Small shoes for very small feet. The T-strap across the front is what makes these booties stay on, which is the entire problem with baby footwear – a plain slipper bootie is on the floor of the car within ten minutes, while a strap that fastens holds its position.
Yarn and hook
Fine (sport) weight yarn with a size D/3 (3.35mm) hook, or whatever hook gives you the stated gauge.
The fine yarn and small hook are deliberate. They produce a close, firm fabric that holds the bootie’s shape and keeps small toes from working through the stitches. A bulkier yarn would be faster but would give you a shapeless bootie that does not stay on a foot.
Designed by Yvonne Healy.
Fibre choice
Soft and washable. Anything worn by a baby is going to be washed constantly and needs to survive it. A soft acrylic, a cotton blend, or a superwash wool are all good; untreated wool will felt in a hot wash and end up fitting a doll.
Check the yarn against your own cheek before buying. Baby skin is more sensitive than adult hands, and yarn that feels acceptable to your fingers can still be scratchy against a foot.
Fastening
A button is traditional and looks best, but make sure it is sewn on very securely – with doubled thread, and knotted properly. Anything that can come off a baby’s shoe should be assumed to end up in a mouth. A loop-and-button closure is easy to adjust as the foot grows.
Sizing
Babies grow through shoe sizes quickly. Make them slightly large; a bootie that is a little roomy is comfortable, and it will fit for months rather than weeks.
