[Planning to knit "Malabrigo Loafers", pattern by Julie Weisenberger of Cocoknits. I got the pattern. I had some wool, although I really planned to buy Malabrigo for this project. But didn't. I got out the wool I had and the needles weren't being used for something else. So I started the project one evening about midnight when I couldn't sleep. It was quick and easy, but I just needed a bit more time. I wrote in my Ravelry account at that time:
Have wool. Have pattern. Have needles.
Please provide time.]
4/12/2009: Lots of car rides lately = time found to knit. Finished the Moccasin loafers.
When is a project not the project from the pattern but something else? I started out to knit these slippers as the pattern was written, I really did. I didn't have malabrigo, (and it was after midnight, so a trip to the LYS was out of question) so I substituted Soy Wool Stripes (Paton's) but after knitting one slipper/loafer, I decided they might felt, and I wanted to make felted clogs from the SWS anyway, and I didn't really like the slipper/loafer that much in the SWS since it was the wrong color, so I frogged that and started again with the Silky Flamme. Aaaah, better.
The Silky Flamme was the right color (gray for the sole, and green for the tops) and the right consistency (soft) and knit up beautifully. Except,....
I really did like your pattern, Julie from Cocoknits. But, I thought it would be better to start knitting from the toe, not the heel. I have a really wide foot, you see, and I wanted to add some width, and (while I was still using the SWS) I realized that if I started the sole at the toe, I would end up at the heel, thus allowing me to start with sides without breaking the yarn and starting another, which would be two less ends to weave in. When I switched to the Silky Flamme, I just kept starting at the toe anyway.
Then I couldn't get the front to look right, and I thought LOAFERS have a little ridge right around the top of the toe, so if I did a row of purls on the front half, that would look like the ridge on leather loafers. And it did.
So then I had to change the way the top of the slipper was knit. I tried four or five times and frogged and compared. I would knit one and then the other using a different method and compare and rip out the one I didn't like - usually the first way - and reknit and then do something differently, so I would have to frog the other one to make it match.
In the process of frogging and reknitting, I realized that I thought I would like to double knit just the little top of the slipper, the part that peeks out above the penny holder if this is a penny loafer which it isn't. I had to do that several times until it came out right.
I had decided way back in the SWS version, that I thought it might be cool to finish off the tops of the sides with I-cord, to simulate the part of loafers which is usually a piece of leather folded over. So when the two fronts were finally right, and matching, I finished off the back edges with I-cord, which looks really slick. And I continued the I-cord over the toe so I could sew it back down invisibly (sort of like kitchner, except the other end wasn't live stitches) and you can't easily tell where the ending is.
Finally, when I was doing the double-knit part, the flap, I realized that the soles should be thicker, and double knit might be good there too. I have enough yarn. I wonder if I can double knit garter stitch. Next time, I will try. I do still have two more balls of the Flamme. No, I cannot frog the slippers and double-knit the sole. But I might try adding a second layer of knitting to reinforce the sole. And for the next pair....
So have I created a new pattern - Non-malabrigo, non-penny loafers, or is it just Julie's pattern, with some modifications?
Maybe I should ask Julie.
