A Cotton Classic

Knitted, photographed, wrapped and gifted. All that's left to do now is blog about these cute little shoes.

These Boots Are Made for Walkin'

Pattern: Boy's Booties from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic (100% Mercerized Cotton)
Color: 3818 Blue
Needles: US 6 (4mm) straight
Size: 0-3 months

Twisted Cord Tie

I like the way these booties are constructed. They are knitted flat, then folded in half and sewn together with one seam. When I cast on, I leave a long tail of yarn to use later for sewing. Starting at the top, I sew my way down the back and across the bottom of the sole. This is opposite the direction you are supposed to go, but it works for me. Also, the pattern recommends sewing the seam with right sides together, but I get better results with wrong sides together, using mattress stitch for the back and a whip stitch for the sole.

Garter Stitch Sole

The seam line on the right shoe isn't quite as neat as the one on the left, but I think that has less to do with the sewing of the seam and more to do with the knitted stitches on the edge of the seam being a little loose. Most likely the stitches will even out when these booties are washed, but I didn't have time for that.

Back Seam

These little booties were wrapped and whisked away to a baby shower almost as soon as they came off the needles. All I have now are the pictures and enough left over yarn to knit another pair or two.


Look for me to begin a stash of Tahki Cotton Classic. It really is as nice as I had heard. And you can't beat the selection of colors.

Newborn Sweater Set

Pattern: Fred Textured Sweater
Book: Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby D.K., 50% Acrylic Microfiber, 50% Nylon
Color: Cream - 101
Needles: US 5 and 6 straight
Size: Newborn

This sweater was a joy to knit. The front, back and sleeves are knit separately and then seamed together. The chevron stitch pattern is simple to work and adds an interesting texture to what would otherwise be a plain sweater. Garter stitch is used for the bands on the bottom of the sweater, the neck and the sleeves. Three little buttons on the shoulder add design detail and will make dressing baby a little easier.



Though Dreambaby is not a natural fiber, it worked well for this pattern. The result is a nice soft sweater for baby and easy care wash and dry for mom.



The pattern for the booties is also in Natural Knits. The only change I made was to knit them on needles one size smaller: US 5 straights.



The hat was inspired by the sweater. It was knit in the round on size US 5 circular and DPNs with Dreambaby D.K. yarn.

Cast on a multiple of 8 stitches (I used 72 stitches for a newborn size).
Work 2x2 ribbing for approximately 1 inch.
Work rows 1-18 of chevron chart from Natural Knits.
Work rows 9-18 once more.
*K7, k2tog, rep. from * to end (64 sts).
*K6, k2tog, rep. from * to end (56 sts).
Cont. to decrease every round, working one fewer st between decs until 4 sts remain.
Cut yarn and thread through remaining sts. Pull tight and weave in all ends.
Sew on pom-pom.

If you like to knit for babies and still do not have Natural Knits in your library, I highly recommend that you add it soon. I've made 8 of the 21 patterns in the book and see myself knitting almost all of them before I'm through.

Second Verse, Same As The First

Except this one is blue.



Pattern: Sleeper Sack
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby D.K.
Needles: US 3
Size: Less than 1 lb. (chest circumference: 8", length: 11")



This set took about ten hours to make and is my last item for Knit Unto Others. It's been a productive two weeks. Items made for KUO and The Preemie Project include eight preemie sized Santa hats with matching booties and two tiny bereavement sets for a total of forty-four hours of knitting.

That's Enough

I've reached my limit. Eight Santa hats with matching booties for The Preemie Project. I began the first hat last Monday (though I didn't post about it until Friday) and finished the last pair of booties this morning. Each set represents three hours of knitting. I consider this time well spent. Knitting for others gives purpose to my passion.

For the rest of the week, I'll continue Knit Unto Others by working on a bereavement set (also for The Preemie Project). I haven't decided which pattern to use yet, but I have decided on the yarn: Plymouth Dreambaby. I was lucky enough to leave the 300th comment on Megan's blog, Woolly Interlude, and win this great yarn along with some beautiful Lorna's Laces.

Thanks, Megan! You must have handpicked this especially for me. It will be put to good use.

