Bernat Baby Booties with Ribbed Cuffs and Seamed Soles
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These Bernat baby booties begin with a ribbed strip rather than an oval sole. After picking up the foot stitches, a small instep panel shapes the toe; post-stitch rounds deepen the foot and decrease rounds narrow the underside before a sole seam closes it. This article follows the source’s smallest, approximately three-month size throughout.
Materials, Gauge and Size
Use about 50 m / 55 yd of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton or Bernat Satin, a 4 mm / US G-6 hook, needle and scissors. Gauge is 14 sc and 15 rows per 10 cm / 4 in. The source’s larger sizes change the pickup counts and yarn allowance; their numbers are not mixed into this version. The reference photograph shows both yarn types. Age labels are approximate: measure the completed foot and cuff before using the pair.
Stitches and Pattern Notes
US crochet terms: ch = chain; sc = single crochet; hdc = half double crochet; dc = double crochet; tr = treble crochet; sl st = slip stitch; st = stitch; sp = space; BLO = back loop only; inc = 2 stitches in one stitch. Sc2tog, hdc2tog and dc2tog combine two neighboring stitches into one. A number before a stitch tells you how many consecutive stitches to work. Parentheses followed by a repeat number describe one complete group repeated that many times.
Step 1: Crochet the Ribbed Cuff
Ch 16. Row 1: sc from the second chain across for 15 sc; turn. Row 2: ch 1, sc in BLO across all 15 stitches and turn. Repeat Row 2 until the strip measures about 6 in / 15 cm from the foundation, ending after a right-side row. Do not turn at the end of that last rib row.
The fifteen stitches determine cuff depth; the length of the strip determines its circumference after seaming. Keep that distinction in mind when measuring. Do not add more foundation chains just to make the cuff wider around the ankle.
Step 2: Pick Up the Foot and Instep
Along one long edge of the cuff, ch 1 and distribute 23 sc evenly into the row ends; turn. Work one more sc row across those 23 stitches and fasten off. With the right side facing, skip the first seven stitches, join in the eighth and work sc in that stitch plus the next eight: nine sc across the centered instep.
Work three further turned rows of nine sc, with ch 1 for height. On Instep Row 5 work sc2tog, 5 sc, sc2tog for seven stitches. Fasten off. Sew the back seam, aligning the cuff ends and the short foot edges. Leave the instep free at the front.
Step 3: Work Around the Foot
Join at the center back with the right side facing. Ch 2, counting it as the first hdc; work 6 hdc along the first heel section, 7 hdc down one instep side, 2 hdc in the toe corner, 5 hdc across the toe end, 2 hdc in the opposite toe corner, 7 hdc up the other instep side and 7 hdc across the remaining heel section. Join to the top of ch 2: 37 hdc.
For each of the next two rounds, ch 2 as the beginning stitch, then work back-post dc around the remaining stitch posts and join. For a back-post dc, yarn over, pass around the post from the back of the fabric and finish as dc. Keep the round count at 37; the initial chain replaces a stitch rather than adding one.
Step 4: Narrow the Sole
| Row / round | Instructions | Count / note |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Sc2tog, 14 sc, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, 14 sc, sc2tog. | 33 |
| 5 | Sc2tog, 12 sc, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, 12 sc, sc2tog. | 29 |
| 6 | Sc2tog, 10 sc, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, 10 sc, sc2tog. | 25 |
| 7 | Sc2tog, 8 sc, sc2tog, sc, sc2tog, 8 sc, sc2tog. | 21 |
Step 5: Seam and Finish
Begin each decrease round with ch 1 without counting it, join to the first sc and keep the decreases centered at the two ends of the sole. After Round 7, fasten off and sew the remaining underside opening closed with a flat seam. Weave tails inside without leaving a bulky knot against the foot.
Make the second bootie with the same cuff length, pickup count and instep rows. Compare the pair laid flat and after washing according to the yarn label. The supplied copy has one finished photograph; the additional article views are labelled detail crops of that same source image.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the sole crocheted first? No. This design starts with a cuff strip and closes the sole with a seam at the end.
Which size is written out? The smallest three-month reference size, using 23 pickup stitches and a 37-stitch foot round.
Do the beginning chains count? Ch 1 does not count here; the foot rounds’ beginning ch 2 does count as their first stitch.
More Baby Crochet Ideas
Browse our Crochet Baby collection, compare baby bootie patterns, or explore baby cardigan ideas. Save the project to Pinterest before gathering your yarn.
Pattern and Photo Credits
Adapted from the supplied Baby Booties.pdf. Pattern and reference photograph: Bernat, Baby’s Booties. Source photographs show the reference samples; captions identify any detail crops. This written adaptation has been reviewed against the supplied pattern pages but has not been physically crocheted or maker-tested. Yarn substitutions and tension can change the result.
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