How to Crochet Slippers

 

NEEDED:  
- crochet hook and yarn or plarn, fitted for each other. (for example: I used medium sized rather bulky plastic shopping bags, cutted in balls of plarn, with a width of 1/2 inch, which crocheted very well with a crochet hook of 3 mm. For my Belgian shoe-size 37, which is a length of 23cm, I needed 4 bags for the upper sides, 6 bags for the inner soles, and another 6 (black) bags for the outer soles, and I had enough left to crochet all together)
- when you will use plarn, it might be handy to know How to make plarn (click here)
- scissors
- measuring tape, to measure the foot and to know when your first sole is done.
- 8 help-strands: somewhat stronger strands, like cotton, to hold the pieces together while assembling
- a pencil or something to write down the numbers of your first slipper, so the second looks exactly alike, without the need of measuring

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
the soles where allready worn out after a month! so I crocheted new ones of sisal rope, with a promissing "lifetime" on the label, hehe; then I used a crochet hook of 5mm. It was sturdy to crochet, not for sissies, but after 3 months intensive use, they still look very fine :-D
Another option might be using more bulky plarn and a bigger hook, or to cover the bottom with glue, but I havent tested that yet, and since some people are waiting for this pattern ...

ABBREVIATIONS:
- chs. = chain stitch
- sc. = single crochet
- sc->CORNER = keep making single crochets, until you reach the corner; do NOT crochet on the corner itself (yet)
- sc->CORNER-2 = keep making single crochets, until you reach 2 stitches before the corner; so do NOT crochet on the corner itself, AND not on the 2 stitches before that corner (yet)
- sc->END = keep crocheting single crochets, until you reach 1 stitch before the end, so there will be one stitch left on your previous round or row
_ sc->ROW = crochet single crochets on every stitch of the row - ROTATE = rotate so the bottom gets the upper side
- SPIRAL = go on in a spiral: make the first stitch of the second round above the first stitch of the first round; and keep crocheting in continuous rounds.
- TURN = turn to make another row, and from now on keep crocheting in rows.
- {2sc.} = make 2 single crochets, all 2 in the next 1 stitch
- {3sc.} = make 3 single crochets, all 3 in the next 1 stitch
- {in 2nd: 3 sc.} = in the second stitch counting from your hook, make 3 single crochets
- {in END: 3sc.} = make 3 single crochets on the last stitch of the round or row
- [ {3sc.} ] x2 = perform everything between the brackets 2 times, so repeat once (and of course x3 means doing it 3 times, repeating it twice; and so on)
- [ ROUND(4), ROUND(5) ]...sole-length = keep repeating rounds 4 and 5, until you reach your sole-length

PREPARATIONS:
- Measure the foot who has to be slippered: length and width
- Example for Belgian size 37:
    length = 23cm or 9 inch
    width = 8,5cm or 3 1/2 inch
- Your sizes:
    length = ........
    width = ........
 

A Little Calculation:
- "cast-on-length" = Footlength - Footwidth = ........ - ........
= ........
- For example: 23cm - 8,5cm = 14,5cm; so I have to cast on chain stitches until I reach about 14,5cm.

- "sole-length" = Footlength + 1cm or 1/2inch = ........ + ........
= ........
- For example: 23cm + 1cm = 24cm; so I have to crochet rounds on my sole until I reach about 24cm

INNER SOLE:

0)   keep crocheting chain stitches until you reach your cast-on-length
EX: to reach 14,5cm, I needed 32 chs. = chain stitches
YOU: ........

1A)   1 chs., {in 2nd: 3sc.}
= so: one more chain stitch, and 3 single crochets in the second stitch counting from your hook.

1B)   sc->END
= so: keep crocheting single crochets, until you reach 1 stitch before the end, so there will be one stitch left from your casting on chain. (I putted my hook alternating through 1 and 2 loops of the chain stitches, but that's not absolutely necessary, I only think it gives a more even result, when crocheting an oblong)

1C)   {in END: 3sc.}
= so: crochet 3 single crochets on the last stitch of the chain.

1D)   ROTATE, sc->END
= so: rotate to crochet on the other side of the chain, and keep making single crochets until you reach one stitch before the last one, which is the one before the 3 single crochets in one stitch, where you started with.

2A)   SPIRAL
= so: proceed in a spiral, the next stitch will be in the first stitch in the previous round.

