Chugging Along . . . .

Finished socks

So the socks are finished.  Yay for me!  Still pondering which version I prefer (the highly modified or the less modified) . . . . 

Left versus right:  who wins?

Seriously, which toes do you prefer?  The left (not modified much) or the right (highly modified)?  Both have their merits. I suppose with wear and time, I will find one more comfy than the other.

Finished "lady" slippers

Meanwhile I started these "man slippers" that turned out to be just the right "lady slippers".  Hee hee! I've made these slippers before for my husband--just less than a year ago in fact (wrote about it here in this post and here ).  Just as before I combined three yarns: Phentex Slipper & Craft yarn (for strength), Bernat Roving (for softness) and Briggs & Little Heritage (for durability).

Sloppy assembly but very squishy

Admittedly my seaming and overall assembly is a little sloppy, but these slippers are the most comfortable.  Ever!  I swear!  They feel so awesome 'cuz they're so squishy.  Love 'em!

Modifications: Using 9 mm straights, I cast on 20 stitches as written; however, I changed the pattern.
Row 1: Knit all stitches
Row 2: Purl 5, Knit 10, Purl 5 
This change creates a garter stitch sole which creates the "squish factor".  

What's on your needles?
 

FYI

Old Slippers-one pair inside another

These were my husband's old slippers.  Not bad looking--until you turn them over.

Lotta holes!

Yup, those slippers were in a bad way.

Cushiony man slippers

Now look at these new ones, all clean and pouffy--very comfortable and warm.  And no holes.

Clean. soft and new

Nice, huh?  'Nuff said. ;)

And Then There Was . . .

A slipper!  Not an ordinary slipper, but one made with love and care.  For someone special. ;)

First slipper--all finished!

My hubby tried on the first one and it fit--quite well, I might add.  So I proceeded with the second one and actually finished all the knitting.  I just need to seam it and weave in the ends.

Almost two slippers--almost . . . 

Sadly I have been unable to muster up the energy or the time to finish the last bits.  I'm swamped with school work--right up to the end.  I'm looking at April 22 with great joy--it's my official "end date".  Then I'll be free to  knit to my heart's content. Three more weeks . . . 

Keeping Busy . . .

When Mother Nature dances with Ol' Man Winter, you gotta keep busy, right?  So I've been a good little crafter: my mitts are done!  Aren't they cozy?

Finished Faux-Thrum Mittens

I started another project too: Simple Man Slippers for my man.  He's got big feet and his old ones are rather holey.  I had been meaning to make the fella new ones, but I kept putting it off while I played with other distractions.

With snow days and bad weather, I finally cast-on.  Here's my latest WIP:

In progress slipper with 3 yarns worked together

It's a fairly straight forward pattern from Melissa Mall (link to pattern on her blog).  The original called for 2 strands of bulky Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick.  I thought the Bernat Roving might work, but I didn't have enough of it.  So I used Phentex Craft & Slipper Yarn along with Briggs & Little Heritage as my third yarn.  The latter two should be strong and durable enough to keep the Bernat Roving from falling apart (it does tend to pill a bit).

And I tweaked the pattern a little too.  Instead of a plain stockinette middle, I decided to use garter.  I figured it would be more squishy.  And who doesn't enjoy a nice squishy and cozy slipper?

Stay warm.

Back to Knitting?

Pile o' Grannies

I have a lovely pile  o' squares waiting to be attached . . .  Alas, they must wait.  The problem is not enough time:  I need to put aside time to pin the grannies into place and then uninterrupted time to seam.  

Grannies

And even though I've got short snippets of time to make more grannies, my motivation is slowly slipping away . . . Seriously, I need a new project--something small and preferably something knit.  I'll admit it.  I miss knitting.

Briggs & Little, Bernat Super Saver and Bernat Roving

So I rummaged through my stash and found some plain, neutral yarns (don't the colours feel like a winter's day?).  For the longest time I have been itching to replace my Faux-Thrum Mittens from Dec 2010/Jan 2011--which honestly seems like eons ago!  One of the mittens was the first prototype, so it never quite looked right with it's wonky thumb.  The second mitt looks and fits better, but I wish I had made the thumb longer.  Besides, they have gone through the dryer so many times and look a little worn (the Bernat Roving has pilled a little).  On top of anything else, I was never terribly pleased with my colour selections.

Screen Capture of Other Mittens from Ravelry

By the way, when I was checking out my notes, I was quite surprised that other knitters had made my mittens too!  Wow!  That's really gratifying. :)

Wanna make some mittens too?  Check out the free mitten pattern here (or you could click the link called "Free Mitten Pattern" at the top of the website).  Hope you'll join me.   ;)