that will suffice for now, but I want my OWN stocking. So I'm crocheting one out of this random skein of TLC yarn I had in a dark purple (I think I had gotten it once when it was on sale and I never used it because it just didn't work well with most of my patterns in terms of comfort and softness. I've finished the entire stocking except I'm adding a 'cuff' of Paton's Classic Wool in Ivory at the top of the stocking because, like I said before, I am not good at Crocheting yet and I tend to randomly increase stitches. SO to disguise the fact that the opening of the stocking is obviously smaller than the rest of the stocking....I'm putting a nice, big fold down cuff on top to detract from that. It also gives me plenty of space to stitch my name on :D But am I doing "Ashley" or "Busty" hrrrm. Probably Ashley since I'll use it for quite some time I'm sure.
I'm also in the process of making a jammer knit hat for Bone. When she was at the Northwest Knockdown (WFTDA Nationals), she saw a company selling knit beanies with jammer stars on either side. But they were almost $20. I offered to make her one in black and purple. It'll take a bit longer than I had hoped since she picked this sparkly yarn that I have (which I fear may be itchy once the hat is done...but I can always crochet a liner for it out of my lion brand micro spun yarn which is UBER soft) and it uses size five needles. And apparently I was drunk when I started it (or I should have been) since the first few rows are all wonky on the ribbing, but that's ok because I wanted to give the hat a fold under brim anyways so I'm still working on the ribbing. But once that's done I'll whip the hat out no problem. And to save myself stress I'm going to double stitch the stars onto the hat for her. They too will be sparkly, cause they are made of the same yarn.
Other than that, I have ideas in my head for another project or two. I want to crochet a dog jacket for Bone's Mom's dog Wicket(aka my Furry Lil Boyfriend). He's a Shih Tzu and gets cold easily so we ended up getting him a sweater and rain coat for Xmas but I want to make him another sweater/jacket because the one I got him is blatantly Xmas. And I've heard rumors that this is going to be a very cold winter as it has already proven to be.
I also solemnly swear that while I'm off from school over Christmas/Winter Break (A whole month....kinda.....) I will post more and work on more projects. Afterall, I need to keep warm this winter. brrrr.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Procrastination At It's Finest
While I was supposed to clean my room yesterday (since I've had a bit of a laundry explosion), I didn't actually do it. Big surprise. Instead I sat down and got working on a project for Giant Boy. My plan is to make him a couple of brimmed hats for Xmas. Much like me, he loves those style of hats but can usually complain about the hats that one finds in stores, as can I. You see, we are both giant headed freaks. And while his head may not deviate TOO much from the norm in guys sizes, my head only fits into most guy sizes for hats. I also secretly think that the world would rather we all be tiny headed freaks, but that's merely the notion that runs through my head when I'm frustrated after having tried on a million hats in a store to ensure they fit.
So, anyways, back to the complaints GB has about the brimmed hats from stores. First and foremost, one of his favorite hats shrunk in the wash. It said that it was made out of acrylic yarn and that it was washable. Clearly it was not, because acrylic won't shrink in the wash (and this, friends, is why I make sweaters out of really nice acrylic). And the hat he owns that has a nice large brim pushes into his forehead because of the stabilizing material in the brim. He finds it uncomfortable, but he likes that it keeps the sun out of his eyes more than the tinier brimmed hats.
So I got to thinking about making him hats for Xmas out of acrylic yarns. I knew that I would make him the Sam Hat, probably in black simply soft. And I found a new crochet brimmed hat pattern recently on Ravelry *please note you can only view that page if you have a membership*. I liked it immediately. It's a flat top conductor style hat with a nice big brim. I liked it for many reasons. First, it's crochet so it will work up quickly. Second, it's made out of a worsted weight acrylic so it's safe for washing machine trips. Third, you hold two strands of yarn together to make it so it's nice and sturdy which means you don't need anything extra for the brim after you have made it. The shaping on the brim coupled with the stiffness of the double stranded worsted weight yarn (woo that's a mouthful!) make it hold its shape easily.
