I’ve wanted to design a pair of adult slippers for a long time. I want thick soles that won’t easily wear out and can be worn alone or on top of socks. I want them to be fast and easy to make because if I wear them around the house a lot I know they will wear out. The slippers are knit in one piece -- no seaming!

My slippers have a thick, slipped stitch sole, which is knit first. I don’t like to do garter stitch for this because I have princess and the pea feet and it is often uncomfortable to walk on garter stitch -- unless the wool is soft, but then it doesn’t last. The construction is to knit the sole flat, then pick up around the edges of the sole using circular needles and/or DPNs, and knit the top upwards in the round.

The PDF download is the August 2010 update. I’ve knitted quite a few of these slippers this summer to improve my design. These are fitted slippers, and the number of stitches and rows you need depends on foot size and on the thickness of your yarn and needle size, so instead of describing the pattern stitch by stitch, I’ve tried to describe it in a way that will allow you to understand the construction and customize your slippers for your own desired fit. A cardboard cutout of the outline of the foot you are fitting will make this easier.

Use any yarn that is thick and strong. I use super bulky yarn and 6.5mm needles. I use different yarns for the sole and the top. For the sole, I might use a nice super bulky yarn along with a strand of very strong sock yarn with a good amount of nylon for strength. Or, I might use a strand of nice strong yarn along with a strand of Phentex Slipper and Craft Yarn, which is a very strong, almost indestructible acrylic. You are only going to use this for the sole; for the upper part of the slipper you can select a nice super bulky yarn with exciting colours.

For man-sized slippers I use about 60 - 70 yards of each sole yarn, and about 70 - 80 yards of super bulky yarn for the slipper tops.