Oct 3, 2013

Pattern: Linen-stitch Kimono Booties

These booties are modelled on Chaussons mignons by Pruline (Ravelry link).  They should fit an 11cm foot, which is 9-months-old for my small baby.
You may make the sole as long as needed for your baby and, at the sides, cast on about 3 stitches for every cm of sole.


Linen stitch kimono booties

A tunnel shank button
Linen stitch is a woven stockingette stitch. The weaving is formed by slipping every other stitch with the yarn in front of the work. It is usually done with a two-row phrase of slipping every second stitch in one row and every first stitch in the other.

Needs

  • Two small buttons, preferably tunnel shank
  • About 80cm of matching thin elastic. 
  • 3.75mm needles
  • 50g Aran yarn (10ply). The example uses Debbie Bliss Aran Cashmerino in grey (colour way 28).

Tension

12st x 43rows = 4cm

Abbreviations 

CO = cast on
K = knit
P = purl
sl1p = slip 1 purlwise
st = stitches
yb = take yarn to the back of the work (away from you)
yf = bring yarn to the front of the work, between you and the work.

Bootie body 

Sole

CO 15 st (leave a long tail for construction)
Row 1: *P1, yb, sl1p, yf* - repeat ** to last stitch, P1
Row 2: K2, *yf, sl1p, yb, k1* - repeat ** to last stitch, K1
Repeat these rows (linen-stitch) till work measures 10cm (4" - approx 42 rows), finish with a knit row.

Sides

Next row: turn, extend work by CO 30 st purl wise. Do not turn - work these stitches as normal as follows: P1, * yb, sl1p, yf, P1* - repeat ** to end.(45 sts)
Next row: turn, CO 30 st knit wise, then, without turning, work these stitches as normal as follows: K1, *K1, yf, sl1p, yb,*, repeat ** to last two stitches, K2 (75 sts)
Continue in linen stitch until new section measures 5cm (2" - approx. 25 rows) (or as long as your original cast on is wide). 
Finish with a knit row and cast off as follows:
P1, *yb, sl1p, pass first stitch over slipped stitch to cast-off 1, yf, P1, cast off 1* - repeat ** to end.
Bind off with a long tail for construction. 

To make up:

Hold your work so it looks like a T, purl stitches facing up (linen pattern down). The up-down part is the sole, with a bar across the top being the back and sides. The instructions describe making up each bootie as though it's facing you, with the toe pointing towards you and the heel away.

Baby's Left bootie

Take the left arm of the bar and fold it so that its short edge matches the end edge of the stem (the toe). Fold the right arm over to sit on top of them. Match the length of the toe edge and the corners. Whip stitch from left to right (big toe to little toe) through the three layers, continuing down the right side. Whip stitch down the left side (from big toe to heel). 

Baby's Right bootie

Arrange as for the left bootie but overlap the bar arms left-over-right, stitching from right to left and down the left side, and then stitching the right side. 

Both booties

Count 18 stitches from the toe on the upper layer of the bootie and flag this stitch with a safety pin. Count 40 more stitches, along the back if the bootie, and flag this stitch too.
Take one end of your elastic and tie it to your button.  Use a yarn needle to thread the other end through the hem, beginning at the one marker and finishing at the other. The elastic in these booties is threaded through the edge for the first and last 8 stitches, but through the purl stitches below the edge around the heel, to pull the bootie up the back of the foot. 

Tie a knot where the elastic exits the hem. Make a loop, using about 1cm of elastic, by tying the end in a grannie knot behind this first knot. 

Thread the ends of the elastic into the inner sides using the purl loops inside the bootie.

2 comments:

  1. Cute idea. I visited Pruline's pattern to get a visual of the construction - kind of you to include the linke sending readers there. But I'm totally flummoxed by a couple of rows in your pattern:
    ...finish with a knit row
    SIDES
    Next row: turn, extend work by CO 30 st purl wise. Do not turn - work these stitches as normal ....(45 sts)
    Next row: turn, CO 30 st knit wise, then, without turning, work these stitches as normal
    It's all the turning and not turning! What I believe you want is that I cast on stitches at either end and resume the linen stitch over the extended 'wings'. Yes?

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    Replies
    1. Yes - exactly that. Because I imagine most folks expect 'cast-on' means to add stitches to the left needle, so the work need to be on that needle and so it's to the left of what was being added. But I don't want to confuse anyone more with trying to word what should be a picture. Short answer is, yes; make wings and linen stitch everything!
      Thank you for considering the pattern. I hope the little feet they find, love them.

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