Knit Slipper Socks: Crafting Cozy Footwear At Home

If you're looking for a fun project to keep your feet warm, why not try making your own knit slipper socks? It's the perfect activity for winter and autumn, and with a variety of patterns available online, you can find one that suits your skill level. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced knitter, there are options for everyone. You can even add your own unique designs by playing around with different stitch patterns, yarn colours, and embellishments. So, grab your knitting needles, some cosy yarn, and get ready to create a pair of slipper socks that are both comfortable and stylish!

Choosing the right needles and yarn

When it comes to choosing the right needles and yarn for your slipper socks, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, you'll want to decide whether you prefer to use a loom or straight needles for your project. Loom knitting is a fun, easy way to create slipper socks, and it doesn't require you to work with multiple needles. With a loom, you'll need a knitting loom with a specific number of pegs, usually ranging from 24 to 36, depending on your sock size. The loom should also have a gauge that matches your chosen yarn weight. For example, if you're using bulky yarn, you'll need a loom with a 5/8" gauge.

On the other hand, if you're comfortable with needles, you can opt for straight needles in the appropriate size. Needle sizes range from 3.5 mm to 9 inches in length, and the right size for you will depend on the weight of your yarn and your desired stitch gauge. For a bulkier yarn, a larger needle size is typically used, while a smaller needle size is used for lighter-weight yarn.

Now, let's talk about yarn! The type of yarn you choose will depend on your personal preference and the desired look and feel of your slipper socks. Bulky or chunky yarn is a popular choice for slipper socks as it creates a thick and warm fabric. You'll want to select a yarn weight that matches the needle size you've chosen. Additionally, consider the fibre content of the yarn. Wool, for example, is a great option for slipper socks as it's warm and breathable. However, if you're looking for a vegan alternative, you may opt for acrylic or cotton yarn.

Once you've decided on the type of yarn, it's essential to choose a colour or colour combination that appeals to you. Solid colours, tweed, and multicoloured yarns are all excellent choices for slipper socks and can be found in a variety of materials. You'll also need to ensure you purchase enough yarn for your project. Most slipper sock patterns will specify the amount of yarn required, usually in terms of skeins or balls of yarn.

Casting on stitches

Casting on is the first step in knitting. It involves creating loops on the needle, which will become the first row of stitches. There are several cast-on techniques, including the Single Cast On, Longtail Cast On, Knitted Cast On, and Cable Cast On. For knitting slipper socks, the long-tail cast-on method is recommended. Here is a step-by-step guide to casting on stitches using the long-tail cast-on technique:

Step 1: Prepare the Yarn

Before you begin casting on, ensure you have left a tail at the end of your yarn. The length of the tail depends on the number of stitches you plan to cast on. For instance, if you want to cast on 10 stitches, leave about a foot of yarn as the tail. Drape the tail over your non-dominant hand's thumb and pointer finger.

Step 2: Create a Loop

Hold the yarn in your dominant hand and bring your hands together to make a loop. This loop will be secured by the tail draped over your non-dominant hand.

Step 3: Secure the Loop

Using your non-dominant hand, pinch the yarn tail and the unattached yarn strand together. Pull the unattached strand through the loop to create a slip knot. Place this slip knot onto your needle and pull the yarn tails to tighten it.

Step 4: Form the Cast-On Stitches

Hold the yarn tail with your non-dominant hand, giving a "thumbs up" gesture. Swing your thumb behind the yarn, hooking the yarn onto your thumb. Touch the needle to the front of your thumb and slide it into the loop on your thumb. Now, hold the needle and grab the yarn attached to the ball with your dominant hand. Wrap the yarn around the needle from back to front and pull it down to meet the loop on your thumb. Pull the loop on your thumb over the needle and place the new loop onto the needle. Pull the yarn tail to tighten the stitch.

Step 5: Repeat

Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have the desired number of stitches cast on. Continue following the pattern instructions for your slipper socks, knitting the required number of rows and shaping the heel, foot, and toe of the sock.

