Pattern Scout
Baby Booties: Greatest Hits
Ask and you shall receive. I needed baby bootie patterns, and readers delivered baby bootie patterns in abundance.
I wasn’t expecting to do this, but it seems like it would be convenient to list all the baby bootie patterns that readers thought fit to recommend. It’s a Greatest Hits album of baby booties. Put it on your big sister’s turntable, crank up the volume, and soak it in.
Cutest Booties, by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee aka the Yarn Harlot.
Saartje’s Booties, by Saartje de Bruijn.
Oh Baby! Baby Booties by DoubleDiamond Knits.
Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks by Ann Budd.
Baby Ugg Booties by iKnits.com.
Baby Uggs (which are different from the previous Baby Uggs), by Autumn Street.
Two Needle Cable Knit Baby Booties by Barbara Brieter.
Wee Baby Socks by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas.
Stay-On Baby Booties by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas.
Eco Baby Booties by Jen Gontier.
Stay-On Baby Booties by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas.
Lovebug Booties by Carrie Bostick Hoge.
Hodge by Stella Lange.
Bottom-Up Preemie Bootie (scroll to page 12).
The Baby Triplet Collection by Bekah Knits.
Baby Booties by Michelle of Ooo Baby Knits.
Seamless Baby Booties (Top-Down) by Laura Yarnthrower.
Christine’s Stay-On Baby Booties by Christine Bourquin.
Ruth’s Perfect Baby Booties by Ruth Bennett.
Epipa Baby Booties by Epipa Design.
Rye by tincanknits.
Jane’s Baby Booties by Ann Krekel.
Baby Life Ring Socks by Cat Bordhi.
I’m noticing a theme here. We want the booties to STAY. ON. Is that so much to ask? The knitter’s tools for affixing booties to baby feet are: ribbing, welting, long cuffs, and ties. Get those booties to stay on, by any means necessary.
Being pressed for time, I made these: Easiest Baby Booties Ever, by Gina Michele. I don’t think they will stay on any self-respecting baby’s feet for more than 30 seconds, but I’m not sure I care. Ninety percent of the point of baby booties is the fun of presenting them to the mother- or grandmother-to-be. Babies are free to kick them off. It’s what babies do. In this age of footie PJs, global warming, and helicopter parenting, their feet are not in danger of getting cold.
Having made few if any baby booties in my life, I cannot say if they are the easiest baby booties ever, but I do not feel that the claim is reckless; they were, as promised, easy. I made them in off-white cashmere that was handspun by Juliet Bernard, a precious gift that I’d been holding onto for years. (Handspun! Cashmere!)
I know they are impossibly tiny. Perhaps tinier even than a typical newborn human’s feet. But they are stretchy. I thought the grandmother-to-be would enjoy the origami construction, timeless and elegant.
This is a pattern where instructions are nearly superfluous. Once you see the picture, you understand how they are made.
What can I say, my life is an infomercial for Clover Wonder Clips. They really helped line up that triple-layer toe for whip-stitching.
The grandmother-to-be appreciated them. She also presented me with four baby kimonos in need of seaming.
My heart nearly burst to see a pile of our One-Piece Baby Kimonos, in a monochrome palette of cashmeres and merino wools, all knitted up for a new baby.
To help block this kimono trousseau, sewing circle mate Lisa, who is from Australia, donated a jug of Martha Gardener Wool Mix for woolens and delicates. This will make Baby think our world is a dreamy place that smells strongly of eucalyptus. On my next trip to Australia, I am going to stock up.
They are adorable.
My SIL told me the best baby booties she ever got from me were the baby socks I made with 2×2 rib. I’d best get cracking because she’s due on St. Patrick’s Day.
Hodge — definitely my favorite. But maybe not for accomplishing overnight, which is why I did not nominate them.
If you organized a Knitters-Trip-To-Australia, I would sign up!
At the risk of being an enabler, Claudia and Kay, the Bendigo Show is on in July: http://www.sheepshow.com/!
Oh that link! It looks like a marvelous show. Someday…
A feature of the Bendigo Show is the Women of Wool Lunch.
Remarkable women are always in demand as guest speakers.
Just saying…
Adorable! They remind me of fortune cookies.
Those are nice booties, but you may need to use rivets to keep them on the baby’s feet. Babies do take booties off –and use them to practice throwing things. The thrown bootie becomes the property of the cat (or dog, or random pigeon, or squirrel, etc.) that finds or catches it, and the baby’s mom or grandmom will never see that bootie again. I think this phenomenon was featured on an episode of that old Leonard Nimoy TV series, “In Search of;” You may have missed that episode. . . .
Cashmere for booties. Bwa-ha-ha! Only other knitters would get this.
Origami style–those booties go well with the one-piece baby kimono.