Be Thankful...

and Knit Unto Others. That's what I'll be doing for the next couple of weeks. I'm knitting Santa hats and booties for The Preemie Project until the red yarn runs out or I get sick of it, whichever comes first.



The hat pattern I'm using is my own version. There are other patterns here, here and here, if you would like to join me in knitting for the babies. For the booties, I'm using a variation of this pattern.

Baby Shoes

Pattern: Stripy Bootees from 50 Baby Bootees To Knit by Zoe Mellor
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Pima Melange (100% Pima Cotton)
Needles: US 2
Size: 3-6 months

I made these at the request of a friend who wanted a special gift to give to a new mom. She told me what size to make and that they were for a boy, but left the pattern selection up to me. I immediately thought of these shoes, since I'd made them before. I remembered that they were cute and that the mom I gave them to said they were the only booties that would stay on her baby's foot. The only thing I didn't remember was how long it takes to knit them. This pair took me fourteen hours. Normally that wouldn't be such a big deal, except I really wanted to start knitting my cardigan. Maybe I'll be able to start it this week.

Labor Day Weekend

What's the use of having a travel trailer if you don't use it, right? So before we put it back in storage, we took it to Palacios, Texas for the Labor Day weekend. Palacios is known as "The City By The Sea". It's true it's on the water, but calling it a city may be a stretch. It's a quiet little town, even when it's loaded with visitors like it was this weekend.

I did a little exploring on Saturday. Visited the museum exhibit about The La Salle Odyssey. I was hoping to learn more about the history of the town, but the full museum has been closed for years. Apparently the roof was damaged during a hurricane and it's taken a long time to raise money for repairs. It will re-open in two years. However, there are several painted murals on buildings throughout town that depict the history and culture of the area.


The real attraction in Palacios is the bay. There's a great walkway along the bayshore and several public piers for fishing.



John relaxed by fishing to his heart's content. I relaxed by knitting, of course.

This is just the beginning of pumpkin hats and booties for The Preemie Project. Patterns here and here.

Black and Gold Beanie

Patterns: Sideways Wedge Hat and Michelle's Booties
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft worsted weight
Needles: US 7 straights

I used only one strand of yarn for the hat and smaller needles for a finished size of 6-8 pounds.

This Hawkeye set will be donated to The Preemie Project. The good news is that I can deliver it in person. Ever since I've joined this group, I have hoped for a chance to travel to Iowa and meet everyone in person. In less than two weeks it will finally happen. I can't wait!

Baby Hats and Booties

Two sets for The Preemie Project for babies 6-8 pounds. Both hat patterns are from the book Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding. I bought the last copy of this book at my LYS. The owner said it sold out quickly. No wonder. The patterns in it are adorable and simple enough for a beginner. It includes several baby sweaters, a blanket, these hats, booties and even a pattern for a maternity sweater and a nursing sweater. The baby items would all make nice gifts. I want to make each one.

The booties I made for the hats are a variation of my favorite pattern. I use this pattern all the time, because it knits up very fast and is so versatile. I've tried others that I like, but this is still the best.

The yarn I used is another favorite of mine--Little Lehigh by Kramer Yarns (45% cotton, 35% acrylic). It's very lightweight for a cotton yarn and it's machine washable and dryable. Perfect for baby items.

Needles used for both hats were US 5 and US 7 straights. It would be easy to knit the hats in the round if that is your preference.

Watermelon Set

I'm on a roll with preemie hats this week. This cute watermelon hat is from Ann Norling Pattern #30, More Kids Caps. This pattern sheet features instructions for a basic rolled cap and six specific designs including watermelon, sunflower, crayons, lace, sport helmet, and checkerboard with stripes.

I made my watermelon hat smaller by casting on 56 stitches, which gave me a hat that will fit a 6-8 pound baby. The yarn used is Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (worsted weight) and the needles used are US 7 dpns. This hat is simple to make and you could come up with your own version easily without a pattern. I think the hardest part is deciding where to place the "seeds" and then being satisfied with the results. Maybe I should add just one more...

This set will be donated to The Preemie Project.

The pattern used for the booties is a variation of this one, of course.