2B)   [ {3sc.}, {3sc.}, sc->CORNER ] x2
= so: make 3 single crochets in the next 1 stitch; which in this case, at the first time, is the first stitch of round 1; and another 3 in the 1 next stitch; continue with single crochets (one on each next stitch), until you made one on the stitch before the corner; ALL this has to be done twice, so repeat this whole step once more.

3)   [ {2sc.}, {2sc.}, 1sc., {2sc.}, {2sc.}, sc->CORNER ] x2
= so: start in the corner with 2 single crochets in 1 stitch, make 2 single crochets in the next stitch, one in the next, two in the next and two in the next, which is the following corner of the 4 ones. Keep making single crochets until the next corner, but not (yet) in the corner itself. Repeat all this at the other side of the sole.

4)   [ {2sc.}, sc->CORNER ] x4
= so: make 2 single crochets in the next stitch, which is the corner, and make single crochets to the next corner, but not in it. This has to be done 4 times, so repeat 3 times.
= in fact: make 2 single crochets in one stitch at the corners, and just single crochets in the other stitches

5)   [ {2sc.}, 1sc., {2sc.}, sc->CORNER-2, {2sc.}, 1sc., {2sc.}, sc->CORNER ] x2
= so: make 2 single crochets in the corner, one in the next stitch, and two in the following. Now, make single crochets until the next corner AND 2 more stitches remain; again 2 single crochets in one stitch, 1 single crochet in the next, and 2 single crochets in that corner. Now the side: make single crochets until that stitch before the next corner. All this twice, so repeat the whole step on the other side.
6+)   [ ROUND(4), ROUND(5) ]...sole-length = ....... = .... rounds
= so: keep repeating rounds 4 and 5, until you reach your sole-length. In my example until 24cm, which I wrote down (see the little calculations in the beginning). Then I kept crocheting every even round as round 4, and every odd round as round 5, and measured after every round, until I reached my 24cm. I needed 11 rounds, I wrote that down as well; so I won't have to measure for the second slipper ;-)
(I wrote down: sole-length = 24cm = 11 rounds-in-sole)
CAST OFF

TOP PIECE:

A)   Fold the sole in three parts, and mark with two help-strands

B)   now fold the sole in two parts, and mark too

C)   (rounds-in-sole)chs.
= so: Cast on as many chain stitches, as you had rounds in the sole. I needed 11 rounds to make my sole, thus I casted on 11 chain stitches.
rounds-in-sole = ........

D)   TURN, {2sc.}, sc->END, {2sc.}
= so: from now on, turn after every row, make 2 single crochets in 1 stitch, keep making single crochets till the end of the row, but not on it, and 2 single crochets on that last end stitch; so 13 stitches in total in my example

E)   [ {2sc.}, sc->END, {2sc.} ]...rounds-in-sole x 2
= so: keep crocheting rows with 2 single crochets in the same first stitch, one on every middle stitch, and 2 in the last stitch; until you have twice as much stitches as you casted on (and one more if you started with an odd number); so in my example until I had 23 stitches.

F)   [ 1) {2sc.}, sc->END, {2sc.}
2)3)4) sc->ROW ]... between 1/2 and 2/3 sole markers
= so: crochet one row with increases at the beginning and the end, as you did with the toe in E); and 3 more rows with just single crochets. Keep repeating this 4 row sequence, until your upper piece is as long as somewhere between the marks you made at 1/2 and 2/3 of the sole. (I needed 34 rows)
top-piece = ........ rows

OUTER SOLE:
make the outer sole like the inner sole; and if you are using the same yarn and hook, it is even exactly the same. But as I stated before, for durability, I crocheted two out of "thin" sisal rope with a 5mm hook, but forgot to take notes and pictures, but it's all the same principal, I just needed less chain stitches to cast on, and less rounds to have the same size ;-)
ASSEMBLING:

1)   Lay inner and outer sole on each other, the good sides at the outside. Temporary attach the heels with a piece of thread.

2)   Do the same at the toe, BUT include the top piece.

3)   Now, look at the soles where it crosses the upper part, stick your crochet hook through the two soles ...

4)   ... and through the corner of the top piece; attach a helping thread.

5)   The same at the other side of the top piece, but pay attention: the upper side of the top piece should be straight.

6)   Add helping threads between the ones you allreadi did.

7)   Crochet single crochets around, through all layers, removing the helping threads as you are near, and 2 in 1 stitch at the corners. Cast off. (or sew the parts together)
FINISH:
Now "all" you have to do, is make another one, and proudly "slef" around with them ;-)