Welcome to my Blog.
Here I keep a record of what I am knitting and spinning at the moment along with what’s growing in my garden and sometimes what I am cooking, usually gluten and dairy free food.
Occasionally I put in a bit about my two teenagers, which I home educate and the cottage we are renovating. (Almost there!)
I’ve recently started dying so that comes in sometimes too along with my bad, but hopefully improving, colour choices.
I homeschooled my daughters, too. They are both out of college now and gainfully employed
One is a chemical engineer and the other is a registered nurse. Keep up the good work – homeschooling is wonderful.
I love your blog!!!!,I know how you feel ,I felted the same way after my children were grown and went off to college.just get in Bible studies and stay busy.
Kudos on all your efforts. I can relate……..
I think I goofed up the duffer pattern. Was I to still knit every other row after the purled row 11? The pattern row numbers go consecutively after row 11, but I have a feeling I was to knit a row in between 12,13,14, etc.
I was reading y0ur blog post about feeling like you are spinning after a career of home educating. I can relate…my youngest is doing all college classes this year and just turned 18. I love the way knitting can keep happening no matter what else is going on in our lives. I am the most disorganized and floundering I have ever been right now, but onward we go, right? Wish I would have discovered knitting earlier. All the projects I could have worked on while waiting for the kids!
Hi, Thanks for your comment. You are so right, knitting helps us through whatever happens and sometimes we need that.
I don’t think you goofed up anything. Knit each row exactly as they read, there are no rows in between 12,13,14 etc.. After you have knitted the bottom of the slipper and changed colour if you are going to, the slipper switches to stocking stitch, knit one row, purl one row, with the decreases as written. So don’t worry, it sounds as if you are doing everything right.
If you have any other problems, don’t hesitate to email me and I’ll do my best to help. All the best, Mindie
Hi Mindy; Love the pattern for your Duffers (like the name too)My husband takes a size 14 shoe for one foot and a 12 1/2 for the other…..due to a fractured foot that didn’t set right and he is now disabled. It looked like these slippers would be perfect for him; I have one done using the largest size you had posted where you cast on 76 stitches. I may have to add a couple rows to the bottom yet since his foot is so wide. My question would be to continue with row 20 thru say 23 or 24 how would it read? Would appreciate your help on this…..he is really anxious for me to finish a pair. Thanks for your help and the great pattern.
You also mentioned your friend Sara and how she came up with a name for these slippers. I make (sew) upholstery fabric purses with a wood base inside, wood handles, an adjustable shoulder strap, 2 outside pockets and 5 inside pockets; I have yet to think up a clever name for my purses. Email me if you for your friend Sara have any name ideas.
Thanks again. Mavis Fischer
Hi Mavis, I am so sorry you have had no reply from me. Somehow your comment got through the net and I have only just seen it.
Unfortunately, making the slippers wider isn’t just a case of adding a few rows to the bottom because the top shaping and front of foot are all tied in together.
I expect that you have knitted up your slippers by now. If you haven’t do contact me again and I’ll try and put something together for you.
Mindie
Hi Mindie, I have made several of your duffers and just love the pattern. Thank you very much. I live in the southern part of British Columbia, Canada and I make things from recycled sweaters. My first love is knitting. When I found your pattern and made a few the reaction from my friends was awesome. I would like to sell Duffers in the local markets here in the lower mainland. Every other weekend I set up my table and sell my handmade recycled items. I think customers would love your Duffers. Would this be ok with you? Judy
Hi Judy,
Thanks. I’m so glad you like the Duffers. I don’t usually refuse anyone who wants to sell some Duffers but do ask two things. One, that you don’t go into full production mode and make hundreds and two, that you credit me as the designer with a label or some such mark. Apart from that, I wish you all the best with your crafting.
All the best Mindie
This is a response to Gayle Tucker who wrote to you on February 21, 2011 re needing written instructions for duffers because medication for Migraine headaches makes her thinking less than what it should be. I was a migraine patient and then I found a chiropractor who, with neck adjustments, cured the headaches. If I do get one now, if I go as soon as I know one is coming, he adjusts my neck and within an hour the headache is gone. Please, Gayle, try this. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. And no meds to mess you up!!!
Hi Mindie; Thank you for your reply; I attempted to make the larger size duffers that you had put in one of your replys and following the the increases made it taller on the sides (adding 4 rows); however the back seems to have come in much too far; think I could leave out the back decreases on those 4 extra rows. The pattern seems to be wide enough as I used the figure 8 (blind) cast on meaning no bottom seam to sew up and that helped. Perhaps if needed I could do 3 or 4 knit rows at the beginning before the increases and it would make it wide enough, if needed.
As I had said my husband is disabled and the one foot is pretty bent up and big; his ankle alone has been 20 inches around….so it is a challenge.
Thanks, Mavis FIscher
Hi Mindie,
I am Anne from Blazing Needles knit shop in Salt Lake City. I am writing regarding the Duffer Slipper. I love them. I was hoping to teach a class in the construction of the slippers. We would not sell the slippers and would tell the students that it is only for personal use. We have some beginning knitters that need help with increases, decreases, and sewing the slippers together. I think it would be a great project to learn these skills. We thought they would make great holiday gifts.