Black and Gold

Not the usual colors for a baby, unless you are a baby at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This hospital is supported by The Preemie Project and is located on the UI campus. To kickoff the Hawkeye football season, The Preemie Project will be donating black and gold spirit hats and booties this fall. The hat pattern I used was written by Marcia. I think it's just perfect for this project. If these colors remind you of a bumblebee, then check out Libby's creation. It's really cute!

Striped Hat
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft worsted weight (black and lemonade)
Needles: US 6 dpns
Finished Size: 3-5 lbs

Michelle's Booties
Yarn: Same as hat
Needles: US 5
Finished Size: 3-5 lbs

Knitting For The Babies

It's been a while since I've shown you a hat or a pair of booties. Knitting for the babies has taken a backseat to graduations, birthdays, anniversaries and life in general. I did manage to knit a few things for The Preemie Project though:

Lavender Hat: Pattern from Oneskein. DK yarn, size US5 dpns, CO 54 sts = 3-5 lbs.

Variegated Hat: Variation of this pattern. WW yarn, size US7 dpns, CO 48 sts = 3-5 lbs.

Blue Hat: Variation of same pattern above. DK yarn, size US5 dpns, CO 72 sts = 9-11 lbs.

Booties: A new pattern for me. I really like it. DK yarn, size US5 straights = 9-11 lbs.

Now that things are getting somewhat back to normal around here, I think I'll have more time for the knitting I enjoy the most. This arrived from Donna the other day all the way from Australia.

It's true that knitters are the most generous people around. Thank you Donna for this lovely gift. Your package went in the mail yesterday. I'm excited about trying the patterns in these books. Donna made these hats from the Cleckheaton book. This prompted a comment from me which led to the exchange. Aren't they adorable? The best thing is that all the designs in this book are also written in preemie sizes! The yarn she sent is fingering weight which is perfect for tiny hats and booties and hard to find where I shop. This is just the inspiration I need.

Preemies and Plays

Normally at my house you can always find a preemie hat and a pair of booties already knit and waiting to be sent off to a little baby. So it was ironic on Wednesday night when I learned that my husband's niece had given birth to a preemie and I didn't even have one thing already made to send her. I pulled out the needles right then and started a hat even though it was after 10 pm. I had to (and wanted to) because I knew there would be very little time to spend knitting the next day. I finished the hat before I went to bed. Then yesterday morning I made one little sock before breakfast and the other in the car on the way to the UIL One-Act Play Area Competition.



All Finished and Ready to be Mailed

This is the smallest sized set (for 1-3 lbs). I used this pattern for the hat, but knit a 1 inch ribbing instead of the rolled brim. The socks are made from this pattern (Easy Socks).

The rest of the day was spent watching the play competition. There were six plays in all. At this level of competition, all the plays are good and the competition is tough. As usual, one judge choses two plays to advance to the Region Competition, one level before State. With only one judge, you never really can predict how things will turn out. I'm happy to say that Needville was one of the advancing plays and I have to brag just a little to let you know that my son was chosen as Best Actor for his role as Henry David Thoreau in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. What an honor! I am so proud of these kids and what they have accomplished. They will get to do it all over again in two weeks at an even tougher level of competition. Break a leg!



Needville High School Receiving Their Medals



Best Actress: Cuero High School
Best Actor: Needville High School

Preemie Project Donation

I originally made these booties for a baby shower gift, using a pattern from Knits From The Heart by Kristen Spurkland. They ended up smaller than I planned, so there was only one thing to do...

Knit a hat to match and donate it to The Preemie Project. This set will fit a baby that weighs 6-8 pounds. I'll be mailing it today to the Michigan Chapter along with all the other hat sets I made last month and these large sized blankets that I sewed today.

Lesson Learned

When it comes to knitting hats for The Preemie Project, I rarely use patterns that require seaming. No reason, really. I just like that when I'm finished knitting, I'm finished with the hat. But, I wondered if I was missing out on some great patterns. I was! Here are a couple.


Both the hat and the booties are knitted flat and seamed.