Toe increases

Toe decreases are an important part of sock knitting, and there are many ways to work a sock toe. The number of stitches you cast on, the number of decreases per round, the position of decreases, the direction of decreases, the frequency of decreases, and the number of stitches that remain after decreases are worked—all of these factors will determine the shape and length of your sock toe.

• The most common toe-shaping methods decrease four stitches per round. Working with six or eight decreases at a time will create a rounder toe.
• The wedge toe places four decreases at the sides of the foot, two stitches apart. The star toe places four decreases distributed evenly around the sock.
• Using the same type of decrease—either the right-leaning k2tog or the left-leaning ssk—in every decrease round, as in the star toe, will result in an elegant spiral pattern. Using a left-leaning decrease on the right side and a right-leaning decrease on the left side, as in the wedge toe and barn toe, will create curves toward the centre of the toe.
• The length and angle of the toe are determined by how frequently you decrease stitches. Working a decrease round every round creates a 45° angle, which is too steep for the average foot. Decreasing less frequently—for example, every second or third round—creates a longer toe at a less steep angle. Changing the rate of decrease—slower at first, then faster at the end—creates a more natural curved shape.
• For a wider, flatter sock toe, stop decreasing earlier. For a longer, pointier toe, work more decrease rounds. A toe ending with only eight to twelve stitches is best closed by running the yarn through the final stitches and pulling it tight. A toe that finishes with more than twelve stitches is best grafted.
• If you're decreasing every other round down to a small number of stitches, you'll get a very pointy toe. A more gradual decrease pattern, as in the star toe or barn toe, creates a much better shape.
• If you work the sock toe decreases every round down to a larger number of stitches, you'll get a very short and flat toe, which is ideal for a wide foot with short toes.
• The easiest method is to try your work in progress on. When your knitting reaches about the middle of your pinky toe, that’s where you need to begin decreasing.
• If you're knitting for someone else, you can calculate the length of the foot by referring to a shoe size chart. For a standard wedge toe, you can decrease every second round until half of your stitches remain, then decrease every round until you've halved the stitches again, and finish with a Kitchener stitch.

Weaving in the tails

Weaving in ends serves two purposes. Firstly, you want to keep your stitches from unravelling. Secondly, you want your knitting to be as seamless and smooth as possible.

Different materials behave differently. Some yarns have a lot of friction (e.g. worsted wool, mohair yarns, camel hair, etc) and others are super slick (e.g. cotton or some alpaca yarns). Some yarns are feltable, others aren’t.

Depending on these characteristics, and the individual properties of your knitting pattern (it’s seamed, there are stripes/colourwork, lace, etc) there is arguably a best way to weave in tails and some methods that are maybe not all that ideal in these cases.

To weave in ends, you will need a tapestry needle. For most methods, a sharp tapestry needle is recommended, while for a very few techniques, a blunt tapestry needle is better.

Let's start with the most common knitting pattern: Stockinette stitch and other non-reversible fabrics. There are four very easy rules you need to observe when weaving in the tails for these kinds of knitting stitch patterns:

• Always weave in the ends on the wrong side
• Use a sharp tapestry needle
• Always go diagonally
• Never pull too tightly on your tail

Thread your tail on your tapestry needle and then weave it in diagonally by going right through the purl bumps. Don't go around them, spear right through them! Go through at least 5-6 stitches in that manner.

Pull the tail through and go for another 5-6 stitches in a different direction. You can go back in the same direction you came from or you turn at a right angle.

Pull the end through but don't pull it all the way through. You need a bit of slack right there where you changed directions.

Stretch out your fabric and let your end settle in. You don't want to constrict your fabric in any way - especially the stitches around the bend.

Once you are satisfied and you ensured that the fabric isn't puckered in any way, you can cut the tail. You might want to leave a little stub.

If you did everything right, it should be barely visible on the wrong side and there should be no trace of your ends on the right side. Over time, your tail will felt in place (after you wash your project once or twice) and the bond will become even securer.

