Freakishly Fast Knit

I started the Amy March Slippers (Ravelry link only available one) yesterday afternoon, I was 'done' with them within a few hours (watched two movies while working them). I used Judy's Magic Cast On ala Cat Bordhi's video guide to get going. This is a super easy cast on, once you get the flow going and do it a few times. I even did it with dpns! ;-)  I found for me since I don't have two sets of US 10 circs that using dpns was the way to go. I also found it easier to be successful if I did the first nine rounds on the cast on dpns.

The pattern just flowed from the beginning. I made two modifications from the original pattern. ;-) My Mods - 1) I followed a standard short row heel instead of trying to do the clusters. I’ve done them before so it was just easier for my brain to wrap itself around a known concept than her clusters.
2) Instead of letting the ribbon hold all those live stitches and be how the slipper is kept on the foot. I followed another knitters idea of picking up the side stitches then put the instep stitches on and picking up the opposite sides stitches and then knitting one round. The next round was a yo, k2tog around and then a knitted bind off. I think with the ribbon and cinching to fit the foot, it gives a little ruffley edge.

Do you always knit a pattern as it was intended the first time or go ahead and make changes as you deem appropriate?

The slippers still need to have their two ends woven in. Yes, just two ends each! Nothing like the French Press Slippers (FPS) that you have to seam together, then all those many ends to weave in. I have some t-shirt paint that I used on the FPS to put on the bottoms so that there's no danger of the giftee sliding and falling while wearing these on hardwood floors.

 Showing I still need to weave ends in.

 What they look like on and without ribbons to make them 'fit'.

 I wove in the ribbon on the side, obviously I need to do it from the front to get the bow there.

 I think the front definitely needs the bow over the instep. Not sure if they'll need something else.

These are some of my ribbon options. The really loose one is the one I used to take pics with (left). I also have some to the right that have wire in the ribbon, not sure how well that would work but an option. and then I have the two different satin ribbons that could be done singly, but I think would be better together. I don't have 'lacy' ribbon in the house, but could buy some. 

Which ribbon(s) would you pick?

An overall satisfying knit. I plan to do one more pair for someone. I think I can do the second pair from the same skein of Lamb's Pride Bulky. How awesome is that? The FPS needed two skeins to get one pair as a comparison point. Since I have two skeins of bulky and I like purple, I can make a pair for myself and maybe for the person I got the yarn from. (Are you peaking Tammy? - If you are, how long is your foot?) ;-)