The Knit Cafe’s first pattern for 2015 is Pantoufles.
My pal David once told me that when he was growing up in Quebec it was common for folks to have a basket of slippers by their front doors. Visitors were strongly encouraged to doff their messy (probably snowy) footwear and put on a warm and comfy pair of pantoufles. We named this slipper pattern in homage to this tradition. These slippers are fast and easy to knit up so in no time you could have a basket full.
Knit partly flat and partly in rounds on double pointed needles there is no need to seam up these slippers. The colour decoration is an easy chevron pattern; a great one to try for knitters new to fairisle techiques. Of course you could omit the colour patterning and have plain knit slippers that are just as cozy.
Pantoufles
Yarn Berroco Vintage Chunky one of each A 6106, B 6107, C 6121.
Needle 6mm DPN’s and 40cm circular.
Gauge 15sts, 20 rows = 10cm (4”) in stocking stitch, knit flat
Size S, (M, L, XL) to fit US shoe size 5-6, (7-8, 9-10, 11-12)
Leave 30cm tail when making your slipknot. The tail will be used at the end to sew toe seam.
Starting at the toe, using DPN’s, colour A and with cable CO technique CO 12sts spaced out evenly with 3 sts on each of the 4 needles,. Join into round being careful not to twist the CO edge.
Round 1: K
Round 2:
Needle 1 & 3: K till 1 st before end of needle M1, K1
Needle 2 & 4: K1, M1, K to end
Repeat round 2 till 8, (8, 8, 9) sts on each needle 32, (32, 32, 36) sts total.
K 2 rounds even.
Begin fair-isle pattern.
Attach colour B and knit chart 1, once, break colour A.
Attach colour C and knit chart two, 3, (3, 3, 4) times
Knit first 2 rounds of chart 3, break colour B, attach colour A. Knit remaining 2 rounds of chart 3. Break colour C.
Knit one even round with colour A.
Switch from knitting in rounds to knitting flat as follows.
Using colour A and circular needles, K16, turn to face WS, P32 (end of row). K back and forth in stocking stitch till entire slipper is 22, (24, 25, 27) cm/ 8.5,(9.5, 9 ¾, 10.5)” long, ending with knit row.
Divide sts equally between 2 DPN’s. BO using 3-needle BO technique.
3-needle BO
Hold both needles in left hand with RS facing each other.
Hold a third needle in your right hand, and insert it into 1st stitch on both left hand needles and knit them together. Knit second stitches on both needles in same way. You should have 2 stitches on the right hand needle. BO as you normally would by bringing the first stitch worked over the second and letting it drop off the needle. Continue in this manner till all stitches are bound off. Fasten off and weave in the end.
Sew toe opening using attached tail, weave in loose ends and make second slipper.
Abbreviations
K knit
P purl
M1 make one st (Elizabeth Zimmermann’s M1 [backward loop increase], or pick up bar between 2 sts and K TBL
CO cast on
BO bind off
WS wrong side
RS right side
TBL through back loop
DPN double pointed needle
Level
Knitters must know how to knit and purl in rounds on double pointed needles, and bind off with a 3 needle bind off, this technique is described in the pattern. Fair Isle colour knitting and following a colour chart are also necessary skills for knitting this pattern.
Craftily yours
Kristin
torontoknitcafe.wordpress.com 
Great idea – they look super comfy!