The end of the tail might come loose a bit but that's nothing to worry about (at least if it's only one or two stitches). I would keep it there and not cut it.

If you are knitting ribbing (maybe a 2x2 rib stitch), you can’t use the first method. First of all, there are not enough purl bumps in a diagonal direction. And on top of that, those are typically very stretchy kinds of patterns where you don’t want to weave in ends in the same direction you end up stretching your finished project (makes it very easy for the tail to come loose).

Instead, you have to sew in the tails like this:

Step 1: Thread the tail on a tapestry needle and follow one rib horizontally. Go right through the left (or right) leg of the knit stitches. If your project is not reversible (like the typical cuff of a sock), then consider doing this on the wrong side.

Step 2: Pull the tail through and weave in the rest of the tail in the opposite direction following the same rib. But this time, go right through the other legs of the same knit stitches.

Step 3: Pull the tail all the way through. But again, don’t pull too tightly. Instead, massage the tail into place and stretch out your ribbing quite a bit to let the end settle in. Only then, cut off any excess.

If done the right way, this method is barely visible from either side and very secure. It works for any kind of ribbing and all other reversible knitting stitches with a stacked column (wale) of knit stitches.

If you ask me, they are all not exactly ideal. Duplicate stitch is very visible and going diagonally through the purl bumps (like you would in stockinette stitch) is not a good idea either as these purl stitches are much farther apart. So it’s both more visible, less secure, and not reversible on top of that. Instead, weave in the ends in garter stitch like this:

Step 1: Thread your tail on your tapestry needle, push apart one of the ribs, and go right through the legs of the knit stitches for about 6-8 stitches.

Step 2 (optional): Depending on the materials you are working with, you can go one more time in the other direction.

This method pushes the ribs a bit apart, so it will be slightly visible. However, I still found it to be the least conspicuous and most secure method for garter stitch.

If you don’t like the way it looks, you can of course also go through the edges. That, however, often risks a little tail sticking out of your knitting after the first washing and will make the edge much thicker on top of that – especially as the edges are typically the part of your knitting that sees the most wear & tear.

Adding a gusset

Now that you've completed the heel turn, you need to set up your needles again so that you can work in the round and shape the gusset.

Picking Up Stitches

To begin, ensure that you are on the right side of the work. If the last row of your heel was purl, knit across the remaining heel stitches. You should now be at the edge of the heel, looking down the side of the heel flap. To get back to the leg stitches, you need to pick up stitches along the edge of the heel flap.

You can either pick up all the stitches and then knit across them, or you can "pick up and knit", where you pick up one stitch, work it, and then pick up the next stitch. Whichever method you choose, it will be easy because you slipped the first stitch of every row when working on your heel flap. Just put your needle into that long stitch and knit it. You can pick up one or both sides of the stitch, but be sure to be consistent down the row.

Continue Picking Up Stitches

Whether you pick up stitches and then knit them or pick up and knit them one at a time, you need to work consistently all the way back to the leg stitches that have been waiting on their needles. Some people like to pick up an extra stitch at the top of the heel to prevent a hole where the leg joins the foot. You can do this or not, depending on your preference.

Now, work all the stitches onto the same needle that the heel stitches were on. Knit the leg stitches, or work them in the pattern you were using before. If they weren't all on one needle, make sure they are now. You'll need that extra needle in a minute.

Finishing Picking Up Stitches

With an empty knitting needle, pick up the stitches along the side of the heel flap on this side of the work. Try to pick up the same number of stitches on each side—if you picked up an extra stitch on the first side, do so on the second.

When you get back to the needle with the heel stitches, knit half of the stitches that were left when you finished your heel turn onto this needle. Unless the pattern states otherwise, the end of the round is typically thought to be at the centre back of the leg, so working these stitches again and putting them on the needle with the heel flap stitches will help you remember where the end of the round is.

Start Working in the Round Again

Once you have the stitches set up in this way, you're ready to start working in the round again and decreasing the gusset stitches down the foot.

Frequently asked questions