With the sew as you go method, you can machine knit slippers or socks that come off the machine finished on any flatbed machine – no ribber needed!
Sew As You Go – Getting Started
Sew as you go slippers are knit flat.
You start by casting on half the stitches needed for the circumference of your foot. If you need help with that, go to my post Sock Math for Machine Knitting Socks.
Once you’ve cast on, knit enough rows for your ankle. On my chunky Singer 150, I usually cast on 18 stitches and knit 24 rows for my ankle.
Short-Row the Heel
Once your ankle is knit, set your carriage so it will not knit needles in hold position.
Pull the needle closest to your carriage to hold, knit a row. Pull the needle on that side to hold, continue on putting needle closest to carriage in hold position until you have only 1/3 of your original needles still in work.
Manually wrap the yarn under the needle still in hold closest to needles in work on the carriage side.
Push two needles opposite to carriage into upper working position so they will knit. Knit the row. Pull the last needle knit closest to carriage back into hold (for the auto wrap) and then push two needles opposite carriage into upper working position. Continue on until all needles are back in work.
Knit the Foot and Shape the Toe
Knit the number of rows you’ve calculated for your foot and then shape the toe as you did the heel.
Sew As You Go
Once you’ve finished shaping your toe it’s time to start picking up stitches. Pick up a stitch on the carriage side and knit across. Pick up a stitch on that side and knit back.
Make sure you don’t pick up the stitch you knitted off in your last row.
You want to pick up a new stitch below it.
Continue on until you have a slipper! Once you’ve got a handle on the base slipper you can embelish with cables or lace work, you can switch up the ankle with a hem or ribbing. Double layer them by making a slightly larger outer slipper. There’s as many possibilities as you want.
