Not Impressed

"Old" Slippers

With the yarn, that is.  Remember those lovely slippers I made?  Sure my slippers look a little worn.  That's to be expected.  

"Holey" Soles

But this is not acceptable!  They have holes in the soles!  Seriously!  The yarn I'd used had been something someone gifted me a few years ago for Christmas.  I had hoped to use the rest of it for more slippers for the family, but not if the darn thing can't stand up to normal wear and tear.

Beginnings of New Slippers

So I was forced to search through my stash for something more durable.  I decided to twin Bernat Chunky with indestructible Phentex Slipper Yarn (mainly because I had enough of each colour).  I cast on for new slippers using the same wonderful pattern (after all it wasn't the fault of the pattern if the yarn wasn't up to snuff).  Thankfully the pattern works up quickly.  The Chunky and Phentex made a wonderfully cushiony sole which will hopefully last the rest of the year. 

New Soles

I opted to work the tops using only only Bernat Chunky 'cuz working too strands would have made the slipper too big (and I honestly didn't have it in me to tweak numbers).  I suppose I could have opted to just use Phentex for the upper, but we'll see how the Chunky holds out (luckily Phentex is readily available locally).

Top of New Slipper

And nothing beats the cold dampness of winter better than warm, cozy slippers. Of course a warm fire helps too.

Finished Slippers

Now that my toes are once again toasty, I can focus on more interesting crafty endeavors.  Back to my WIPs.

Scarf No More

Remember that cabled scarf where I could find no love? Haven't frogged the thing--at least not yet.  The project was doomed from the start: the yarn and cables fought each other.  Besides, I hadn't considered that cables would shorten the length (thanks for that tip Knitinsage) which means I'd need more yarn--yarn that I don't have. 

So instead of a scarf, I'm falling back to a tried and true standard: the neckwarmer (aka the cowl).  I'm using a simple rib from the Wendy Scarf pattern (found in the Knitting a Pattern a Day Calendar 2008).  Moreover, I've nixed the Bernat Worsted; instead I'm using Bernat Chunky.  I must confess that I've got a soft spot for the Chunky: very soft and knits up very quickly.

Truth time:  I've made this before for my boys.  Hard to beat something that I know is gonna work.  Originally I used about 72 stitches on 5.5mm and knit until the piece measured about 5".  For the adult version, I'm using 78 stitches on 6.5mm and working until piece measures approximately 5-6". 

The plain version

The striped version

Hopefully the neckwarmer will match the fingerless gloves.  More importantly, I hope the recipient will get some use out of the items.  He definitely appreciates hand-crafted items. 

Later,

:)