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Piranha slippers

When I made the fluffy bunny slippers from Debbie Stoller’s Happy Hooker for myself last year, my husband already dropped the not so subtle hint that he would like a pair of slippers as well. Not fluffy, not bunnies, but the basic slippers. So I thought I would drop the bunny ears and just maze a simple face on them. Nothing fancy, just a simple pair. Wouldn’t that go fast? Sure, I needed to make them a bit bigger, but still.

But while I was working on them, my husband started tweaking them. Or, more accurate, he started asking alterations and left the tweaking to me. It was a bit like having a crochet coach. So every time I was nearly finished, some other question came up, something like “Can you make them higher around the ankles?” “Can they get a big fin, like a shark?” “Can you stuff the fin?” “Can you make some teeth as well?” “Are they finished yet, I’d really like to wear them now.”

Piranha slippers

I must say, I may have sighed with every question. I may even have cursed now and then, who knows? But in the end I must admit it paid to follow his input. I love these guys! Although they do look more like a piranha than like a shark to me.

What I liked
I experimented with crochet shaping, and I really liked that.

Rough patches
I think there might be a mistake in the original. I know I had some trouble getting the right amount of stitches for the bottom sole the last time I made them, but then I thought it was just me. This time I encountered them again, so maybe it wasn’t my fault at all! I forgot to write down how I solved it, though. Sorry about that!

What I altered

To get my husband the slippers he wanted, I did the following:
  • I enlarged the slipper by adding a few rounds to every part.
  • I made the slippers taller around the ankles. They’re still a bit too loose though, so that plan didn’t really work out as it was supposed to.
  • I swapped the ears and cute face for a more “malicious” looking piranha. 

Pattern
To enlarge the pattern so they would fit my husband, I added about 3 rounds to every part. To get the stitch count right, just follow the logic of the pattern. Not hard at all!

As for the rest of the alterations, this is the first time that I’ve written out a crochet pattern. Should you encounter any mistakes and/or things that are not clear, please let me know, so I can correct the pattern. Thanks!

Fin (make 2 per slipper)
  • Hook: 5,5 mm / I
  • Yarn: Phildar Impact 3 1/2, jeans (same as slippers)
Ch11
Row 1: sc2tog in 2nd and 3rd ch from hook, sc in remaining 8 sts. Ch1 and turn. (9)
Row 2: sc in next 9 sts. Ch1 and turn. (9)
Row 3: sc3tog, sc in next 6 sts. Ch1 and turn. (7)
Row 4: sc in next 7 sts. Ch1 and turn. (7)
Row 5: sc3tog, sc in next 4 sts. Ch 1 and turn. (5)
Row 6: sc in next 5 sts. Ch 1 and turn. (5)
Row 7: sc3tog, BO.
Finishing: sew the two parts together, leaving an opening at the bottom. Fill it with stuffing, then sew it on to the top of the slipper.

Note: I realize that on one side of the fin, the wrong side will be showing on the outside, but this is the way I did it.

Eyes
  • Hook: 3,5 mm / E
  • Yarn: Phildar Impact 3 1/2, white (scraps)
White background (make 2 per slipper):
Ch4
Rnd 1: 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, rotate so as to work through back loops, 2sc in 1st loop, sc in next back loop, 2sc in last back loop, sl st to join (10)
Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 sc in 1st st, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next 2 sts, sc in next 3sts, 2 sc in next st, sl st to join (14)
Rnd 3: ch 1, sc in 1st st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st, sl st to join (17)
Bind off
Black pupil (make 2 per slipper)
  • Hook: 3,5 mm / E
  • Yarn: Phildar Lambswool, black (scraps)

Ch2
Rnd 1: 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sl st to join (3)
Rnd 2: ch1, 2 sc in each st, sl st to join (6)
Rnd 3: ch 1, [2 sc in st, sc in st] 3 times (9)
Bind off

Teeth
  • Hook: 3,5 mm / E
  • Yarn: Phildar Impact 3 1/2, white (scraps)

Ch2
Rnd 1: 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sl st to join (3)
Rnd 2: ch1, 2 sc in each st, sl st to join (6)
Rnd 3: ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (6)
Rnd 4: ch1, [2 sc in st, sc in st] 3 times, sl st to join (9)
Rnd 5: ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (9)
Rnd 6: ch1, [2sc in st, sc in next 2 st] 3 times, sl st to join (12)
Rnd 7: ch1, sc in each st, sl st to join (12)
Bind off

So now they are ready to be worn! Poor bunny slippers, they never stood a chance!

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