What is this? Short Answer: Carter’s Underwear. What?

Description

The first time I saw my mother knitting I knew that those two things in her hand were ‘mine’. I began knitting when I was eight years old. Also, at the same time my grandmother taught me to crochet. I just couldn’t get enough. I was always asking to learn more and continually wanted to move my skill level further along.

We had limited resources when I was a child. We saved cardboard to write on. This photo is of cardboard as writing paper saved from (‘older’ individuals will remember this !) the “Carter’s Underwear” packages – perfectly firm, and fortunately white, writing surfaces. I wanted my own copy of the directions for these slippers, the first project I ever knitted. I can remember being so excited and feeling so special to be able to take control of the beginnings of my own knitting library.

Of course I still have this cardboard, along with the six twenty-nine cent Coats & Clark knitting and crochet booklets that I received for Christmas. I absolutely treasured them. I carried my knitting bag and these booklets with me everywhere, along with my one pair of size ten and one-half, fourteen inch long straight knitting needles, Susan Bates Learn to Knit book and Learn to Crochet Book. I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world to have these. I made every project in my learn-how books again and again. It’s a wonder these books survived all of these years since I went through them page by page what seems like at least a thousand times. Now my books and publications total somewhere around 4,000 but I still treasure my first books all the same.

Following is a free, probably easier to read, pattern for these stand pat great slippers that, I would think, all knitters will make at least once in their life. They make wonderful, thoughtful gifts. Variations of this pattern abound. This is the one I was ‘raised’ on. Hope you enjoy.

These slippers are warm and comfy with pajamas as well as for walking around. They may be enhanced with ‘soles’ of sorts … the craft store gripping material that can be applied (like the stuff on the bottom of hospital socks) … or actual leather or leather-type of material that can be added as a sole so that the slipper bottoms will last a little longer.

T.V. Knit Slippers
Size 6 Needles, 3 oz 4-ply knitting worsted wt yarn
Gauge 8-9 sts = 2”

Co 32 sts
Row 1: k10, p1, k10, p1, k10
Row 2 (RS): k
Rep Row 1 and 2 until 23 garter ridges (a ridge is two rows)
Now wk in k2, p2 ribbing for 2-½“
Next row: k2 tog, p2 tog across
Do not bind off; cut, leaving long tail for seaming.
Insert yarn needle into all sts and pull tightly, seam the rib section.
Heel: fold rs tog, seam heel.
Make 2 pom poms and attach

For child’s size thru 3: co 26 sts, k8, p1, k8, p1, k8 for 16 ridges; then k2, p2 for 2”, finish as est.

For child’s size 3-6: co 29 sts, k9, p1, k9, p1, k9, p1 for 19 ridges; then k2, p2 for 2-¼“, finish as est.