Have you ever thought, “You know what these feet need? More octopus.” If you have, or if you’re just thinking that now, then these are the slippers for you. Worked in stranded colourwork using fingering weight yarn, the Octopus Slippers pattern has instructions for 6 sizes, with a slightly different chart for each size. The pattern includes illustrated tutorials for working the crochet provisional cast on and the German short rows used in the sample, and for grafting the I-cord bind off closed, as well as instructions for working the I-cord bind off, and links to tutorials for catching long floats in colourwork and for grafting the toe and heel closed. To make Octopus Slippers, you will need to know how to do 2-colour stranded colourwork in the round from charts.

Please note: These are not slippers for octopuses; these are slippers for human feet with not enough octopus on them.

Sizes
XS (S, M, L) (XL, XXL)

Circumference: 7 (7.5, 8, 8.5) (9, 9.25) in/ 18 (19, 20.5, 21.5) (22.5, 24) cm
Length: 7.5 (8.25, 8.75, 9.25) (9.75, 10) in/ 19 (21, 22, 23.5) (24.5, 25.5) cm

Sample is size M, shown on US size 6.5-7/EU size 37-38 feet. See Pattern Notes for tips on choosing a size.

Yarn
Small Bird Workshop Barn Swallow Sock (70% wool, 30% mohair; 405 yds/370 m per 4 oz/113 g): MC: 1 skein, CC: 1 skein

Needles

• US 1.5/2.5 mm needles for working small circumference in the round, or size needed for correct gauge
• US 1/2.25 mm needles for working small circumference in the round or one size smaller than gauge needle

Note: At this needle size, the US/metric conversion is inconsistent. I recommend using the metric size as a starting point for swatching.

Gauge
35 sts & 35 rows = 4 in/10cm in stranded colourwork worked in the round and blocked

Recommended gauge for this yarn: 28 sts = 4 in/10 cm in stockinette, worked flat and blocked.

For a good fit, take time to check your gauge.

About the yarn
Small Bird Workshop Barn Swallow sock is a 3-ply, semi-worsted, fingering weight yarn spun from 70% wool and 30% mohair, made in Canada from sheep to skein. The Cheviot, Rideau Arcott, and Dorset crossbreed wool is durable and resistant to felting, while the mohair adds lustre and strength. Barn Swallow has good memory—it stretches and bounces back nicely—and softens beautifully in the wash. The mohair blooms slightly, which helps the colourwork stitches stick to each other and smooths the edges of stranded stitch patterns. The yarn takes dye very well, and Catherine Knutsson has come up with some gorgeous shades for this yarn.

If you’re substituting yarn, look for a durable, fingering weight yarn with good memory that you find comfortable next to your skin (unless you’ll be wearing socks with your slippers) and that resists felting. You will need approximately 90 (105, 1120, 130) (145, 160) yds/85 (95, 110, 120) (135, 145) m of MC and 85 (100, 110, 125) (135, 150) yds/80 (90, 100, 115) (125, 135) m of CC.