New USM Videos - Big, Fat, Warm Slipper Pattern

This is a single-layer, worsted weight footie slipper to make on a bulky machine or a USM.  I did a sew-as-you-go seam, so when it comes off the machine, it's finished except for the ribbing seams.

Once I cooked it up, I knitted it four times.  I wouldn't mind sitting down and knitting another pair, but I really am going to move on.  Come on, Diana, move on...they're like eating the leftover Christmas chocolate, habit-forming.

Maybe I need to do a loose wool pair for felting...

This project was inspired by our having several very cold  nights in a row when I had to wear socks to bed, or else wait a l o n g time for my feet to be warm.

CAUTION:  Always add a non-slip substance to the bottoms of yarn slippers!  I would love it if somebody knitted 20 of them for a nursing home, but please, we don't want to give someone the "gift" of an terrible fall onto a hard floor.  Puff paint works, silicone seal works, and a commenter said that Joann's has a coating for sale that works just great.  Whatever you buy, you just squiggle it on the bottoms, and one container will do a whole bunch of slippers.

Here are some photos.  In the spirit of the USM project, which is aimed at MK newbies, I used readily-available craft store yarns.  The brown variegated ones were made with Lion Brand Tweed.  It is marked as "bulky" but gives the gauge just fine, has a soft hand, very slow color changes, and has a nice, professional look.

The aqua-multi ones are Red Heart worsted yarn, a yarn I hardly ever use unless I want the product to be rather tough.  I think this would be good if you're going to walk around in the slippers, not just wear them for a little warmth.

The rose-multi is Impeccable yarn.  It's a nice choice for these, softer than the rather Red Heart and springier than the Caron Simply Soft on the right.

The lavender Caron Simply soft was actually left-over from the baby blanket video.  Since these slippers require less than three ounces of yarn, I thought I'd see if I could make it and not run out - and I had some left.  The Simply Soft has a super-silky feel, a "hand" that puts me in mind of some silk yarn I used to carry in my yarn shop.  They're shiny, too.  It's not elastic at all.  The slippers come out bigger with it, and although they're very pretty and soft, they're just a bit  limp for my taste.  I should have gone down a whole keyplate size.

There's something tricky about these videos, the short-row method.  Why not practice that technique with scrap yarn before you get all locked-and-loaded to get a slipper done?  I had to do a funny little workaround to deal with my USM's tendency to miss the hook after a needle pulled into hold.  Ironicaly, the second needle that I hand-knit in the video tends to be high after I do it, so I often have  to poke it  down.  Sometimes the carriage plunks into it.  You don't want to tear up that plastic carriage or bend needles by smacking into a high hook, so  knit slowly and if you tap into a needle, reach into the center area of the carriage nose and poke the needle down out of the way.

There are two videos: