All posts tagged slippers

Mend It Monday #3

“If it’s not worth mending, it’s not worth buying” …

Something woolly again this week. A long time ago I made slippers for myself and Mr Snail. They have been mended a number of times already, and this week it was the turn of Mr Snail’s; they were in a sorry state:

I started by darning the worst of the holes to provide some structure, and then crocheted some circles to provide good thick soles under the heel and ball of the foot and these will, hopefully last another year or so.

The yarn I used for the repairs is the stuff they make Axminster carpets out of, so it is really hard-wearing. Even so, slippers that get worn every day need lots of attention to keep them going and I’m really pleased to be able to extend their life this way.

So, have you mended anything this week? If you’ve written a post about mending recently, do share a link to it – I love to see how other people manage to extend the lives of the things they own.

12 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on March 2, 2020  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on March 2, 2020

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2020/03/02/mend-it-monday-3/

Toasty toes times two and a long-overdue project

All the lists are gone, all the targets swept away! New year – no resolutions except to embrace creative inspirations and see where they take me. In fact, I made a start on this in the final two days of 2017, meaning that by new year’s day I had completed a project that I’d been wanting to get to grips with for months.

Ages ago – a couple of years, perhaps – Kate (Tall tales from Chiconia) very kindly sent me some sheepskin slipper soles that she has no use for in her tropical home. At the time I had some perfectly serviceable crochet slippers, so I put the soles to one side for future use. Since then those original slippers have been much mended… new crochet soles, reinforced sides, darning, more darning… but finally I decided to retire them (i.e. put them in the compost… wool is a good slow-release fertilizer). So a new pair of slippers was required and the time had come. I used Berber carpet wool and improvised the pattern:

Many thanks, Kate, they are lovely and warm and comfy.

Whilst I was in the mood for using things that have been sitting around for ages, I decided the time had also come to seek out a pattern for some yarn that Mr Snail bought for me for my birthday last year (or possibly the year before). The wool (New Lanark Aran in bramble) was chosen with a particular pattern in mind that I then decided I didn’t want to use. So, a bit of hunting around and I found a beautiful sweater pattern that appealed. In order to maintain momentum, I got started on it straight away. I’m using the row counter and some of the stitch markers that Kim put in my stitching santa box, so her gifts really were just right for me:

I’m rather surprised that it’s so difficult to show the colour of the wool accurately – those pictures were taken in natural light about two minutes apart. It’s actually about half way between the two, but the lighter one does show the different colours that are in there.

The new year has also started with some sock knitting as I’ve promised Mr Snail a second pair of wellie socks… his choice of yarn (we went and bought it together):

IMGP4882

WYS Aran

 

25 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on January 3, 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on January 3, 2018

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2018/01/03/toasty-toes-times-two-and-a-long-overdue-project/

Mendiferous

IMGP1887

All soles

I had a dilemma this week – my crochet slippers developed some holes and I had the choice of finally giving up on them or mending them. A while back, Kate sent me some sheepskin slipper soles that are no use to her in tropical Australia and I plan to use these to make myself some brand new spiffy slippers at some point, but looking at my old slippers, I decided that there was still a bit of life in them and mending would be worthwhile. I did briefly toy with the idea of using the new soles to mend the old slippers, but actually the new pieces do not coincide entirely where the old ones are worn and, anyway, I have some ideas for the new ones… when I eventually get round to them.

This is the third mend of my old faithfuls and each time I have used a different colour to make the repair obvious. First they had new crochet soles, then I added some crochet reinforcement to the sides, and now finally I’ve done some darning:

The original yarn was a mix of sock wool and some 100% wool chunky, but all the blue mends, including the latest three patches of darning, have been made using Axminster rug wool. The original company that I got the Axminster wool from went out of business, but I’m delighted to say that a new supplier, Airedale Yarns, has popped up. I haven’t ordered from them yet, but I can highly recommend Axminster wool for making slippers – it lasts so much longer than any other yarn I’ve tried for the job.

So, my slippers live to be worn another day. I’m pondering whether there will come a point when there is nothing left visible of the original slippers… or , indeed, whether they will eventually become unsalvageable.

Do you have items that are mended repeatedly? And when do you decide to give up on them?

27 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on March 10, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in ethical living, reducing consumption
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on March 10, 2017

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2017/03/10/mendiferous/

Sole purpose

When I make something, I want it to last (unless it’s food). If I put hours into knitting or crocheting, I’d like the finished object to be used for years to come, so choosing the right materials to work with is very important. For example, I have learned that sock yarn is essential for hard-wearing socks – with the best intentions, a normal 4-ply is useless, as you’ll have holey socks in no time at all.

Making slippers has been quite an experiment in terms of finding the right yarn because, unlike socks, there is no yarn specifically designed for slippers. And, my word, does it need to be hard-wearing. Originally I tried out a variety of yarns, but finally settled on Axminster – the stuff they make carpets out of – because this is designed to be walked on day in and day out, just like a pair of slippers. However, by the time that I discovered this yarn, I’d already made several pairs of slippers with other yarns.

Oh no, a hole!

Oh no, a hole!

My own pair needed repairing some time ago – they are made with a combination of chunky 100% wool yarn and a couple of strands of sock yarn. Mr Snail’s were made from Pure Whitefaced Woodland Wool from Blacker yarns (no longer available), which has lasted about 15 months before wearing through. Mine had new soles a while ago, but Mr Snail’s slippers came in for the Axminster treatment this weekend. Rather than simply darning them (I hate darning), I made them complete Axminster soles, covering up the damaged part and returning them to functionality.

Axminster sole

Axminster sole

The Axminster yarn contains about 20% nylon to make it much tougher than pure wool. Part of me really wants to use only natural fibres, but I have to acknowledge that the presence of nylon does make this yarn much more hard-wearing and, therefore, ideal for this purpose. I’ve written about yarn ethics in the past and I still struggle to find a perfect option in all cases. However, by choosing this particular yarn for this particular use, my work lasts longer and the slippers need repairing or replacing much less frequently, thus conserving resources and making the best use of my time. I think that’s as good as it’s going to get!

Good as new

Good as new

12 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on June 14, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on June 14, 2015

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2015/06/14/sole-purpose/

I got sole

Our slippers!

Mr Snail’s slippers #1 and my slippers in their heyday

Crochet slippers have turned out to be very popular. I’ve made then for myself, my mum (two pairs), one of my nieces, one of mum’s neighbours who has been very kind whilst mum has been ill and Mr Snail (also two pairs). However, they are a bit tough on the fingers to make and so I’m determined to ensure that they last as long as possible. The most recent three pairs have been made of Axminster carpet wool and had the soles coated with latex, but my pair was just made from yarn I had lying around at the time (now there’s both Axminster and Berber wool lying around, but not then). So, it’s no surprise that they have started to wear out:

Nearly worn through

Nearly worn through

Regular readers will know that I hate darning, and anyway, the whole of the bottom of both slippers was wearing thin, so a more radical solution was required: new soles. I didn’t have any black yarn, so I opted for a lovely blue with an added strand of purple sock yarn to increase the bulk a little. I started with a chain 18 stitches long and then just worked round and round in double crochet (UK terminology) until I reached the appropriate size, After that, it was just a case of stitching the new sole onto the old slipper and now I’m back to toasty feet again:

The whole sole
All soled up

 

 

21 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on March 12, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on March 12, 2015

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2015/03/12/i-got-sole/

Carpet slippers

December 2015 This post has been edited because the company that I bought the yarn from has gone out of business.

My final post for Zero Waste Week just has to be craft related…. well, I can’t go a week without writing a post about knitting or crochet can I?

In order to reduce waste, it’s a great idea to buy good quality items that won’t wear out quickly. Yesterday, fellow blogger westywrites posted about her attempt to avoid buying new clothes for a year and the fact that her socks are wearing very thin- a particular problem because she doesn’t wear slippers round the house. She has been inspired by yours truly to attempt to knit her own socks for added durability (they do last well if you use genuine sock wool and are easier to mend, in my experience, than bought ones). However, round our house we do wear slippers because I make those too… and they certainly protect your socks.

New slippers in Black and yellow Axminster rug yarn

New slippers in Black and yellow Axminster rug yarn (with hand-knitted socks underneath)

I have been experimenting with different chunky yarns for slipper-making and my latest creations are true carpet slippers because they are made of Axminster rug yarn (80% wool, 20% nylon)! I reckon that if this yarn is sufficiently hard-wearing to make carpets from, it should be good for the slippers that walk on them. The pair I’ve just finished is for Mr Snail – now he has a different home during the week, he needed a second pair of slippers to save him remembering to take one pair back and forth each week. I asked him to choose a colour and he responded that he wanted black and yellow to match the cover of his novel (I know not why). In fact the yellow that I ordered was rather more orange than it looked in the picture on the Texere website (sadly this company has now gone out of business), but it was the only yellow they had and he still seemed pleased with the end result. I made them to match part 2 of the Kindle edition of the novel, because the paperback edition is mainly yellow and white and that would have shown the dirt!

