Toasty toes.

It's getting colder, it's finally getting colder! One would think that after nearly 20 years of living in hot and sunny Perth, Western Australia I'd become somewhat acclimatised to the heat, but there must be a lot more British blood in me that I thought. I can usually cope with hot summers, but this last one seemed to go on forever, especially through February when it was day after day of 40 degrees and muggy as hell. So I'm really happy it's cooling down, and in preparation I've started on a whole bunch of knitted tops and sweaters, all of which are still W.I.P. But I did finish this pair of super toasty Mary Jane-esque slippers, so here they are.

They took me less than a day to finish, not including the time it took me to go to Spotlight for 8mm dpns, get cross when they didn't have any, buy a pair of bamboo 8mm straight needles, hack them up and turn them into the shortest dpns you've ever seen. The buttons came off a Ripcurl sweater I frogged a little while ago, and the black wool came from my stash, so all up my slippers cost me $7! Happy toasty feet time!

I used Leethal's simple mary jane style booties pattern, which is awesome and free and so so snuggly! Seriously, have you got something better to do with a day? You're feet will love you for them.

Swathe

Materials:

Craftworks Soft Touch Plain [sports weight, 100% acrylic], 3 balls [100g]

One set 6.5mm straight needles

Bodkin

Iron or steamer

Pattern notes:

This stitch pattern will naturally slant, making your finished piece a kind of trapezoid shape (pushed-over rectangle). I personally like it this way, but you may want to reconsider this pattern if you prefer your scarfs a little more regular.

I used a sport weight yarn because I loved the colour, but you can use absolutely any yarn you want, any sized needles to go with that yarn, whatever you want. It's a scarf, and it's pretty much impossible to mess up a scarf.

Pattern:

CO 46 sts, k 1 row.

Continue in following Shell stitch pattern;

ROW 1: K 2, *YO to m 1 st, sl 1, k1, psso, k 5*, m 1, k 2 tog.

ROW 2: P.

ROW 3: K 2, *m 1, k 1, sl 1, k 1, psso, k 4*, m 1, k 2 tog.

ROW 4: P.

ROW 5: K 2, *m 1, k 2, sl 1, k 1, psso, k 3*, m 1, k 2 tog.

ROW 6: P.

ROW 7: K 2, *m 1, k 3, sl 1, k 1, psso, k 2*, m 1, k 2 tog.

ROW 8: P.

ROW 9: K 2, *m 1, k 4, sl 1, k 1, psso, k 1*, m 1, k 2 tog.

ROW 10: P.

ROW 11: K 2, *m 1, k 5, sl 1, k 1, psso*, m 1, k 2 tog.

ROW 12: P.

Shell Stitch

Work these 12 rows until scarf is desired length, you run out of yarn, or your hands cramp up.

Weave in ends, and either steam or iron the scarf flat. Doing this will flatten out and really open up the pretty shell stitch, as well as reducing the rolling in at the sides. If you chose to use a finer yarn you probably won't need to iron it out, but a good blocking is still recommended.

Wrap, loop, tie, drape as desired, just get it 'round your neck.

Or your Dalek.