Don’t mind me, I just want to blog about knitting, yarn, buttons, fiber festivals, yarn shops, knitting, and more knitting. You don’t mind, right? I just finished these baby boots for my friend who has a baby due next month, and couldn’t wait to share them. I wasn’t going to be able to make it to her baby shower because of previous plans, but I worked to get them done in time for it. I thought she could open her gift from me at the baby shower and then it would feel like I was there in spirit. But I was too impatient.
When I finished these boots I couldn’t believe how incredibly adorable they were and how tiny they felt in my hands, so when I saw her I asked if she would open her gift right away instead of waiting. I was too excited to wait. And while thinking of a title for this post, cutie booties popped into my head, and I mean, really, what else can I call them? They’re just so darn cute.
The yarn is naturally dyed from Sincere Sheep. (If I remember correctly, I think this skein was dyed with indigo and turmeric.) The cormo wool is soft and springy and enjoyable to knit. The true color is not showing up in the pictures. In these photos, it looks more like a robin’s egg blue, but in person it’s a deeper turquoise. It’s such a beautiful color, I love it.
I’m so used to telling people the care instructions with the knitted gifts I give. It’s 100% wool, so wash cold and lay flat to dry. If you wash it on hot it could felt up and shrink to Barbie size. I began telling my friend it was wool and about washing it on cold and then I realized- what was I doing? She’s a knitter and she certainly knows how to wash wool.
I first envisioned these chicken buttons on the finished boots, because my friend has chickens and they love their chickens. I thought little chicken buttons would look so cute, but I was trying to finish them up in time and Jeff wouldn’t be able to get chicken buttons finished quick enough. We had some black walnut buttons in the 3/4 inch size and when I held them up, I thought they went really well with these boots. So WoolyMossRoots buttons in black walnut it was! (My Ravelry notes are here.)
Oh, and the pattern! The pattern is Baby Boots- Jaden by Julie Taylor. She is the same designer who created the Keelan- Chunky Strap Baby Shoes. I’ve made the Keelan baby shoes many times now, they are a favorite go-to pattern of mine, and thought the Jaden boots would be great when I wanted a gift that would be good for a baby girl or a baby boy, when we’re waiting on the surprise. Truth be told though, while the Keelan shoes are very easy to make and have a simple construction, the Jaden boots were a pattern I had a very hard time with.
They were tricky to knit and maneuver, the construction was a bit complicated and confusing, and then I made the mistake of thinking that doing the two colors wasn’t an important part of the pattern and that doing it in one color would be fine. That made things trickier still, when the finishing relied on that aspect. Even though I don’t plan to knit the pattern again, I’m so glad I finished these and am so pleased with how they turned out. I stuffed them with wool and lavender so they would actually stand up for the pictures, and they will be sure to keep little toes very warm and snuggly!
Heather Robbins says
I love your fearless knitting!!! Beautiful <3
Sherry says
Those are the cutest things ever !!! You’re so talented. : )
carrie says
oh my gosh those are too cute! I wish I knew some tiny feet to knit them for!
Bianca says
The booties turned out beautifully!!! I like them all one color. And the buttons look great. I would like to try making them but they look too hard for me. I never seem to improve in my knitting skills. Hum……
Kris in WA says
THESE indeed…are CUTE!!! Adorable! Love your color choice and buttons, too!
What a special gift to receive! XX Kris in WA
Corinne says
These are sooooooooooooooooo cute!
I love the color…. your friend is blessed to have you
for a friend! I am going to check out the Keelan pattern on Ravelry.
Handmade gifts are really the best…they mean so much with the thought
and time and care that goes into them. The buttons are perfect and look great!