Thursday, November 5, 2015

MKM Oct 15 Article on How I Make Felted Slippers

... has now been published in Machine Knitting Monthly, Oct 2015

Which is very thrilling for me and I'd like to thank my friend Bev for suggesting it and Anne Smith of MKM for publishing.

I hope anyone getting the mag likes the article. Here are my daughter Anthea and her friend April drinking hot chocolate and wearing their slippers.



Working on adding photos and explaining my working notes...

First edit 7 Jan 17.

Anthea’s Bloom Purple + some of April’s pinks 
April’s Murano 47 Pinks and Vine 
Kris’ Vine, Hydrangea and Shoal - that she sent.
Anth and Kris about the same size (Oz size 9 = Ladies Large), (Ash - 4 rows less in foot, Oz size 7 = Med) all widths the same. 
SK155 T6 
SK155 T8 - fair isle upper.
Punched the cards - 12st repeats. - from the Chunky pattern book - Kris’ is from book 4 with the lady in blue with the lace tie.
make the inner sole: Ev 4th row EON alternating slip stitch: 
C026 WY, 1 row MY working short row from the middle 8/12/8. 
K (56) 60 rows 
short rows to 12, take it off ready to graft onto outer sole.
CO 61 (1 for join) T8 - cuff 1:1 EON slip st 4th row once 
knit 2 rows, pick up loops from slip st EON 
T9 - join together 1 row. 
Divide up 13,4,26,4,14 (= +1 for join) 
take off 26 - for front 4 + 4 onto bobby pins put 13-1=13 24 
join inner sole and work short rows out. - joining loops from slip stitches ev 4th row EON. 
change to heel colour short row down to 7/12/7 or 6/14/6 depending on how pointy the toes are. 
Change to under sole colour 
knit (56) 60 rows, picking up both the stitches on bobby pins and the inner sole. (for the first 10 rows). 
short rows to 14 (Anth 12), attach the end of the inner sole, continue graduations back out to 26sts, 
T8 start fair isle, contrast in Feeder B 
join to both sole pieces SAYG to end. 
but leave the opposite end needle in hold and knit both threads manually. 
Graft (kitchener) to cuff. 
secure and weave in ends.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Chunky/Bulky SK155 Felted Slippers

I'm making three felted slippers on my lastestly bought machine my MissTake SK155. I should start off by saying there's a lot easier ways of making felted slippers. doubling the yarn for the sole and fairisle on the upper is nice and KrisKrafter has a very popular pattern for her way of doing them, and they are much easier than the slip stitch sandwich sole that my family like best.

So, these are how I make mine, each to their own as they say, but when I want to make another pair, my notes are all ready for me to read up and knit.

I'm editing the pattern, it will be back soon.

Friday, May 8, 2015

MissTake aka SK155

What happens when ebay says.. ooohh you liked this KX350? you've looked at it twice, how about looking at this? It was an SK155 bulky machine - with $80 freight to Oz - from California - so I put in the minimum bid. thinking - no way am I going to get this, but, but $80 all the way from California?? really?  I couldn't get it sent to the other side of Sydney for 80 bucks. So I put in the bid.

Well the next week I was unpacking the jolly thing in my loungeroom. How did this happen? I do not know. LOTS of people said, Why didn't I tell them I got one so cheaply on ebay?? And I said - where was your bid???? less than $500 oz dollars landed on my loungeroom floor packed in Hanna Montana Christmas paper? Honestly I kid you not, several rolls of it and.. where were all the other bids? huh?

So I have MissTake a beautiful SK155 9mm chunky/bulky metal knitting machine only needed a new sponge no rust, no yuk on the needles, just as Mary Poppins as can be - practically perfect in every way.

I thought she would like her photo in here somewhere so here she is:

 and we made a sleeve in Bendigo 10ply Shetland
then the rest of it, which turned out like this: