Crochet Sweater Boots with Flip Flop Soles - Part 4

Okay, so now all that we have left is to work this upper ankle section. And we're going to be doing almost all of this in rows instead of rounds because we're going to be working from one side around and then turning and coming back. So we need a stitch marker where this flap is going to begin and end. So I put a stitch marker about two-thirds of the way back on my sole. So it's ending right here on the outside of the ankle because this is the right foot. If you're doing the left foot, then it's the same spot, just on the outside of that boot. So this is the only spot in the pattern where the right and the left foot are worked slightly differently. So this would be a great time to make sure that you have the free written pattern. And again, you can find that on makeanddocrew.com and it's also in the description box below. But you're going to want to follow along with each row for the right and left foot because they're going to be just slightly different. So for the rest of this video, I'm going to show you the right foot just so that you can understand the techniques we're going to use, and then you can apply the same concepts to your left foot. So the rest of the pattern is going to be worked in your largest hook, which is an L. And I'm going to begin by single crocheting all the way to the stitch marker, and then we are going to work 8 chains. Again, if you're working the left foot, it's going to vary just a little bit from this, so please reference the written pattern for row-by-row instructions. Now that I've made it to my stitch marker, I'm going to work that last stitch before the stitch marker, and then I'm going to chain 8 right here as if I was starting a new row. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. And now we're going to start calling these rows instead of rounds because I'm actually going to turn this and single crochet in these chains just like it were a new row. So I'm going to work into the second chain, and I'm going to single crochet the next 7 chains. Now that I'm back to the body of the boot, I'm going to work the rest of this ankle section in single crochet through the back loop only. So that has worked just like a regular single crochet, except for you're going to put your hook through only the back loop instead of both of the loops right here. So I'm doing just a regular single crochet, except for instead of putting my hook right here, I'm putting my hook right in between the two loops and only going under the back one. And that's going to create the ribbed texture that's on this ankle section. So for this row, I'm going to work in single crochet through the back loop only all the way back around to the stitch marker. I'm going to work that marked stitch and then turn. Now I've worked the marked stitch right here, and I don't need to put the marker back in because I'm going to know this is the end because I'm going to turn the work and so this is going to just start being its own piece going up the side. So I'm going to work the next row in single crochet through the back loop only all the way around. We're going to go all the way around here and work the flap in the same way. And for this row, I'm going to chain one, turn my work, and just do single crochet in the back loop only all the way back to this edge again. Now this next row is going to be a little bit different because we're going to add a buttonhole at the end of it. And again, this is slightly different on the left foot, so make sure you reference the free written pattern because the buttonholes will happen at the beginning of the row instead. So I'm going to chain one and then I'm going to single crochet through the back loop only until there's three stitches left in this row. So we'll be ending up over here with three stitches left. Now that I have three stitches remaining on this row, I'm going to chain one and skip the next stitch. So that's going to create a hole. And then I'm just going to single crochet through the back loop only of the last two stitches of this row. So that's going to create a hole that's good for about a three-quarter inch size button. Mine are three-quarter inches. And if you decide you want to use buttons that are significantly bigger, I would just chain two and skip two stitches and that's going to make a bigger buttonhole. So now that you know how to single crochet through the back loop only and create a buttonhole, you have all the skills that you need to complete this ankle section. And the pattern is written to use basically all but a few inches of one skein of yarn. So if you get to the top of it and don't have enough to complete the last row, that's okay. Don't work the last row then. Just simply tear it out until you get to the beginning of the row and then fasten off right there. I wanted to just use as much of the yarn as I could, but everyone's tension is a little bit different when they're crocheting, so you might end up with a little more or less yarn left over than I did. All right, now that you've worked the rest of your boot and woven in any extra yarn, let's talk about sewing the buttons on. This is really straightforward, but I'll just offer a couple tips in case you haven't ever used buttons in a crochet project. I sewed mine on just using a regular needle and thread. And what I do to line them up to know where to sew them is basically I didn't want this pulling too tight and I didn't want it too loose, so I just lay it out about where it would naturally want to fall. And then I just lined up these rows, these ridges, to make sure that I wasn't going to sew the buttons in a way that they wouldn't really line up with the holes. And then I just placed each button right under the hole to get an idea of where I wanted it to be sewn, because really what's important so that this can lay flat is that the buttons are right aligned with each hole that you have. You should have three holes, unless you modified the pattern. And so just sew them on really, really well so that they can withstand a little bit of tugging when you're getting your boot on and off. But in reality, I can easily get this on and off my foot without undoing the buttons. So they're really more just for looks. I really hope you enjoyed this crochet sweater boot pattern and that your feet stay cozy warm all winter long. If you're looking for more ways to turn flip-flops into crocheted slippers and shoes, check out my blog MakeAndDoCrew.com for several more free patterns using flip-flops and yarn. Thanks for watching and happy crocheting!