Norwegan Baby Bootie

Diana Sullivan

Inspired by Anne Bayes Book,

“A New Concept in Baby Booties”

Barbara Deike obtained a copy of Australian knitter Anne Bayes’ baby bootie book. The booties are incredible. Barbara’s the Passap whiz, but the book was written for the Brother 910 electronic and was very puzzling to Barbara, so she passed it on to Diana to “figure it out.” Diana became fascinated and went on a total bootie binge, trying out most of Anne Bayes’ designs and creating three more that use the same construction techniques.

DAK Files:  bootnorw.stp and bootnorw.pat

This one is Diana’s baby bootie, and it utilizes a DAK file for the shaping. It is worked on a 965i but should be quite usable on similar machine. It’s a fairisle pattern with a Norwegian look.

Yarn: Use a thin yarn, about 8 stitches per inch

Tension 4

Cast on with waste yarn over 64 needles (32, each side of zero)

Knit a few rows with waste yarn

On the last row of waste yarn, leave a loop to cut later and pick out the waste yarn when grafting the foot. With carriage on the left, pull down about six inches of waste yarn, knit across, and change to red (main color) yarn. RC 000

Sole

The first part that is knitted is the sole, which is short-rowed. Set carriage to select needles (KCII, setting that does not automatically select end needles) and knit a row with red yarn. The first pass selected every needle into D position. Press both part buttons, so the needles selected will be the only ones knitted. On the 2^nd row and thereafter, the machine selects part of the needles. Proceed knitting to RC 18, and at that point there are no needles selected.

Deselect part buttons. Red yarn is removed from feeder and white yarn is inserted. K 4 rows white; RC22 carriage on right. The machine will select all the needles on that last row; that’s my way of reminding myself that it’s a red row next, after the white trim is created)

Create white pintuck by picking up each white stitch four rows below onto the needle directly above. This makes a hem, or white pintuck trim all the way around the bottom of the sole.

Foot

Change yarn in feeder to red yarn. K 2 rows red, RC 24. Switch white yarn to main feeder (A) and red yarn to B feeder. Push in multi-color button. Knit the fairisle pattern to RC 32. On this last row, all needles selected. Change to red yarn in main feeder; deselect multicolor button. K 2 rows red.

Change to white yarn. Knit four rows. Create another white pintuck by picking up each white stitch four rows below onto the needle directly above. RC38

Change feeder yarn from white to red. Knit one row, no buttons pushed in, and needles will select. Depress part buttons and knit to RC44. The machine is beginning to shape top of the toe of the bootie.

Stop the pattern selection (push memo button and turn carriage dial to N-L). Take all the stitches right of the center 12 needles off on waste knitting, then take all the stitches left of the center 12 needles off on waste knitting. Put out-of-work needles in A position. Press “memo” button, and turn carriage dial to KCII again.

Top of Foot

To form the top of the foot - COR. RC000. **Pick up the closest stitch to the knitting on the left onto the leftmost needle, and knit a row to left. Pick up the closest stitch to the knitting on the right onto the rightmost needle, and knit a row to the right. Repeat from ** 18 times, RC 18 COR.

Pick up remaining stitches from waste yarn on the left of the work; knit across; pick up the stitches on the right side of the work, knit 2 rows.

Ankle

The pattern program will select every fourth needle. Hand-transfer them to the adjacent needles to form a row of eyelets around the ankle area.

Knit 1 row red. Knit 2 rows white. After the 2 rows of white, switch to red. Knit two rows. The machine will select needles for fairisle cuff. RC26

Put white yarn in main feeder, red in B feeder, depress multicolor button and knit fairisle cuff. When all the needles are selected, release the buttons and put red only in the main feeder. There are 2 rows red, then 2 rows white. RC 38

K 2 rows red.

Shell trim: At RC 40, change to the white yarn. Press both part buttons. Knit to the row where it no longer selects needles, then pick up the slip stitch bars from the rows below and put them on the hooks of the needles to form deep tucks. Knit one row, tension 10, and latch off.

Finishing: Kitchener stitch the sole of the foot; mattress stitch the back of the leg, and make a cord or use a thin ribbon for the drawstring at the ankle.