Try and try again! Especially if everything seems to fail time after time. I managed to design and knit baby booties with Dona yarn that will fit a 3 to 6-month-old. Yesterday, I described the “walking through quicksand” efforts it took to get the right amount of stitches for knitting baby size booties. I hope you like seed stitch enough to knit up this quick project.
This Sweet Pea pink merino wool Dona yarn is the perfect yarn to knit these sweet booties.
Baby Booties
finished measurements 3½” x 1¾” (3-6 months)
materials
1 ball Dona by Fibra Natura; Size 6 US [4mm] needles; Size 7 US [4.5mm] needles for
gauge
22 sts and 26 rows = 4″ on size 6 US [4mm] needles or size necessary to obtain gauge.
Pattern Stitches
Seed Stitch (odd number of stitches)
Row 1: [K1, p1] across to last st, K1.
Repeat Row 1 for pattern.
Special Stitches
Double Decrease (d-dec): Sl 1 st purlwise, k2tog, psso.
Hitch-st on purl side: Yarn should already be at front of work as this is purl side, slip first st purlwise [as if to purl], tug on yarn to the right and take over right-hand needle to the back, bring yarn up through both needle tips, give it one more tug, [this is known as the purl hitch-stitch-abbrev: ph-st],
Working hitch-sts off needles: purl or knit into both strands of next hitch stitch [check the German Short Rows video below] to maintain pattern of Seed Stitch.
Abbreviations
K = knit; P = purl; pm = place marker; psso = pass slipped stitch over; rm = remove marker, rem = remaining; sl = slip; ssk = slip, slip, knit; tog = together.
Top of Bootie
Cable Cast on 55 stitches with size 7 US [4.5mm] needles. Change to size 6 US [4mm] needles.
Rows 1 & 2: Work in Seed Stitch for 2 rows.
Row 3: Work in Seed Stitch across 27 sts, pm, p1, pm, k1, p1, k1, p1, turn, leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 4: Work ph-st [see Special Stitches above], slipping markers as you come to them here and throughout, [k1, p1]x4, turn, leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 5: Work ph-st, [k1, p1]x3, k1, purl off hitch-st, [k1, p1]x2, turn, leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 6: Work ph-st, [k1, p1]x5, k1, purl off hitch-st, [k1, p1]x2, turn, leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 7: Work ph-st, work in Seed Stitch across to next hitch st, purl off hitch-st, continue in Seed Stitch as established.
Row 8: Work in Seed Stitch as established, working off hitch stitch when you encounter it.
Row 9: Work in Seed Stitch across 16 sts, d-dec, work in Seed Stitch up to and including center stitch, sl next marker, work in Seed Stitch across 8 sts, d-dec, p1, k1, pm, p1, work in Seed Stitch across rem 13 sts—51 sts total
Row 10: Work in Seed Stitch across.
Row 11: Work in Seed Stitch across 14 sts, d-dec, work in Seed Stitch up to and including center stitch, sm, k1, p1, k1, p1, turn, leaving rem sts unworked—49 sts total.
Rows 12-14: Rep Rows 4-6
This i-cord bind off creates a stretchy and cute mini-cuff for this baby bootie.
Row 15: Work ph-st, work in Seed Stitch across to next hitch st, purl off hitch-st, continue in Seed Stitch as established across to 3 sts before last marker, d-dec, rm, p1, work in Seed Stitch across–47 sts total.
Row 16: Work in Seed Stitch across first 10 sts, turn, leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 17: Work ph-st, work in Seed Stitch across.
Row 18: Work in Seed Stitch across to next hitch st, purl off hitch-st, continue in Seed Stitch as established across.
Rows 19-20: Rep Rows 16-17.
Row 21: Work in Seed Stitch across to next hitch st, purl off hitch-st, k1, p1, d-dec, work in seed st across next 17 sts, d-dec, p1, work in Seed Stitch across rem sts–43 sts total.
Row 22: Work in Seed Stitch across.
Row 23: Work in Seed Stitch across first 10 sts, d-dec, p1, k1, p1, d-dec, work in Seed Stitch as established across next 5 sts, d-dec, p1, k1, p1, d-dec, work in Seed Stitch as established across—31 sts total.
Row 24: Work in Seed Stitch across.
Row 25: Work in Seed Stitch across 20 sts, turn, leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 26: Work ph-st, [k1, p1] x 4, turn.
Row 27: Work ph-st, [k1, p1] x 3, k1, purl off ph-st, work in Seed Stitch across.
Row 28: Work in Seed Stitch across.
Definitely one of my favorite superwash merino yarns. Dona is gentle and not itchy, perfect for baby.
I-cord bind off
Cable cast on 2 sts at beginning of row.
Row 1: Knit 2, sl 1, k1, psso, return 3 sts to LH needle.
Repeat Row 1 until 4 sts remain.
Last Row: K2tog, ssk, pass first st over 2nd. Fasten off.
Seam
Using Mattress Stitch, seam short ends of piece together beginning at i-cord bind off. Weave in ends.
Sole
Row 1: Starting 3 sts away from seam, with right side facing, pick up and knit 3 sts before seam and 3 sts after.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: Pick up and knit 1 in the first stitch in edge of bootie to the right of the tip of the LH needle, knit across sts on needle, pick up and knit 2 sts from edge of bootie.
Row 4: Purl across, pick up and purl 2 more stitches from edge of bootie—11 sts.
Row 5: Pick up and knit 1 in the first stitch in edge of bootie to the right of the tip of the LH needle, knit across, pick up and knit 1 more stitch from edge of bootie—13 sts.
Row 6: Purl across to last 2 sts, p2tog—12 sts.
Row 7: Pick up and knit 1 in the first stitch in edge of bootie to the right of the tip of the LH needle, knit across to last st, sl 1, pick up and knit 1 more stitch from edge of bootie, psso—13 sts.
Row 8: Purl across to last 2 sts, p2tog—12 sts.
Rows 9-32: Rep Rows 7 & 8.
The sole of the bootie is knit last by picking up stitches along the edges and incorporating them into the base.
Row 33: Pick up and knit 1 in the first stitch in edge of bootie to the right of the tip of the LH needle, ssk, knit across to last 3 sts, k2tog, sl 1, pick up and knit 1 more stitch from edge of bootie, psso—11 sts.
Row 34: Purl across to last 2 sts, p2tog—10 sts.
Rows 35-38: Rep Rows 33 & 34—6 sts.
Toe point
Option 1: Bind off. Sew bound-off edge to toe edge of bootie with mattress stitch.
Option 2: Graft with mock Kitchener stitch the sts on the needle to the parallel stitches from the cast-on edge of the toe of the bootie.
The sole of the bootie is worked in stockinette stitch and the sheen of Dona yarn really highlights each stitch.
I have two more patterns coming to you this week. All are knit with Fibra Natura Dona merino yarn and they are both designs for baby I hope you come back and check them out.
This is part 2 of 5 in this series.
Go back to part 1: Designing seed-stitch baby booties in Dona yarn
The post Creative shaping makes excellent knitted baby booties! appeared first on KNITmuch.
