I have an aesthetic adoration for crochet, and have been doing it long enough now to experience an almost meditative state when I’m on a roll. Over the years I’ve crocheted blankets, bags, cardigans, toys (I rock at turtles), and baby clothes, but it struck me when I was pregnant that I’d never tried my hand at booties.
When my sister had a baby boy a few years back, she very clearly expressed her thoughts on booties. They went like this:
‘NO BOOTIES. I’M TELLING YOU, NO BOOTIES. MY KID WILL NOT WEAR BOOTIES. BOOTIES ARE NOT COOL.’
And maybe if we were talking about fluffy pastel baby blue mohair yarn with threaded ribbons, then I’d concede her point.
I decided to make some cool booties.
I made these after seeing a similar pair on Etsy and buying the pattern from Bonita Patterns. Designer Lianka Azulay is gifted and an absolute whiz when it comes to crocodile stitch patterns, which are popular with crocheters at the moment (you can only stomach singles, doubles and trebles for so long before you need to hunt down more challenging game).
It took a while for me to find rainbow yarn with a slow colour change – there’s lots of variegated yarn out there, but I wanted something that would show at least a couple of rows of a single colour before fading into the next.
I ended up using Crystal Palace’s Mini Mochi Yarn. It worked up beautifully, and the final product was soft, warm, and not itchy (it’s 80% merino wool and 20% nylon). A single ball was enough for three booties with a little to spare.
The soles are worked in rows from heel to toe, and the tops are worked in the round.
I’ve sent these to a few friends that have had babes in the past couple of years, and they always comment on how many people ooh-and-aah over them when they go out.
If you’re looking for a little more attention when you hit the town and could do with a little ooh-and-aah action yourself, you’ll be pleased to know that Bonita Patterns also does patterns for adult crocodile stitch shoes.
For now, I’ll stick with my uggs.
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