How to knit baby booties
Have a go at a beginner lace pattern and welcome a newborn to the world with Monica Russel’s cute baby booties.
Published:
Learn how to knit baby booties with this quick and easy design created by Monica Russel for Simply Knitting issue 142.
These plain-looking baby booties have a little secret: a pretty lace pattern on the soles. They’re simple to knit as they’re worked flat and then sewn up, so there’s no heel turning or Kitchener stitching to think about. This makes them ideal for knitting on the go, or as a speedy last-minute gift – and we think baby will love wearing them too!
The yarn we’ve used for this project, Patons Fairytale Merino Mix DK, comes in lots of pale pastel colours that are a great choice for baby knits. It’s been tested for colour fastness and saliva-resistance, so you don’t need to worry if baby gives their new booties a chew!
New parents will appreciate having some bigger hand-knits for baby to wear, as their little one will quickly grow out of their smallest clothes, so our pattern includes three sizes, from newborn to 12 months. It’s a good idea to go for a bigger size than they currently need – or, if you have enough time, why not make all three pairs?
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To knit these baby booties you will need:
- Patons, Fairytale Merino Mix DK (50% wool, 50% polyamide, 50g/120m), 1 ball of Vanilla (01021)
- Buy this yarn at www.deramores.com
- A pair of 4mm knitting needles
- A tapestry needle
How to knit baby booties
Check out our knitting abbreviations for the terms used in this pattern.
Tension
Yarn used knits as DK to this tension: 22 sts and 30 rows to measure 10x10cm over st st using 4mm needles
Sizes
Newborn-3 months (3-6 months: 6-12 months)
Cast on your baby bootees
Cast on 27 (35: 43) sts using 4mm needles.
Row 1 (WS) Ktbl to end.
Row 2 K1, yo, K12 (16: 20), yo, K1, yo, K12 (16: 20), yo, K1. [31 (39: 47) sts]
Row 3 Knit.
Row 4 K1, yo, K14 (18: 22), yo, K1, yo, K14 (18: 22), yo, K1. [35 (43: 51) sts]
Row 5 Knit.
Row 6 K1, yo, K16 (20: 24), yo, K1, yo, K16 (20: 24), yo, K1. [39 (47: 55) sts]
Rows 7–17 Knit.
Shape baby booties toes
Row 1 Sl1, K14 (19: 23), k2tog, K5, sl1, K1, psso, sl1, yo, turn.
Row 2 K2tog, K5, sl1, K1, psso, yo, sl1 pwise, turn.
Row 3 K2tog, K5, sl1, K1, psso, sl1, yo, turn.
Row 4 K2tog, K5, sl1, K1, psso, yo, sl1 pwise, turn.
Row 5 K2tog, K5, sl1, K1, psso, sl1, turn.
Row 6 P2tog tbl, P5, p2tog, sl1 pwise, turn.
Row 7 K2tog, K5, sl1, K1, psso, sl1, turn.
Row 8 P2tog tbl, P5, p2tog, sl1 pwise, turn.
Row 9 K2tog, K5, sl1, K1, psso, knit to end of row. [21 (29: 37) sts]
Row 10 K7 (11: 15), P6, K8 (12: 16).
Knit 22 (24: 26) rows.
Cast off using the picot method as follows:
Cast off 2 sts, *return 1 st on needle to left-hand needle, cast on 2 sts using cable cast on, cast off 4 sts; rep from * to end of row.
Make up the baby booties
Using mattress stitch, sew up the sole seam, then the back seam reversing the seam 3½cm from the cast-off edge for the turn back.
Download your baby booties knitting pattern:
Want to knit this pattern offline or on-the-go? Get your free PDF copy below.
Authors
As well spending her working life thinking about yarn, Sarah designs knitting patterns in her spare time, too!
