What do you give as a gift to a glamorous young lady who works as senior cabin crew for a major airline? Perfume? Ear rings? A spa treatment? Well, apparently, none of those things… what she really wants is a comfy pair of crochet slippers!
Iced slippers!
And so, last week’s task was making slippers in blue Axminster rug yarn from Texere – it’s very robust, but a little hard on the fingers! I chose to combine royal blue and forget-me-not to get a mottled effect since I needed to work with two strands, and I used my favourite pattern for these adult chunky slippers. I put a layer of latex on the bottom for extra strength and safety, and whilst I was about it I did the same for Mr Snail’s latest pair. I have found the value in this endeavour of adding some thickener to the latex, as this means the job can be achieved in one step without having to apply multiple layers. The only slight issue to remember is that it takes about three days to dry, even in a nice warm house!
Now the finished slippers have been packed up and sent off… I really hope they fit and provide a winter of cosy feet!
Toasty toes guaranteed
Oh, and Max helped!
The Snail of Happiness 
nanacathy2
/ October 20, 2014They look so comfy and cosy. Pretty colours. What a clever idea on the sole. Does it make them less slippy too?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 20, 2014Yes, it’s much safer if you have tiled or wooden floors… although Mr Snail is slightly disappointed that he can no longer slide the length of the kitchen!
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urbangardeningproject
/ October 20, 2014I thought it was icing!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 20, 2014I had to avoid making cup cakes that day in case I mixed the two up!!
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iamsimplyhooked
/ October 20, 2014These look great – thanks for the Ravelry link. What do you thicken the latex with? Indeed where do you get latex from (other than rubber trees!)??
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 20, 2014You can buy latex from places like Hobbycraft, but I ordered mine via ebay. Latex thickener is an additional chemical you can buy – you just need a small amount (5% I think) to thicken up the latex and make it much easier to use in projects like this.
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The Crunchy Crafter
/ October 20, 2014They look so cozy and warm!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 20, 2014The blue ones are the sixth pair I have made this year, so they are proving very popular!
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writinghouse
/ October 20, 2014They are as good as they look (and stick to the floor really well)!
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davidprosser
/ October 20, 2014No wonder Max looks so worn out. The slippers look fantastic.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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thecontentedcrafter
/ October 20, 2014Great to see Max in on the job! I have downloaded the pdf for the slippers as they look so very warm and might be just the very thing for cold mornings! And the latex soles – I have never heard of home crafters being able to do this before – isn’t it amazing what is available for us now! I have a wee twinkle in my eye at the thought of your beautifully coiffed and made up recipient wearing her bootees 🙂
PS Your square has been completed and will be in the post very soon 🙂
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teddyandtottie
/ October 20, 2014He, he! You had to avoid making cupcakes the same day … he, he! Love the slippers and as well as extra grip, the latex might give them greater longevity, too. What a great idea. And Max is super cute! xoxoxox
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katechiconi
/ October 20, 2014Definitely blue iced buns! Although I suspect the smell of latex would have given the game away to anyone tempted to take a bite…
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 20, 2014Yes, they ended up in the bathroom to start drying off – partly to contain the smell and partly to ensure they did not end up with dog nose prints in them!
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katythenightowl
/ October 21, 2014I love the idea of using latex for a base. I’ve been looking at various options for keeping slippers from wearing out on the bottoms, and I would imagine the latex makes a good slip-free surface, too 🙂
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gentlestitches
/ October 21, 2014What a good idea for the sole although my boy loves to polish the floor boards with his. (with him in them of course) Max is infusing them with catty calm.
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KerryCan
/ October 21, 2014The latex is a great idea–who knew?! Hand knit slippers seem so . . . right.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 21, 2014And they are so comfy!
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narf77
/ October 21, 2014Max “helps” like Bezial helps, by adding his hair to your work. Earl “helps” by unpicking your work. He must be OCD about perfect work because he is hell bent on unpicking EVERYTHING that I make. Everyone is a critic! ;). Have you thought about dotting the latex in a series of dots, on the bottom of your slippers? That would use less of it and would achieve a pretty similar result and would take less time to do and to dry? I have seen tutorials for how to add dots of latex to the bottom of slippers online. LOVE the colour and what a lucky lady about town with a most glamorous upper portion whilst keeping comfy and cosy on the bottom 😉
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suzjones
/ October 22, 2014I guess when you’ve been on your feet all day, there is nothing better than something comfortable to wear when you get home.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 22, 2014So true
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