Hat Pattern: Denny's Heather Hat (there's a sweater pattern too!)
I used sport weight yarn (Red Heart Soft Baby) and US 5 needles. Next time I may make it a little bit shorter. This hat will fit a 3-5 lb baby.

Booties Pattern: Easy and Quick Booties
For these, I also used sport weight yarn and US 5 needles. I'm adding this pattern to my favorites list! Finally, another pattern for booties that works up quick, easy and cute. I don't know why it took me so long to try it.



Pattern: Denny's Broken Rib Hat
This is the hat that I tried to knit in the round and ended up with the Preemie Spiral Hat. This time I knitted it flat, but changed the yarn (sport weight), the needle size (US 5) and the number of stitches cast on (55sts) to get a hat that will fit a 3-5 lb baby. I decided not to turn the cuff, so I knitted the ribbing for only 1".

From now on, I'm not going to let a little seam keep me from trying a new pattern. These hats are so small that it doesn't take much time for the sewing and the seams aren't even noticeable.

Two Green Hats, A Pair of Booties and A Nice Surprise

The Preemie Project is expanding. Not only we will be supporting our original hospital in Iowa, but we will also start supporting two hospitals in Michigan. Jan is the coordinator of the Michigan Chapter. She and other Michigan volunteers have been knitting and crocheting up a storm to get plenty of hats and booties made in time for the first official donation in April. All national volunteers have been asked to help out too, so these two hats and the others I've made recently will be sent to Michigan.

It's been a while since I made the hat on the left. It's called Lots of Eyelets Preemie Hat. I followed the pattern as written except I made it a little longer. It will fit a 3-5 pound baby.

The other hat was an attempt to convert this pattern, which is knit flat, into one that is knit in the round. I believe I came up with something totally different. Just to be sure, I'm going to knit the pattern as written. If the one I made is different, I'll write up the instructions and publish them here later. So check back next week, if you're interested. This hat will also fit a 3-5 pound baby.

Both of these hats and the booties were made with my new favorite yarn, Little Lehigh by Kraemer Yarns (45% Cotton, 55% Acrylic).

Last week I received a nice surprise in the mail from Jean.

Soon after this picture was taken, I filled this basket with my current knitting projects and some pretty yarn I have in mind for future projects. I love it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

If you're looking for leprechauns today and are in the Salt Lake City area, try here.

This is a great place to get a milkshake, but don't expect to drink it through a straw. You'll need a spoon. It's very thick--the consistency of soft serve ice cream. I really wonder if they add any milk to it all? And, they're huge! Bring an appetite or a friend to share it with.

We're back in Texas now. Got off the plane yesterday to be greeted by temperatures in the 80's and that familiar feeling of humidity. Time to pack away the sweaters, hats and mittens and bring out the shorts.



On our last day in SLC, I visited two more yarn shops. The first was Black Sheep Wool Co. where I found the greatest yarn for making hats for The Preemie Project. It's called Little Lehigh (Kraemer Yarns) and is a DK weight--45% cotton, 55% acrylic. It was a new yarn to this store and new to me. I also bought a cute gray wool sheep to add to my collection. It's made by Anne Carroll of Park City.



The next stop was Unraveled Sheep in Sandy. I bought some Jamison's Shetland Wool there. They had a large selection of colors to choose from. I don't think any of the shops in Houston carry this. So if I get hooked on it, I'll order some more from here. They said they would be glad to help with color selection over the phone. I think this is better than choosing the colors from a computer monitor. I plan to use the blue and off white I bought for a color stranded hat.

I received excellent help in both shops and give both a big thumbs up!



This is the knitting I did while on vacation (for The Preemie Project). The hats are all variations of this pattern. I tried this slipper pattern for the first time. It's okay, but this pattern for booties still cannot be beat. The variegated set and the off white set are both made from Caron Simply Soft. I found that the variegated yarn is not as soft as the solid colors. I don't know why that is. The green set is made from the Little Lehigh yarn. I can't emphasize how much I love this yarn! I would even make something for myself from it. It's a joy to knit with and is very soft and light weight.


A couple of final shots of my family and the mountains of Utah. This one is of me and my husband, John. We are both wearing scarves I knitted (a little hard to see).