Thanks,
Anne Winter
Hi Anne, Please feel free to go ahead and teach your class. I have never had any problem with yarn shops such as yourself teaching classes using the pattern and always give my permission. I have on quite a number of occasions quite happily given my permission for people to even make a few to sell at their local craft fair etc. as long as they don’t go into full production. My current problem is (without naming names) with a large commercial company using my pattern pdf and a plagiarised version (different yarn and needle size but still my original formula) as their own without asking permission or giving credit to me as original author. This breaks my copyright and is theft of my intellectual property which is why I’m quite upset I am trying to sort things out but apparently they don’t seem to want to speak to me! I will be releasing another, more comprehensive pattern for Duffers soon.Thanks for contacting me to ask and I hope your classes go well.Mindie
Mindie – I had the same question – and if I handle it as Anne has, if that is still okay with you. One thing that’s kind of funny – although I’m not from Salt Lake City, I’m from a little, tiny wonderful yarn shop, The Painted Sheep, in Richfield, Utah. I can’t even believe that a company – ANY company – would have the gall to copy a pattern like that and then try to sell it. You’ve written a WONDERFUL pattern, and certainly deserve credit (monetarily and otherwise!) for it. Thank you for being so generous, yourself. Please let me know if there is anything else that you would like me to do in order to teach three classes. Just so you know the scale of things – there will be 2-5 people per class. Thank you!!!
Hi Libbie,
Have emailed you. Mindie
Hi Mindie,
Long time knitter, looking for your duffer pattern, I was so distressed to read about the problems you have having with this pattern and the dishonest person who has ruined it for others. Would it be possible for me to get this pattern from you? I promise I would’nt make hundreds and set up a sweat shop in China with your pattern. I just keep seeing your pattern all over the place and just love the look of it.
I would so appreciate you forever.
Thanks,
Nancy
Hi Nancy, I have emailed you personally.Minie
Hi Mindie,
I am so sorry to hear that someone would take advantage of you like this. I am praying that you will be able to post the pattern again soon. I was planning on making slippers for my daughters this Christmas. I am fairly new to knitting and this will be my first attempt at slippers. I will continue to check your blog.
Hi Mindie,
I just found your Duffers pattern and knit it in one night (I have a toddler so he takes up most of my time) and then felted it in the washer the next day (it was my first time felting anything, too, so it was a nice surprise to see that I did it just right). I am soooo happy to have found your pattern – it is absolutely brilliant! 19 rows is SO do-able for me and now everyone in my family – and at the office building where I have my massage studio – wants a pair!
Hi there. I just bought your pattern for Duffers Revisited and I’m planning to make five pair as a gift for an upcoming “girls trip.” I searched various felted slipper patterns and your pattern was by far the cutest I found.
I’ve begun transferring the numbers from chart 1 to each pattern print-out, and I am not sure I got it right. For US size 9.5, Chart One indicates there should be 50 stitches on the needles at the end – but when I calculate the pattern, there are only 38 stitches on the last row. Example:
Row 23: k1, k2tog, k12, k2tog, k8, ssk, k12, ssk, k1 = 38
I’m afraid I’m missing something. I really would appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
Hi,
Yes, this is I am afraid, a mistake in the pattern, that figure should read 38 not 50. It was pointed out to me a while ago but I have not had time to put it right as yet.
It is the only mistake and does not affect the knitting in any way, or go into the chart as it is only a stitch count figure at the very end. There is a note on the pattern’s Ravelry page to tell you about this. I am so sorry it has confused you.
Thank you for getting in touch, and please contact me again if you have any more questions,
All the best and happy knitting, Mindie
Mindie,
Thanks so much for your reply. I am really excited about knitting these slippers. Just to be clear then, the US size 9.5 actually has a smaller opening at the top, with just 38 stitches remaining when I bind off?
One more question for you, and then I’ll get started on my first pair today – I’m planning to use the “Miracle” cast-on for my first attempt and I want to make sure I get it right. This pair, the pattern calls for a CO of 60 stitches. Does that mean I’ll have 30 stitches on each set of circulars? And, once I’ve cast-on, is it possible to switche to one set of circulars for the remainder of the slipper?
Thanks so much for taking the time to help me out – I’m a relatively new knitter and it is very helpful to be able to discuss this pattern firsthand with you.
Christina
Hi Christina,
The opening on the top is slightly different on each size because of the way the pattern works as per stitch counts and decreases but it does not make a discernible difference as the slippers have quite a wide opening. Bind off fairly loosely and you should have no problem. All yarns are different and do make quite a difference to the finished slipper.
When casting on the stitches, you have half of the stitches each side of the bottom of the slipper. You will need to continue to work either on two circulars or one very long one using magic loop. If you have a small circular it may be possible to work on only one but I must admit I haven’t tried it.
Good luck with your knitting, Mindie
Thank you!! I can’t wait to get started
hello Mindie,
I thought I’d let you know that I just finished my first pair of the duffers and they turned out great!! What fun. I can see myself knitting a TON of these in the future. Thanks for your great pattern and help.