Do you want to shower all of your family and friends with handmade gifts, this year, but there are just so many of them, and time is flying? No worries, we have got you covered. Here is an awesome, yet super-easy knitted and crocheted pattern that you can customize and embellish differently for everyone. Our pattern for the elf slippers ‘The moose are loose” is beginner-friendly, and you can bang these lovely slipperettes out in a day.
The Moose are loose Elf Slippers
This is probably the easiest sock pattern that you will ever come across. There are no complicated heel decreases, no wraps and turns. Instead, these warm house slippers are knitted with an easy to follow two-colour Fair Isle pattern in the round from the toe up, using only the knit stitch. In the middle of your item, you then divide the work in half and continue to knit in rows back and forth in garter stitch until the end of the heel. As a result you get a slipper with a seam at the top part of your toes as well as the back of your heels.
After sewing the mule together, we have crocheted a cute edge of one row, but you can, of course, crochet or knit a longer edge on top, one and thus give your slippers a larger body. The crochet stitch used is called the “block chain”. All you need to know is to make slip and chain stitches, as well as the double crochet stitch.
So, what type of knitting needle would be the best for this pattern?
We have knitted our moose slippers on a set of Symfonie double-pointed needles, size 3.5 mm (UK size 10), since the pattern calls for knitting them in the round in the beginning. If you have never used DPNs before, check our tutorial here. But you can also easily knit these slippers in the Magic-Loop technique on any pair of longer circular knitting needles, or on a pair of our awesome short-circumference, interchangeable knitting needles that you equip with a very short cord.
What kind of yarn shall I use, and how much?
Well, since the slipperettes are meant to be worn in the house the yarn should be machine-washable and durable. We have chosen a sock yarn composed of 75% wool and 25% acrylic fibre with a running length of 100 m per 50g. The indication on the skein said to use needles, size 4 mm. However, after test-knitting a pair of the mules, we found that knitting them on slightly smaller needles will give them a thicker, less stretchier texture and make them more stable (and also warmer). For a size 38 we have used a little less than 100 g (2 skeins) of red variegated yarn and just about 20 g of green yarn.
Tension gauge: 24 st. and 26 rounds in Fair Isle pattern = 10 x 10 cm (4x4”)
Start the pattern here:
Suitable for shoe sizes 38 - 41: Cast on 30 stitches and close to a round, placing a stitch marker at the beginning of a round and after 15 stitches.
In the 2nd round, increase one stitch each before and after your markers, i.e. 4 stitches per round. Repeat in the 4th and 6th round. You should have 42 stitches on your needles now.
For shoe size 38, now start with the Fair Isle pattern as shown in the diagram below. For larger shoe sizes, knit 3 - 5 more rounds in your main colour. Place a stitch marker 11 stitches after the beginning of your rounds. This will mark the division of your work later.
After finishing the colour pattern, knit 2 rounds in knit stitch. Then divide the pattern at your third stitch marker and start knitting in garter stitch in rows. After knitting 13 cm, bind off, leaving a 5” yarn tail.
Finish:
Sew the toe and the heel part together. Use the tail end and sew the heel seam. For the toe part, make sure the stitches on top of the foot are sewn together with the same stitches beneath so the toes are lying flat.
Crochet rim:
With a crochet hook, size 3.5 mm, make a slip stitch at the upper heel of the slipper and 4 chain stitches, * yarn over and crochet a DC (double crochet) into the 3rd stitch. Connect with a slip stitch into the 3rd stitch, chain 3. Repeat from * until the round is finished. We have used a crochet hook from our Waves line. These are ergonomic hooks that make for easy, beginner-friendly crocheting.
Knit the second slipper like the first one.
We hope you have enjoyed recreating this pattern on your KnitPro knitting needles. Happy Holidays!