Here is my son, Matt, wearing a hat knitted by my daughter, Robyn. She will be glad to hear he wore it the whole time we were there.

More Booties

These are the booties I told you about (in various stages of completion). The next baby shower will be for a boy, so I pulled out some blue yarn and a neutral color and tried out a couple of patterns. I left the slipper unsewn so you could see the construction. I think it is fairly typical for shoes of this style. There are no stitches to pick up, but more seaming to do than the other style. It's hit or miss for me when I have to seam the toe, because as you can see, the upper is squared off and bottom is pointed. You have to ease the excess material around the toe and sew into position. I've been known to rip out the seam several times to get it to look right. This one went together easily the first time.




The pattern for these can be found in Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight (page 34). They are knitted from the cuff down and stitches are picked up along the sides and front to form the toe. When you are finished knitting, all you have to do is seam along the back and center of the sole. I made these with Bernat Softee Baby and size US 5, casting on 29 stitches. The sole measures about 3 1/2". It is for a baby 0-3 months. Acrylic yarn is easy care for busy moms and that's the main advantage to using it.




This one is from the same pattern. However, I knitted it with Cascade Pima Melange (100% Pima Cotton) and size US 3 needles. The sole measures 3". Hey, this one is a good size for The Preemie Project! Natural fibers knit up so much nicer than acrylic, although some must be handwashed and dried flat. Usually cotton can be machine washed and dried, which I hope is the case here. I just checked and there are no care instructions on the yarn band. I'll have to test it or recommend handwashing just in case.




This one is my favorite. It's from the book 50 Bootees to Knit by Zoe Mellor (page 96). It's also knitted with Cascade Pima Melange and size US 3 needles. I like the definition the cotton yarn gives the garter stitches. The sole measures 3 1/2" which should fit a 0-3 month old baby. The colors are right for a boy, but the style may be better suited to a girl. Anyway, that was my thought when I finished knitting it. My husband basically said the same thing when he saw it. Maybe it's the lack of a cuff? Let me know what you think. I'm sure this slipper will never stay on. One little kick and it's off, but it sure is cute!

Baby Things

Last Friday after I mailed in my donation for The Preemie Project, I thought I would begin knitting something for myself, but then I remembered the baby shower I was invited to attend on Sunday, so I knitted these booties instead. They are called Daisy Lace Bootees from the book 50 Baby Bootees to Knit by Zoe Mellor. I needed them to be big enough to fit a three month old baby, so I knitted them with Caron Cuddle Soft yarn (fingering weight) and size US 3 needles. Though they looked big to me compared to the preemie booties I make all the time, the guide on the back cover assured me they were right. I included them as part of my gift and they were appreciated.

Now I can start on something for me, right? Well I could, but on Saturday John took me to my favorite yarn shop so I could pick up whatever I wanted for a Valentine gift. Would you believe one of things I bought was the book Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight? I just can't stay away from the baby things! Of course, I had to try a pair of booties from this book right away. Afterall, there are two more baby showers to attend in the near future. One thing led to another and I've been knitting booties all week, trying different patterns and different yarns. Eventually, I'll cast on that second sock that's waiting for me in my knitting basket and I'll work on some other projects I have planned, but for now I'm having too much fun with this.

Booties With a New Look

I found that a row of "nubbles", as described in the pattern for the Cupcake Hat, makes a nice embellishment to my favorite booties.

Pattern: Michelle's Booties
Size: 1-3lbs (3-5lbs, 6-8lbs)
Yarn: Sport D.K. (WW, WW)
Needle Size: US2 (US5, US7)
CO: 25 (25, 25)
(See Cupcake Hat pattern for how to Make Nubble)
What I Did:
Work garter stitch rows.
Work decreases.
Add a row of nubbles after the decreases, making a nubble every other stitch.
Work four rows of K1, P1 ribbing.
Bind off loosely and sew seams.
Note for ribbing: When I came to a stitch that contained a nubble, I purled on the wrong side and knit on the right side.

Now it's time to sew blankets for The Preemie Project. I spent several hours yesterday cutting out flannel. Today I expect to keep the sewing machine humming all day.