So yesterday, when I was supposed to be cleaning my room, I was making a hat for Giant Boy. It took me all afternoon and evening to finish it. But it is done. Honestly, I wanted to try the pattern out before I make him a really nice one for Xmas in a solid color. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, I used a Caron Jumbo Print skein of yarn in mixed greens. I'd say I maybe used half of the yarn because I adjusted the pattern a little for giant headed freaks. I made the sides a little longer before starting the brim and I made the brim a little longer too. After I had "finished" the pattern directions, I also made the sides and back a little bit longer at GB's request. Which is great because now I have a great pattern with extra guidelines to follow for one of his Xmas presents.
What I've come to realize, however, over the last hour that I've been awake this morning is that I have failed to create myself one thing in the years that I've been a crafter of many types. I don't have an Xmas stocking.
Now, I do have one at my mom's house which she hangs on the mantel for me every year. It's kind of lame and it's from when I was a kid. It's Ernie from Sesame Street. Wait no, it's not lame, I <3 Ernie. Lame isn't the right word.....beat up beyond recognition is. I used to have a Scooby Doo one too, but lord knows where that one disappeared to. But that's all besides the point. My mom has an Xmas stocking for me, but I don't have one!
Now I'm on a mission. I need to make myself an Xmas stocking. I'm going to crochet one, I think, because I could make a really neat stocking that way. I'm definitely NOT going to be knitting myself the stockings I knit for my friend last year. They're cute but such a pain in the ass. I've already got a good notion of what I want in my head.
*EDIT* In case anyone is wondering, Giant Boy (GB) is my friend's 14 year old son.
I'll also have pictures of the hat later
So, anyways, back to the complaints GB has about the brimmed hats from stores. First and foremost, one of his favorite hats shrunk in the wash. It said that it was made out of acrylic yarn and that it was washable. Clearly it was not, because acrylic won't shrink in the wash (and this, friends, is why I make sweaters out of really nice acrylic). And the hat he owns that has a nice large brim pushes into his forehead because of the stabilizing material in the brim. He finds it uncomfortable, but he likes that it keeps the sun out of his eyes more than the tinier brimmed hats.
So I got to thinking about making him hats for Xmas out of acrylic yarns. I knew that I would make him the Sam Hat, probably in black simply soft. And I found a new crochet brimmed hat pattern recently on Ravelry *please note you can only view that page if you have a membership*. I liked it immediately. It's a flat top conductor style hat with a nice big brim. I liked it for many reasons. First, it's crochet so it will work up quickly. Second, it's made out of a worsted weight acrylic so it's safe for washing machine trips. Third, you hold two strands of yarn together to make it so it's nice and sturdy which means you don't need anything extra for the brim after you have made it. The shaping on the brim coupled with the stiffness of the double stranded worsted weight yarn (woo that's a mouthful!) make it hold its shape easily.
So yesterday, when I was supposed to be cleaning my room, I was making a hat for Giant Boy. It took me all afternoon and evening to finish it. But it is done. Honestly, I wanted to try the pattern out before I make him a really nice one for Xmas in a solid color. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, I used a Caron Jumbo Print skein of yarn in mixed greens. I'd say I maybe used half of the yarn because I adjusted the pattern a little for giant headed freaks. I made the sides a little longer before starting the brim and I made the brim a little longer too. After I had "finished" the pattern directions, I also made the sides and back a little bit longer at GB's request. Which is great because now I have a great pattern with extra guidelines to follow for one of his Xmas presents.
What I've come to realize, however, over the last hour that I've been awake this morning is that I have failed to create myself one thing in the years that I've been a crafter of many types. I don't have an Xmas stocking.
Now, I do have one at my mom's house which she hangs on the mantel for me every year. It's kind of lame and it's from when I was a kid. It's Ernie from Sesame Street. Wait no, it's not lame, I <3 Ernie. Lame isn't the right word.....beat up beyond recognition is. I used to have a Scooby Doo one too, but lord knows where that one disappeared to. But that's all besides the point. My mom has an Xmas stocking for me, but I don't have one!
Now I'm on a mission. I need to make myself an Xmas stocking. I'm going to crochet one, I think, because I could make a really neat stocking that way. I'm definitely NOT going to be knitting myself the stockings I knit for my friend last year. They're cute but such a pain in the ass. I've already got a good notion of what I want in my head.
*EDIT* In case anyone is wondering, Giant Boy (GB) is my friend's 14 year old son.
I'll also have pictures of the hat later
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