GRANDMA MARY’S BABY BOOTIES
SIZE: NEWBORN
KNITTING NEEDLES, SIZE 2
1 OUNCE BABY OR FINGERING WEIGHT—COLOR VARIATIONS WILL REQUIRE DIFFERING
PROPORTIONS OF MAIN COLOR YARN AND CONTRAST COLOR YARN
1 STITCH MARKER OR LOOP OF CONTRASTING YARN
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND HINTS:
"INCREASE" MEANS TO "MAKE ONE", I.E., LIFT THE RUNNING THREAD BETWEEN THE STITCHES AND PLACE IT ON THE LEFT NEEDLE, THEN KNIT INTO THE BACK OF IT.
"FRONT" OF WORK MEANS THE SIDE FACING THE KNITTER, NOT NECESSARILY THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE KNITTED PIECE.
"WRAP NEXT STITCH" MEANS TO SLIP NEXT STITCH FROM THE LEFT NEEDLE TO THE RIGHT NEEDLE, BRING THE YARN TO THE FRONT OF THE WORK BETWEEN THE STITCHES ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT NEEDLES, THEN SLIP THE PREVIOUSLY SLIPPED STITCH BACK TO THE LEFT NEEDLE.
WHEN CHANGING YARN COLORS IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROW, ALWAYS PICK UP THE NEW COLOR FROM UNDERNEATH THE OLD COLOR TO AVOID LEAVING A HOLE IN THE FINISHED WORK.
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS (SOLID-COLOR BOOTIES):
LOOSELY CAST ON 40 STITCHES, LEAVING A TEN INCH TAIL OF YARN FOR WEAVING THE SOLE SEAM.
KNIT ONE ROW.
ROW 2 (WRONG SIDE): KNIT 20, INCREASE, KNIT 20 (41 STITCHES).
ROWS 3, 5 & 7: KNIT 3, INCREASE, KNIT TO WITHIN THREE STITCHES OF END OF ROW, INCREASE, KNIT 3.
ROW 4: KNIT 21, INCREASE, KNIT 1, INCREASE, KNIT 21 (45 STITCHES).
ROW 6: KNIT 22, INCREASE, KNIT 3, INCREASE, KNIT 22 (49 STITCHES).
ROW 8: KNIT 23, INCREASE, KNIT 5, INCREASE, KNIT 23 (53 STITCHES).
ROW 9: KNIT 23, INCREASE, KNIT 7, INCREASE, KNIT 23 (55 STITCHES).
ROW 10: KNIT 23, INCREASE, KNIT 9, INCREASE, KNIT 23 (57 STITCHES).
ROWS 11 THROUGH 16: KNIT EVEN.
ROW 17: KNIT 14, PLACE MARKER (*), KNIT 18, KNIT 2 TOGETHER, WRAP NEXT STITCH, TURN WORK, KNIT 8, KNIT 2 TOGETHER, WRAP NEXT STITCH, TURN WORK. FROM THIS POINT ON, THE SECOND STITCH OF THE 2 KNITTED TOGETHER WILL BE THE STITCH THAT WAS WRAPPED ON THE PREVIOUS ROW. CONTINUE IN THIS WAY UNTIL THE 2 STITCHES TO BE KNITTED TOGETHER ARE THE LAST 2 BEFORE THE MARKER, KNIT 2 TOGETHER, REMOVE MARKER AND WRAP NEXT STITCH, TURN WORK AND KNIT TO END OF ROW.
ROWS 18 THROUGH 20: KNIT EVEN (37 STITCHES).
ROW 21 (EYELET ROW): KNIT 2, (YARN OVER, KNIT 2 TOGETHER) 8 TIMES, KNIT 1, (KNIT 2 TOGETHER, YARN OVER) 8 TIMES, END KNIT 2 (37 STITCHES).
ROW 22: KNIT 1, PURL 1 TO END OF ROW, END KNIT 1.
ROW 23: KNIT 2, (PURL 1, KNIT 1) UNTIL ONE STITCH REMAINS ON NEEDLE, END KNIT 1.
REPEAT ROWS 22 AND 23 TEN TIMES, OR UNTIL CUFF IS APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES FROM EYELET ROW, ENDING WITH A RIGHT SIDE ROW.
BIND OFF LOOSELY IN RIBBING PATTERN, LEAVING A TEN INCH TAIL OF YARN FOR WEAVING BACK SEAM.
WEAVE SOLE SEAM. WEAVE BACK SEAM. TURN CUFF DOWN. MAKE TWISTED CORD, CHAINED CORD, OR USE A LENGTH OF RIBBON AND WEAVE THROUGH ROW OF EYELETS. TIE INTO A BOW.
OTHER COLOR VARIATIONS AND PATTERNS:
SADDLE OXFORDS:
REQUIRES APPROXIMATELY SIX YARDS OF CONTRASTING COLOR YARN FOR INSTEP OF BOOTIES, PLUS FOUR YARDS FOR TWISTED CORD.
(*) JOIN CONTRASTING COLOR YARN HERE. DROP MAIN COLOR YARN TO WRONG SIDE OF WORK, BUT DO NOT CUT. LEAVING A ONE INCH TAIL OF YARN TO WEAVE IN LATER, WITH CONTRASTING COLOR YARN, KNIT 18, KNIT 2 TOGETHER, WRAP NEXT STITCH, TURN WORK, KNIT 8, KNIT 2 TOGETHER, WRAP NEXT STITCH, TURN WORK. FROM THIS POINT ON, THE SECOND STITCH OF THE TWO KNITTED TOGETHER WILL BE THE STITCH THAT WAS WRAPPED ON THE PREVIOUS ROW. CONTINUE IN THIS WAY UNTIL THE TWO STITCHES TO BE KNITTED TOGETHER ARE THE LAST TWO BEFORE THE MARKER (LAST TWO CONTRASTING COLOR STITCHES), KNIT 2 TOGETHER, REMOVE MARKER, WRAP NEXT STITCH (A MAIN COLOR ONE), TURN WORK, DROP CONTRASTING COLOR, PICK UP MAIN COLOR FROM UNDER CONTRASTING COLOR, AND WITH MAIN COLOR, KNIT TO END OF ROW. CUT CONTRASTING COLOR, LEAVING A ONE INCH TAIL OF YARN TO WEAVE IN LATER. TIE CONTRASTING COLOR TAILS TOGETHER IN A LOOSE OVERHAND KNOT ON WRONG SIDE OF WORK BEFORE WEAVING IN ENDS.
HIGH TOPS:
REQUIRES APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF OUNCE EACH OF MAIN COLOR YARN FOR SOLE AND TIE AND CONTRASTING COLOR YARN FOR INSTEP AND CUFF.
AT BEGINNING OF ROW 17, JOIN CONTRASTING COLOR YARN. CUT MAIN COLOR YARN. CONTINUE WITH CONTRASTING COLOR YARN FOR REST OF PIECE.
CONTRASTING CUFFS:
AT BEGINNING OF ROW 19, JOIN CONTRASTING COLOR YARN. CUT MAIN COLOR YARN. CONTINUE WITH CONTRASTING COLOR YARN FOR REST OF PIECE.
RACING STRIPES:
AT BEGINNING OF ROW 11, JOIN CONTRASTING COLOR YARN. CUT MAIN COLOR. KNIT EVEN FOR 6 ROWS (ROWS 11 TRHOUGH 16). JOIN MAIN COLOR YARN. CUT CONTRASTING COLOR YARN. CONTINUE WITH ROW 17.
FINISH REST OF BOOTIE WITH MAIN COLOR YARN.
Copyright 1996 by Mary Orum Jewett