Buachaille Baffies

Here’s the first pattern – or rather pair of patterns – for the Seven Skeins Club!

The Scots term for a pair of house slippers, or hüttenschuhe, is baffs or baffies. The term seems particularly common in Fife and around Perth, where my friend Mel hails from. When not tripping lightly in her high heeled shoes, Mel can generally be found padding around in a pair of baffies. These are Mel’s neat feet, in a pair of Buachaille Baffies.

Mel’s pair are extremely simple to make. You begin as you would for a toe-up sock, later dividing at the top of the foot to knit back and forth, creating a hard-wearing but flexible garter stitch heel, which is seamlessly joined at the back with a three-needle bind off.

The baffies are finished with a neat i-cord edging.

Mel’s pair are made in Buachaille shades Highland Coo and Squall. If you were feeling more adventurous, you could make yourself the stranded version of the pattern, which I am wearing here, in shades Highland Coo and Ptarmigan.

My pair are constructed in exactly the same manner as Mel’s, with a stranded colourwork pattern added across the foot. The pattern recalls the mountains which inspired my yarn!

The sizing of these baffies is pretty flexible and there are instructions in the pattern to make them fit well (by adjusting the rounds on the foot and adding garter stitch ridges at the heel you can make a pair of baffies for pretty much anyone).

I found this a strangely addictive pattern, both to design and make. Once I’d finalised the shape I simply couldn’t stop whipping up baffies! I really enjoyed knitting them and hope that you do too. And if you are wondering about the backdrop to our baffies, Mel and I are modelling these on an incredibly luxurious sheepskin beanbag made by our friends at the Real Shetland company. Cosy!

If you are a subscriber to the Seven Skeins Club, you will be receiving an email today with a download code and link to enable you to access the patterns for the Buachaille Baffies, in both striped and stranded versions.

If you have any queries about the patterns, please post these to the thread in my Ravelry group. The group should be your first port of call for any questions, and we are checking in several times a day.

And if you have not received your download link by Saturday, please let us know by emailing infoATkatedaviesdesigns.com

If posting progress pictures or finished projects on social media, please use the hashtags #Sevenskeinsclub or #Buachaille so that we can see and admire what you are making!

Enjoy your Buachaille Baffies!