Thursday, May 16, 2013

Fimbulvetr

 According to Norse mythology, fimbulvetr is the "winter of winters"--three years long--that precedes Ragnarok (the doom of the Gods) and the end of the known world. Conflicts and feuds break out, relationships founder, morality disappears, things get pretty chaotic. and it goes downhill from there. 

Last year, conflicts broke out, relationships foundered, stuff disappeared, things got pretty chaotic, and my life went downhill from there. In the aftermath, I moved from southern California to the heart of the midwest. Winter only lasts about four months here, it only seems endless. The house I now live in is drafty, and the person who owns it prefers to keep the ambient temperature low. Once I got here, I decided slippers were more important than a hat. These, over a pair of heavy socks, didn't quite keep my feet warm when it's less than -20- degrees outside, and less than 62 degrees in, but they came close.



Now that it's 80+ degrees, I finally got around to writing up the pattern. Make at your own risk: it hasn't been tested, and I don't always corral the correct numbers when I'm figuring things out. I'll try to make a pattern test pair (and corrections) before the next fimbulvetr comes along.

Description: toe-up slippers, with laces
Size Women's U.S. 9

Yarn: (I used about 3/4 skein of Bernat Vintage)
Needles: U.S. #6, or size needed for gauge
1 stitch marker
Gauge: 20 stitches and 32 rows = 4” in stockinette

Techniques:
“Toe-Up” Cast On
Knitting in the round
Knit stitches
Purl stitches
Increasing
Decreasing
Yarn over eyelet stitches
I-Cord

Special Stitches:
M1R: Increase one stitch by knitting in the right side of the stitch in the row below
M1L: Increase one stitch by knitting in the left side of the stitch in the row below

Pattern: repeat of 3 stitches, plus 2
Round 1: knit
Round 2: *p1, k2, end p1
Round 3: knit
Round 4: k1,*k2, p1, k1
(If knitting back and forth, all odd rows should be purled)

Toe:
Using Judi's Magic Cast-On, cast on 12 stitches over two needles. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.
Round 1: knit
Round 2: k1, m1R, k4, m1L, k2, m1R, k4, m1L, k1 (16 stitches on needles)
Round 3: knit
Round 4: k1, m1R, k6, m1L, k2, m1R, k6, m1L, k1 (20 stitches on needles)
Round 6: knit
Round 7: k1, m1R, k8, m1L, k2, m1R, k8, m1L, k1 (24 stitches on needles)
Round 8: knit
Round 9: knit
Round 10: k1, m1R, k10 m1L, k2, m1R, k10, m1L, k10, k1 (28 stitches on needles)
Round 11: knit
Round 12: knit
Round 14: k1, m1R, k12 m1L, k2, m1R, k12, m1L, k12, k1 (32 stitches on needles)
Round 15: knit
Round 16: knit
Round 18: k1, m1R, k14 m1L, k2, m1R, k14 m1L, k14, k1 (36 stitches on needles)
Round 18: knit
Round: 19: knit
Round 20: knit
Round 21: k1, m1R, k16, m1L, k2, m1R, k14, m1L, k16, k1 (40 stitches on needles)

Foot
Round 1: knit
Round 2: (p1, k2, six times) p1, k21
Round 3: knit
Round 4: (k2, p1 six times) k22
Repeat rounds 1-4 six more times, or until desired length is reached (approximately 65% of total)
Heel Shaping
The heel will be worked on the 20 stitches that make up the sole of the foot. On odd rows, slip the first stitch as if to purl, on even rows, slip the first stitch as if to knit.
Row 1: turn work, slip1, purl 19
Row 2: slip1, k1, ssk, k16
Row 3: slip1, p1, p2tog, k15
Row 4: slipl, k1, ssk, k14
Row 5: slip1, p1, p2tog, k13
Row 6: slip1, k1, ssk, k12
Row 7: slip1, p1, p2tog, k11
Row 8: slip1, k1, ssk, k10
Row 9: slip1, p1, p2tog, k9
Row 10: slip1, k1, ssk, k8
Row 11, slip1, p1, p2tog, k7
Row 12: slip1, k1, ssk, k6
Row 13: slip1, p1, p2tog, k5
Row 14: slip1, k1, ssk, k4
Row 15: slip 1, k1, p2tog, k3
Row 16, slip 1, k1, ssk, k2

Heel and Gusset
Round 1:
Pick up and knit 8 slipped stitches along the left side of the heel, plus the last stitch in the row below, k20, pick up and knit the first stitch in the row below the slipped stitches on the right side of the heel, pick up and knit the 8 slipped stitches along the side of the heel) knit 16
Round 2: (p1, k2, six times) p1, k2, ssk, k7, (p1, k2 six times), p1, k7, k2tog, k1
Round 3: knit
Round 4: (k2, p1 six times) k3, ssk, k4, (k2, p1 six times), k7, k2tog, k3
Round 5: knit
Round 6: (k2, p1 six times) k3, ssk, k2, (k2, p1 six times), k5, k2tog, k3

Leg
Round 1: knit
Round 2: (p1, k2, thirteen times)
Round 3: knit
Round 4: (k2, p1, thirteen times)
Repeat once, (eight rounds in all)
Cuff
Round 1: purl
Round 2: knit
Round 3: purl
Round 4: knit
Round 5: purl
Round 6: knit
Round 7: (eyelet row) k2 (yo, k5 seven times)
Round 8: knit
Round 8: purl
Round 10: knit
Round 11: purl
Round 12: knit

Bind off.

Ties (make 2)
Make approximately 24” of 4 stitch i-cord

Finishing:
Weave in ends, wash and block, thread ties through eyelets

Please let me know of any pattern problems or inaccuracies. As with all of my patterns, (so far) this one is free. Make slippers for yourself or to give away, don't claim the pattern as your own,  sell it, or the slippers you make from it, or I'll be sending Loki and his big brother Thor after you, and you won't like that, one bit.

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