Ditto. Your pattern choice turned out to be quite synchronistic considering those four lovely kimonos. Lovely!
It would be awfully easy to add little ties near the ankle to help the booties stay on.
The origami baby sweater is my go-to. I make it with the sleeves a little bit longer and the body a little bit longer. Then I fold the sleeves to start, the parents unfold the sleeves as baby grows-and the baby sweater fits for quite a while! So long you could almost make it in cashmere! ;). For girl babies I put knitted flowers over each snap. Fantastic pattern!!
Thanks so much for rounding up the comments! Love your choice.
how sweet. Reminds me of the time I stepped off the M4 bus at the Met with baby and stroller and realized somewhere along the way he pulled off his sock. It was December. For the return trip, this guilty feeling mother put her glove on his foot.
I spent his teenage years taking him to Natural History to the Asimov lectures, and 92nd Street Y for things such as “The Science of Superheroes.” I knit.
I continue to go to art museums, though … Vigee-Lebrun!
And I love sewing up sweaters, and yes, YEA! wonderclips.
I had to click on the Martha Gardener link. It opened to an Aussie store called Coles and my “trolley” was empty. Their word for cart:)
Here’s a link to making your own wool mix – all you’ll need is to source some eucalyptus oil – but you could probably try lavender or peppermint instead. I think the euc oil is to keep moths at bay, so maybe some cedar or cyprus oil??
https://www.stayathomemum.com.au/houseandhome/diy-cleaning-products/home-made-wool-wash/
Thank you, Kay! I can tell you are a list-lover. I am too. I have lists stuck everywhere (list of items that can be made with 1 skein of Koigu KPPPM, list of stashed yarn in amounts for a sweater, list of frequent meals made when the kids were little, list of books read year by year along with starred ratings, etc. etc.). I am not sure if I am afraid I will forget something semi-important or it is just an attempt to be organized in some way. Probably both.
That Koigu list sounds like a gem!
Nancy, would love to know more about your list of things which can be made with one skein of Koigu. Now that’s a useful list!!
I have made easily over 100 pairs of the Christine baby booties— i can now knit a pair in 2 evenings. They are ALWAYS a big hit with the parents– because they do stay on. And most of the parents I lnow do use baby booties…anyhow after making one pair of theae i have never made any other ones.
Oh my goodness. the cutest baby booties ever! I just may make a dozen tonight. Or maybe that would be rushing something I’m not currently trying to rush. Oh, and I still have three unfinished projects in need of finishing…
Thank you for the long list of booties. You can hardly imagine how happy it made me to see these top picks all in one place. I will copy and keep it. I have brought hand-knit booties to quite a few baby showers, and had the guests burst into spontaneous applause, I think because they were the ONLY handmade gift presented to the expectant mother. Maybe also because booties are inherently cute. Love the one you made!
Funny…my first thought on seeing the “kimono” baby booties was that they would probably appeal to you! They are different, (not traditionally sock-like at all) look quick-to-knit, and reference the Heart-breakingly Cute Baby Kimono nicely.
I now see that I conflated the One-Piece Baby Kimono and Heartbreakingly Cute Pilot Cap pattern titles, but also see that they are at least by the same designer! Nice patterns both, Cristina Bernardi Shiffman!
Why I love your blog! First, the practical list of baby bootie patterns. Second, the reminder why we knit. I agree, 90% of the fun of baby booties is gifting the family of the soon to be newborn baby. So I created a Project so I could post a photo here of my then 6 month old grandson removing his sock during my attempt at a photo shoot. I don’t think I ever saw him wear these cute little rainbow socks!
But still fun to knit! And I know his mommy appreciated the effort. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Suzzanne/coreys-socks
When it is not your baby, cuteness trumps practicalness every time! And those are adorable!
Comment
Those booties are cuties! Thank you for putting that valuable list all in one place.
I have often made the baby socks, lately the Churchmouse version, and received more OOHs and AAHs than with any bootees and the pair can be made in an evening. One change I would make re Churchmouse is to make the ribbing of the cuff longer so the socks stay on even better
What an awesome list!! Have made several on the list but none in cashmere. That will be next because what adorable baby doesn’t need cashmere booties 🙂
I haven’t gone through the complete list yet! Pure cuteness!
Saartje’s are my hands down favorite! I made my first pair in charcoal gray with yellow trim HiKoo CoBaSi yarn and yellow elephant buttons for my nephew. They were so soft and sweet!
Have I been overtaken by yarn fumes? I want to try making these booties for myself. Just a big T of yarn, the length of my foot (or a bit longer), whip-stitched together. Hmmmmmmm.
I like the way you roll….
thank you so much for posting this…. I am finishing these today and the clips are a great idea!!!!! thank you!
You are so welcome, Angela. It makes me happy when an old post is useful to someone.
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