Lovely natural shades of Berber wool

Lovely natural shades of Berber wool

I was also delighted to discover that Texere [used to] sell Berber yarn (another one used for carpet-making, but pure wool this time), so I’ve bought some of that too to have a go with. If you want to make some slippers like the ones shown, the pattern can be found here and it’s free to download. It’s a bit hard on the hands if you use a really robust yarn like I did, but the resulting slippers are very warm and comfy… and they will not only save your socks, but may also help to reduce your fuel bills!

So that’s the end of my posts for Zero Waste Week – I hope you have been inspired somewhere along the line.

12 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on September 7, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on September 7, 2014

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2014/09/07/carpet-slippers/

More slippery

I’ve now completed two pairs of the lovely chunky slippers, so here’s a a slippie (a selfie of slippers) or possibly a slipture (a picture of slippers):

Our slippers!

Our slippers!

19 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on March 4, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on March 4, 2014

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2014/03/04/more-slippery/

Toastie toes

No sooner were the slippers off my hook and the ends stitched in this evening than they were on the feet of Mr Snail of Happiness. Please excuse the poor pictures, but it’s dark so I had to use a flash:

An immediate hit

An immediate hit

Modelled with hand-knitted socks too!

Modelled with hand-knitted socks too!

If you want to make some, the pattern can be found here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/adult-chunky-slippers … or you can pay me to make some for you!

26 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on February 24, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on February 24, 2014

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2014/02/24/toastie-toes/

Slippery

Repaired at the heels, but they won't last long

Repaired at the heels, but they won’t last long

Well, despite my best attempts, Mr Snail-of-happiness’  knitted slippers are not going to last forever. I made a reasonable job of mending the second one this week – using a crochet patch to avoid the hated darning, but I could see that their time is nearly up. It’s partly my fault for choosing a very soft yarn, which turned out to be not very hard-wearing. Never mind, they’ve lasted a year or so and it has given me the opportunity to learn more about different sorts of yarn and slipper designs. I have a ball of the purple wool left over and it’s going to make a lovely soft hat one day!

I’m not going to make the same mistake again: for his new pair, I have chosen a very tough yarn and a lovely adult chunky slipper crochet pattern by Jennifer Dougherty (http://www.crochetbyjennifer.com/). The yarn I selected is another one from Blacker Yarns, this time Pure Whitefaced Woodland Wool, which comes from a rare breed of sheep grazing Suffolk heathland. One of the reviews on the Blacker site said that this is ideal for slippers, and it certainly feels like it’s going to be very hard-wearing.

A new slipper... just one so far - he'll have to hop!

A new slipper… just one so far – he’ll have to hop!

The pattern turned out to be very quick to work up and, despite only making a start on the first one at coffee time today, I had finished it (all but weaving in ends) by the evening. It’s a bit tough on the fingers because of the combination of the robust yarn and the main stitch used (front post double [US]/treble [UK] crochet if you’re interested), but I can live with that if it results in a slipper that lasts a long time.

4 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on February 22, 2014  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on February 22, 2014

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2014/02/22/slippery/

A darn good job

I know that I’m a big proponent of mending things, but there is one job that I’m not very keen on and that is darning… I always put it off. However, it’s a useful skill to have* and it is great to be able to mend a knitted garment, particularly one that I made myself and put lots of effort into.

The first set of threads in place (darning is like weaving)

The first set of threads in place (darning is like weaving)

So, it was quite a job to persuade myself to start repairing Mr Snail-of-happiness’  slipper socks. In a way, it’s my own fault they wore out… I chose a lovely soft wool that wasn’t really up to the job. I should have chosen something more rugged; and I will, when I need to knit a new pair, but for the time being I want to keep the old ones going as long as I can. I do have quite a bit of the yarn left, but I think I will use if for a soft, warm hat rather than more footwear!

And the finished job... not too bad and it should last a while longer

And the finished job… not too bad and it should last a while longer

Yesterday afternoon (I really needed good light and it was a nice bright winter day) I settled down with needle and yarn and started the repair. It was a big hole in the heel and he did keep wearing them for a while after it formed, so it had got worse. Sadly, the wool seemed to have no tendency to felt, so I had to do quite a lot of work around the edges of the hole before I could start the actual act of darning. Once I got going, I did quite enjoy it, and I certainly feel pleased that I have managed to eek a few more moths of life out of this particular creation. Next time, though it’s tough Icelandic wool if I can get it!

-0Oo-

* I don’t intend to give a tutorial, but there’s some great information here.

17 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on December 9, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on December 9, 2013

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2013/12/09/a-darn-good-job/

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