Booties

Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks for my daughter's friend's baby boy, Javin.

I guess I need to cave in and get a real digital camera. This photo was made by my camera phone. The color is much darker than in the original, which is classic baby blue.

I love this pattern and plan to make more versions, incorporating other stitch patterns. It was a fun knit and introduced me to short rows using yarn overs. I usually use the wrap method. I think the yarn overs are easier to knit but the holes are more obvious so I wouldn't use them for non-baby socks.

Pattern: Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks by the inestimable Ann Budd.

Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fine (80% cotton, 20% merino wool) in color CF-610 "nymph," 203 m./222 yds. per 50 g. I used just under 20 g. of yarn for both booties so one ball easily makes at least two pairs.

Gauge: 8 1/2 stitches per inch in st. st. in the round.

Needles: Brittany Birch size 2.0 mm (U.S. 0) 5" long which was a good size for such a tiny knit.

Size: Newborn to 3 months, but they stretch. Foot is about 4 1/2 inches long. Cuff to sole is 4 1/4 inches long.

Begun: November 2006

Completed: March 2007

Modifications:
--I added K2 P2 ribbing at the top
--This is designed for the cables to stop at the bottom of the cuff except for one at each side. I shifted the end of the round which would have centered one cable on the front of the foot and instead continued six cables down the instep.
--I used a cable needle to make the cables, rather than a twisted stitch and the cables cross in an opposite direction on each sock.
--I also didn't care for the bulkiness of the zigzag bindoff at the top of the toe so I started the short row toe at the top of the foot and kitchenered the toe to the sole.