Crochet Pattern: Mary Jane or Ballet Style Slippers

I have looked at many patterns for slippers because they are usually a quick and easy project to crochet and I have ridiculously cold feet. There are many crochet patterns out there for Mary Jane or Ballet style slippers, but I could never get them to stay on my feet for whatever reason. The heel would always slide off my foot after taking a few steps. Because of this, I have several single slippers without a matching pair because they never fit - no matter what pattern I was using! I decided to come up with my own solution. I now add elastic cord around the opening of my slippers. This keeps them from sliding off my feet and it helps them retain their shape. I also have hard floors so adding a non-slip option was desirable. Puff paint works well and you can send it through the washing machine and dryer with no problems.

**Start instructions

Materials & Notions
1 ball sport or DK weight yarn (168yd/70g) will make 1 pair of slippers
Size G (4.25 mm) hook
Stitch marker
Size 1 mm elastic cord

Notes
To adjust size of slipper use a different hook size or add rounds to the body of the slipper and try on as you go along.
Follow the directions for making a strap if you prefer the Mary Jane style slippers. Leave the strap off if you prefer the Ballet style slippers.
The slippers in the this pattern are approximately a women's size 8 – 8.5 foot. Make two slippers.

Pattern
Do not join rounds, use the stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round.

Toe
Rnd 1: ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook (6 sts)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea st around (12 sts)
Rnd 3: * (sc in first st, 2 sc in next st), repeat from * around (18 sts)
Rnd 4: * (sc in first 2 sts, 2 sc in next st), repeat from * around (24 sts)
Rnd 5: * (sc in first 3 sts, 2 sc in next st), repeat from * around (30 sts)
Rnd 6: * (sc in first 4 sts, 2 sc in next st), repeat from * around (36 sts)
Rnds 7-21: sc ea st around (36 sts)

Arch
Rnd 22: sl st in first st, sc in same st and in next 25 sts leaving the last 10 sts unworked. Ch 1, turn (26 sts)
Rnds 23-31: sc in ea st across, ch 1, turn (26 sts)
Rnd 32: 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 24 sts, 2 sc in last st, ch 1 turn (28 sts)
Rnds 33-37: sc in ea st across, ch 1, turn (28 sts)
Rnd 38: 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 26 sts, 2 sc in last st, ch 1 turn (30 sts)
Rnds 39-42: sc in ea st across, ch 1, turn (30 sts)
Rnd 43: 2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 28 sts, 2 sc in last st, ch 1 turn (32 sts)
Rnds 44-47: sc in ea st across, ch 1, turn – do not fasten off (32 sts)

Heel
Join the heal with a sl st through each matching sc. Fasten off.

Adding Elastic
Thread the 1 mm elastic cord through a yarn needle and weave the cord, starting at the heel, around the entire opening of the slipper staying as close to the top of each ending stitch as possible. Before tying off the cord it helps to put the slipper on your foot and tighten the cord to where it feels snug, but comfortable. Tie the cord with the slipper still on your foot if you can reach. Dab the knot in the cord with a bit of clear-dry glue for extra reinforcement.

Edging
Starting at the heel, sc evenly around the entire opening of the slipper making sure that you insert your hook beneath the elastic cord for each stitch. Go around once or as many times that you prefer and decrease a couple of stitches for each round so as to keep the foot opening snug to the foot. The edging will also help hide the elastic cord.
Finish off and weave in all loose ends.

Strap (for the Mary Jane style slipper)
Join yarn to the area you want the strap and sc in next 3 sts. Ch1, turn, sc each st for 12 rows total or to the length desired. Slip stitch the last row of the strap to the opposite side of the slipper.

Slipper Grippers (optional)
Puff paint works well for adding a non-slip option to these slippers. Puff paint can be purchased an almost every craft store and comes in a variety of colors. Dab small dots of the paint to the bottom the finished slipper and let it dry according to the instructions on the bottle.

**End instructions

The pictures below were taken after repeated washings and drying's in a washing machine and dryer.