Hi everyone!
I was wondering if there was a way to make slippers from the sole upward. All the patterns I've looked at start at the cuff. I don't want to begin at the toe, either, because I want slippers that looks like classic red sneakers, laces and all, and I don't think I could achieve that look if I were to start at the toe. If anyone has any idea on how to start at the bottom and work your way up, I'd really appreciate your post.

I've never made slippers--but couldn't you make the sole and then pick up stitches along the edges and knit up, as for a workbag?

The fiber trends clog has a bottom up sole. I think you could take some sneakers (I am assuming Converse all stars) and study them for a bit and come up with some pretty good facsimiles with a bit of experimentation .
If you used the sole pattern and then knitted the front half of the toe you might be able to pick up around the back edge and make the back end of it from there. a good look at how your sneaker is constructed would be a good starting place. I love improvised projects like this. let me know how it turns out.

I can't remember where I saw it or if I downloaded it, but there is a pattern out there on the web somewhere that is exactly what you describe. It is a knitted sneaker complete with shoelaces and it is in red yarn to look like a pair of converse tennis shoes. Don't know why but I keep thinking it is in the Drops archives. Will try to look for it the next day or so but have to check my binders since idiots who have been ordered not to drive in this storm keep hitting poles when out trying to find cigarettes or beer. Am tired of having lights for only an hour or two at a time. That makes running the 'puter very much a bit hard.

LIke Dances I have only made mine from the sole up. and I have used Fiber Trends pattern.

I was thinking of Converse-type sneakers, only without the star, but now that you mention it, I think it would be cool to work that in.
Does anyone know how much larger I should make the slipper so it won't be teeny tiny or out of proportion after I felt it? Also, should I make separate pieces, then felt and sew them together afterwards, or should I just make it all one piece?
This will be my first felting project, by the way, and any advice as to the felting part would be greatly appreciated. For example, does it make any difference if I use liquid or powdered soap, and do you recommend hand-felting or machine washing (I don't have a top-load washer)?

This is no where near a sneaker design but to get an idea of how to make a sole-up slipper, Berrocco has free pattern for a ballet slipper style called Sascha using Berrocco Suede.

Somewhere (over the rainbow) deep in the archive there is some felting info. If you use the fiber trends pattern you will have a pretty good bead on the length and the toe. my personal rule of thumb is the ratio number 1.25. take your desired measurements and then multiply by 1.25.That gives you the unfelted gauge, the length, the width and it tends to work mostly. Another way to figure out what may work is to knit a swatch of the desired yarn in what you think might work well, measure and count carefully and write it down. Then felt your swatch to the max, let it dry and re measure. now you take the final measurements and divide that by the original measurements to get some sort of number that is more than 1. If I have mixed up what you divide by what, and your number is less than 1, do it the other way. The number must be more than 1. Then you take the more than 1 number and multiply every other number that you need by it to get everything from cast on to how long you knit etc.
as far as basic felting instructions, see if you can unearth the good stuff in the archive.
The other addition to the archive stuff is: buy a zippered pillowcase cover to put your to be felted object in. Lots of yarns shed fluff when felting and it can ruin your water pump. Zippered pillow covers corral the fluff. (They are great for holding the apple goo for pressing when you are cidering a tree as well, but that is another story) If you want to get a good bead on felting before you embark on your shoe project, the first mason dixon knitting book has a set of felted boxes and the smallest one will give you an excellent view of how this might work out with your knitting style and washing equipment. Always measure the object before and after so you can see what it does.
This is really cool, please keep us updated.

Thank you so much!!
I haven't been able to get the yarn yet, but that's because I don't want to spend the extra money on shipping. It shouldn't be long, though, before I go to the craft store.
I was going to get Lion Brand 100% Wool, 2 balls Scarlet, one White. That should be enough yarn, right?

Here are 3 fabulous knitted sneakers, including a Converse! They're by a German artist named Nina Braun.

Since they were made as original art, I don't imagine patterns are available. But, from the pictures, they have leather soles, which you can buy at patternworks.com. It looks as though the edging around the soles is made of fabric and sewn into place. The uppers are knitted.
Most of the patterns I've seen for knitted and slippers emulate socks. These seem to be patterned after real shoes. I think you could start at the toe and knit a flat piece upward, splitting for the two sides. Then all you would need is a small seam at the heel. Another thought: google SEWING patterns for shoes to get the right shape for the upper.

I hope this link works: I can't seem to paste a URL into this window.
mocoloco.com/art/archives/004984

That artist is AMAZING!!!! I'd be happy even if mine ended up half as good as hers.
I get the impression that the soles are felted, not made of leather, but that may just be me. I really like, too, how she felted some parts, knit others, and then sewed it all together. It makes it look more realistic, dimensional. I think that is what I am going to try to do. Thank you so much, BaaBaa!

Hey!
I just got the yarn for the slippers (ended up with Paton's 100% Wool instead: the store didn't have Lion Brand.) I got 1 skein Red and 2 White.
I am starting with the sole. Have decided to wing it using the advice of Dances. I cast on 20 stitches on size 8 needles (my gauge is smaller than usual) and worked those stitches in stockinette for some rows. Now I'm increasing every other row until it is as wide as it needs to be (plus a little extra) for the widest point of my foot.

If you are going to felt this slipper, I strongly suggest you make a swatch using both these yarns, take accurate pre-felting measurements, felt the swatch and measure again. This will give you a more accurate idea how much larger your item will need to be to felt down to the size you want.

Also, in my very limited experience with felting, you actually want to use larger needles to knit more loosely. Somehow having all that space around them allows the wool to felt better. Google around some free felting projects and I think that you will see most of them use needles 2-3 sizes larger than they normally would for a given yarn.

Thanks!
I thought you wanted to knit more tightly when you planned to felt. I haven't been able to get too far on the sole (been working), so I won't have a problem ripping it out and starting over with a swatch.
The yarn calls for size 7 needles. I was using 8, but I do have nines. I think I'll try both and see what works best.

Do your swatches with both colors since some colors, even of the same yarn, will felt at different rates.