Knitting updates aka On Commission!

Crap, I let another month pass yet again. It's still been pretty busy around here, with no signs of letting up. I have tons to share, but just haven't gotten around to it. I hope to get caught up here during August. I haven't been knitting all that much until about a week or two ago. So let's get on with the updates, shall we?
I'm (still) working on the Clapotis for a super-late gift. I just got to the point in the pattern where I dropped the first stitch. It just doesn't feel right leaving it off the needles and watching that stitch unravel... it's a rather sickening feeling, I tell ya. I hope I did it right, that's all I gotta say.

I was at a friend's birthday party celebration last month and my friend P and his partner J came up to me during the party and said that they have a project for me. Intrigued, I asked what they had in mind. Turns out they want to commission me to make some slippers. I was a little hesitant and did not commit at first, as I felt that I wasn't up to any level of taking knitting requests with my skills (considering I haven't been knitting much of anything these days), but they looked so desperate and pleaded with me with these eyes (that's times two, I might add) that I couldn't say no. Needless to say, I told them I'd at least take a look at the slippers and see what I can do.

So the other weekend, I go over to P and J's house for a bbq and they show me the slippers that P's grandmother had knit for him. He explains that his grandmother knit these slippers all the time growing up, but has now reached an age where she can no longer knit, so this pair was the last pair he has from his grandma. While on a recent trip back to Quebec (where P grew up), they found a pair at a bed and breakfast, but they were made slightly different from the pattern P's grandma knit and were a little tight around the toes (photo below). You can tell that the toe area is knit in a ribbing pattern and perhaps the reason for the snugness.

So I took the two pairs home to have a look at them and see if I can replicate the pattern. This picture below is of the slipper that P's grandmother knit for him. Although the top of the slippers are still in good condition, the soles are pretty worn out, as in completely worn through in some areas of the sole. You can tell P really enjoyed wearing these slippers around the house and I got a little emotional. I love the fact that something that someone hand knit for a person can be loved and enjoyed to that point, but sad that the person who knit it some time ago can no longer do so. I made it a point right then and there that I would take on this challenge in honor of his grandmother, a fellow knitter, and knit him and J a pair of slippers that his grandma would be proud of.

So upon doing more research, I find that these slippers are pretty common in the Québécois household and that many people have memories of their grandmothers knitting these slippers. Many even knit extras to have on hand for guests, to ensure anyone visiting one's home can keep their toes toasty warm during the cold winters up north. The other thing I noticed is the yarn. It felt synthetic. Very synthetic (and scratchy and splitty). It wasn't a type of yarn I find myself wanting to knit with necessarily. As a self-professed yarn snob who loves animal fibers, scratchy acrylic is the last thing I thought I'd find myself knitting with, but I wanted to be as authentic as I can in making these slippers for P and J. I finally traced this yarn to a Canadian brand called Phentex, and they make this synthetic yarn to make these slippers. So I found myself ordering this online and am waiting for the shipment to arrive this week. I hear it's a very splitty yarn and I will probably be caught bitching and whining and moaning and putting my trucker mouth to full use as I knit these slippers, but I hope to surprise P and J with an authentic replica of his "grand-maman's slippers". Thanks to Ravelry, I was also able to find a few patterns to follow for guidance/reassurance. The slippers are basically knit flat in garter stitch, then seamed at the heel and at the top of the slippers. Easy peasy, if I do say so myself!

So this is my test knit so far. I used some Lion Brand Thick & Quick (and just to clarify my acrylic yarn snobbery comment earlier, I don't mind knitting w/ acrylic, as long as it's a blend w/ wool or other natural fiber and that it's not scratchy and splitty) . I'm making these as a test knit, and Bear will be the recipient of the test knit, as I'm tired of him walking around w/ ice-cold feet during the winter around here. Who knows, maybe we'll have a few pairs of grand-maman's slippers for many people this winter if I'm successful :)