Spring seems to be the time the urge hits to whip up tiny projects for those wee babes we know. This little pair of baby booties is just the thing to keep those sweet little tootsies snug and warm, and our knitting urges satisfied, lol. In my case, a new niece will be arriving soon, so these are named for her. The bit of picot edging and the contrast colored toes and heels add to the overall cuteness, while the elastic yarn works to keep them in place no matter how much baby Zoey loves to kick. ;)
Needed
Knitting loom: KB Sock Loom Extra Fine Gauge
Yarn: approx. 1/2 skeins Cascade Yarns Fixation: Sock Weight, 100 yards, 98.3% Cotton/ 1.7% Elastic (sample in colors MC: #9907 & CC: Lemon).
Notions: Loom tool, yarn needle, scissors. (Also helpful: peg markers, row counter, 4mm crochet hook (for cast on and help with possible missed stitches, etc))
Gauge: 8 stitches and 14 rows per inch on average.
Finished sock measures 3.75″ in length and 2.5″ in height.
Skills Needed: True Knit Stitch or U-stitch, Double Wrap Short Row Method (shown in video links below), Chain CO, and Basic BO, Knit 2 Together.
Pattern Notes:
All knit stitches are either worked as a true knit stitch, or as a U-stitch.
The sample sock was knit using an elastic yarn, which makes the sockies nice and smooshy. The thing you’ll need to be careful of is keeping just a little bit of tension on that yarn throughout the project. This give your socks that perfect amount of stretch…not too little and not too much. BUT! You’ll need to keep your tension consistent throughout the project, and on both socks! ;)
**To contact Bethany Dailey, simply submit a comment at the bottom of this post.
Abbreviations:
CO: cast on
CC: Contrast Color
MC: Main Color
K: knit stitch or U-stitch, as desired
KO: knit off
St(s): stitches
WY: working yarn
k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
W&T: wrap and turn- the method of creating short rows with a wrap, and then a turning of direction mid-row.
BO: Bind off
Video Tutorials and Web Tools:
Turning of heels and toes: Double Wrapped Short Row Method (For those who need it, the Step by Step written instructions are at the bottom of this post)
Pattern Instructions:
Set your EFG Loom to use 40 pegs in the round.
Using your CC yarn, Chain CO to all 40 pegs.
Rounds 1-5: K
Round 6: k2tog every even peg:
(Move loop from peg 1 to peg 2, move loop from peg 3 to peg 4…etc, to the end of the row. To work round, carry WY behind each empty peg and knit all double loops as if they are one.)
Round 7: Carry WY in front of each empty peg, and K each even peg. All pegs will now be filled.
Rounds 8-12: K
Bring inside leg of all CO row loops back up onto the loom, as you would for the brim of a hat. KO all sts.
Cut CC yarn to approx. 4″.
Rounds 13-22: Join your MC yarn and K. Do not cut yarn.
Join CC yarn and using the Double Wrap Short Row Method, decrease on pegs 1-20, keeping pegs 8-13 unwrapped, and the 7 pegs on each side will be wrapped. (For those who need it, the Step by Step written instructions are at the bottom of this post)
Increase back to a full 20 pegs. Extend your W&T’s one extra peg on each end to help close any hole created by starting the short rows. Pegs 40 & 21 will still have wrapped loops- just knit these loops together as one during the next knitted row.
Cut CC yarn to approx. 4″.
Rounds 23-38: Pick up MC, K all pegs.
Cut MC yarn to approx. 4″.
Join CC and repeat the short row instructions to create the toe. This time you will not have to extend the W&T’s one extra peg on each side. Just end the short rows when you have increased back to all 20 pegs.
Trim yarn to ?”.
It is now time to seam the two toe edges together. The best and most seamless way to do this is to create a Kitchener Stitch. The instructions on how to work this is found here: http://blog.knittingboard.com/archives/1481
If you feel a little overwhelmed by this grafting method, you can either carefully whipstitch or mattress stitch the toe closed. Here’s a great tutorial for that: http://www.knittingboard.com/so-sewing-the-toe-video/
Weave in all ends, stretching the fabric as you go, so that the tails will stay hidden. Trim close to work.
Now make a second sock! :) **Note: keep in mind that because this sock has used a yarn that has a little bit of elastic, you’ll want to make sure that you keep the same tension for the second sock as you did for the first one… or you might end up making the mistake I did and end up with two socks knit using exactly the same pattern, but were two completely different sizes. Ooopsie! :P
**Step by Step Double Wrap Short Row Instructions:
To wrap and turn (W&T): Remove the loop from the peg and hold it. With working yarn, simply wrap around the peg, then place the loop back on the peg.
- K19, W&T peg 20.
- K18, W&T peg 1.
- K17, W&T peg 19.
- K16, W&T peg 2.
- K15, W&T peg 18.
- K14, W&T peg 3
- K13, W&T peg 17.
- K12, W&T peg 4
- K11, W&T peg 16
- K10, W&T peg 5
- K9, W&T peg 15.
- K8, W&T peg 6.
- K7, W&T peg 14.
- K6, W&T peg 7.
- K7 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 15.
- K8 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 6.
- K9 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 16.
- K10 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 5.
- K11 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 17.
- K12 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 4.
- K13 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 18.
- K14 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 3.
- K15 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 19.
- K16 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 2.
- K17 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 20.
- K18 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 1.
- K19 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 21.
- K20 (Treating the wrap(s) and the loop as one stitch). Lift both loops and W&T peg 40.
***Extending one extra peg on each end will help close any hole created by starting the short rows. Pegs 40 and 21 will end up with 2 wraps. Leave them on the pegs as you continue with the rest of the instructions. On the very next round, treat the stitches and wraps on these pegs as one stitch.***
*To contact Bethany Dailey, simply submit a comment at the bottom of this post. :)