Knitting Mama Patterns

The Bottom's-Up Bootie is a cute rectangular moccasin-style baby foot covering that requires no seaming. This is a pattern you can play around with. The instructions are for the smaller newborn pair, but there are lots of ways to make the booties bigger - adjust your gauge, use fatter yarn, bigger needles, or tinker with the stitch count as long as you stay in proportion. (I'm not going to give you a gauge on these - just check after knitting your bottom panel - if it looks like it will fit a newborn foot or bigger, then you're good to go.)

Materials:
White or cream colored worsted weight yarn.
Worsted weight yarn in a contrasting color like purple or pink.
Set of size 7 double-pointed needles.
Two 8-inch lengths of color-coordinating ribbon (these will be trimmed later.)

Directions for Bootie (Make 2):
Knitting flat: Beginning with contrast color, cast on 8 sts. Knit in garter stitch for 26 rows. This is the bottom panel, and it should look like a little rectangle.
Using another double-pointed needle, pick up 12 sts along the side of the rectangle, knit across the 8 opposite sts, and then use another needle to pick up 12 more along the other side.

Knitting in the round: Placing a marker after the 1st stitch (to mark the beginning of round,) knit in stockinette for 4 rounds. Cut yarn, leaving a 6 to 8 inch tail for weaving in later. Remove marker.

Knitting flat: You are now going to start the top of the bootie, using the white or cream colored yarn. Start at the toe...
Row 1 and each odd row: "Steal" a stitch from either side of the bootie so you now have 10 sts on your working needle. SSK, K to last 2 sts, K2tog.
Row 2 and all even rows: K all sts.
Knit flat until you have only 4 sts left on each side - then turn to work in the round again to make the cuff. (End on the odd row.)

Knitting in the round: Knit the next 8 sts to one needle, and the next 8 sts to another needle. You should now have 3 needles with 8 sts each. This is the beginning of the round. Work in a K2, P2 rib until cuff is about 1 inch high. Bind off all sts, and cut yarn. Use the end to close the gap if there is one, turn the bootie inside out and weave in all ends. There may be a small hole where you started the cuff - work one of your ends over to this hole so you can weave it closed.

Decoration: You may choose to use the contrasting yarn to embroider three short lines to make a "flower" on each bootie. After doing this, I just turned the bootie inside out again and tied the ends together in a small knot before snipping them - I found that weaving them in tended to show behind the lighter colored yarns. Add ribbon by weaving it in and out around the cuff and tying it in a bow. Trim to your preferred length.

Created by Katie Kent *You may share this pattern, but please do not reproduce for commercial purposes.

I created this pattern while playing around with baby hats for a charity knit. Enjoy!

Materials:
Brown worsted-weight yarn
Small amount of orange worsted-weight yarn
Size 9 circular and double-pointed needles

Seed Stitch Pattern:
Round 1 – K1, P1 (repeat until end of round.)
Round 2 – P1, K1 (repeat until end of round.)
In flat knitting K1, P1 repeat on both sides.

Directions for Hat:
Using brown, cast on 72 stitches with the circular needles. Join, being careful not to twist, and place marker at beginning of round. Work in seed stitch for 6 rounds. Then work in stockinette (knit every stitch) until piece measures 4.5 to 5 inches. Switch to double-pointed needles.
*= repeat until end of round
Dec round 1: [K6, K2tog]*
Dec round 2: [K5, K2tog]*
Dec round 3: [K4, K2tog]*
Dec round 4: [K3, K2tog]*
Dec round 5: [K2, K2tog}*
Dec round 6: [K1, K2tog]*
Dec next rounds: [K2tog]* until there are 7 stitches left. Pull yarn through remaining stitches, pull to close, insert through center of hat and weave in on underside.

Ears:
Leaving at least a 12 inch tail, pick up 10 stitches along one top side of hat. Working in seed stitch:
Row 1: Two sts brown, 6 sts orange, then poke brown yarn tail through to use for next 2 sts like intarsia. Thrifty, huh?
Row 2: Two sts brown, 6 sts orange, 2 sts brown
Row 3: Two sts brown, in orange K1, P2tog, K2tog, P1, then 2 sts brown.
Row 4: Two sts brown, in orange K2tog, P2tog, then 2 sts brown
Rows 5 & 6: All brown sts.
Row 7: Bind off knitting 2tog at each end. Weave in all ends, covering any holes or mis-colored areas as you go and pulling yarn to the underside of hat.
Repeat for the second ear. Turn hat inside out and weave in any extra yarn. You can just tie the orange tails in a knot and snip.

Created by Katie Kent *You may share this pattern, but please do not reproduce for commercial purposes.

This hat was inspired by a Mother's Day hat designed by my friend, Laura. I love how this one starts with a somewhat scalloped edge and then spirals up to the stem. It knits up quickly and fits babies 0-6 months.


Thumbelina Baby Hat (0-6M)

Materials:
Pink (or other main color) worsted-weight yarn
Sparkly (or other accent) sport or fingering-weight yarn
Green worsted-weight yarn
Size 9 circular and double-pointed needles

Directions:
Using main color and accent yarn together, cast on 72 stitches with the circular needles. Join, being careful not to twist, and place marker at beginning of round. For each of the following rounds, move the stitch pattern one stitch to the right so you will end up with a diagonal pattern (swirl) on your hat. (For example, in Round 2 you will K4, P3 to begin and then continue with K5, P3 all the way around, ending with K1. For Round 3, you will begin with K3, P3 and then continue with K5, P3 until you end the round with K2. Make sense? Good luck and have fun!)

*= repeat until end of round
Rounds 1-3: [K5, P3]*
Round 4: Dec [K3, K2tog, P3]*
Rounds 5-7: [K4, P3]*
Round 8: [K2, K2tog, P3]*
Round 9: [K3, P3]*
Cut accent yarn, leaving a tail to weave in later. Continue knitting in K3, P3 pattern with main color until hat is about 4 inches tall. (You will continue moving the stitches one to the right each round.)
Dec row: [K1, K2tog, P3]*
Next row: [K2, P3]*
Dec: [K2tog, P3]*
Next: [K1, P3}* as you switch to 3 double pointed needles (12 stitches on each needle.)
Dec: [P2tog, P2]* You will no longer need to move the stitch pattern each round.
Next: Purl entire round.
Dec: [P1, P2tog]*
Next: Switching to green yarn, Knit entire round.
Dec: [K1, K2tog]*
Dec next 2 rows: [K2tog]* placing all 3 stitches on one needle. Knit in I-cord fashion to create a stem of desired length. Bind off.
Make 3 Leaves (see below) and sew these over the visible decreases in the hat. Weave in all ends and roll brim slightly. Cute!

Leaves:
Cast on 3 stitches with double pointed needle.
Row 1 (and all odd rows): Purl all stitches.
Row 2: K1, M1 (make one stitch), K1, M1, K1 (You will now have 5 stitches.)
Row 4: K2, M1, K1, M1, K2 (7 stitches.)
Row 6: K7
Row 8: K1, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 (5 stitches again.)
Row 10: K1, K2tog, K2 (4 stitches.)
Row 12: K1, K2tog, K1 (3 stitches.)
Row 14: K1, K2tog (2 stitches)
Row 16: K2 tog, then pull yarn through last stitch to finish.

Created by Katie Kent
*You may share this pattern, but please do not reproduce it for commercial purposes.