Crochet Baby Mary Janes with Button Straps
· admin
These crochet baby Mary Janes have a rounded upper, narrow button straps and a contrasting reverse-single-crochet edge. The shoe is worked upward from an oval sole, then each strap is added in its own position. A pair of small crocheted buttons completes the source design without requiring a separate decorative button style.
Project details
| Skill level | Intermediate |
|---|---|
| Size | Source 3–6 months; sole approximately 10–11 cm. |
| Hook | 3.5 mm |
| Source | Baby Girl’s Booties, Crochet Colors Theory, printed pages 216–217 / PDF pages 218–219. |
Materials and gauge
DK cotton-blend yarn in main and contrast colors, 3.5 mm hook, needle and scissors. The button closures are crocheted. Source gauge: ten stitches per 5 cm.
Crochet and measure the oval soles
Use US terms and joined rounds. Chain 9, then work 7 sc from the second chain, three sc at the far end, six sc along the underside and two sc at the remaining end. The first round has eighteen stitches. Keep the starting chain separate from the actual stitch count.
Rounds 2–7 increase by six each time for 24, 30, 36, 42, 48 and 54. Use hdc in the toe section and sc along the other parts as shown in the original sole sequence. Before making the upper, the source asks for an approximately ten-to-eleven-centimeter sole. Adjust a yarn substitution before repeating the second sole.
Build the shaped upper
| Round | Count | Shaping |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 54 | Plain hdc, counting chain 2 as the first stitch. |
| 9 | 51 | Three hdc2tog in the prescribed positions. |
| 10 | 48 | Three more hdc2tog. |
| 11 | 43 | Two hdc3tog and one hdc2tog. |
| 12 | 38 | Sc round with two sc3tog and one sc2tog. |
The decreases are not spread evenly around the opening. They shape the toe and sides, so retain the source’s spaces between them. A triple decrease combines three neighboring stitches into one and removes two stitches; a double decrease removes one. That distinction explains the five-stitch reductions in the final two rounds.
Place the right and left straps
Use the sc3tog landmarks from round 12. For the right shoe, count three stitches from the left-side triple decrease before joining. For the left shoe, count one stitch from the right-side triple decrease. These placements are deliberately different so the straps mirror each other.
Work two sc across each narrow strap, turning with chain 1, through row 12. On row 13, chain 8 and slip stitch back into the last stitch to make the button loop. Compare the two physical strap lengths before fastening the final tails.
Add contrast crab-stitch trim
With the contrast yarn, work reverse single crochet around the upper opening and around the strap. Reverse sc travels backward along the edge and makes a corded finish. Keep it relaxed around the narrow strap so the loop can still reach the opposite side.
If you have not worked crab stitch before, practice on a short separate sc strip. A tight reverse edge can shrink the entire shoe opening even when the upper counts are correct. The trim should define the edge without changing its fit.
Make the crocheted buttons
For each button, make 6 sc in a magic ring, increase to 12 and work a plain twelve-stitch round. Decrease around to six and sew the opening closed. Position the button opposite its strap loop and attach it through several stable upper stitches.
Check both shoes before use
Close the straps and compare the pair from the front, back and side. Check that the buttons, loop ends and woven-in tails cannot easily loosen. The source also discusses a smaller version using sc in place of designated hdc, but that variation requires following its own adjustment notes; do not mix it into the fifty-four-stitch version mid-project.
Frequently asked questions
How are the buttons made?
They are small crocheted pieces with rounds of 6, 12, 12 and 6 stitches, then sewn closed and attached.
Why do the straps start at different points?
Their placements mirror the two shoes using the final triple-decrease positions as landmarks.
Can I change only the sole length?
The upper shaping depends on the sole count. Follow the source’s size-adaptation notes and check the entire shoe, not only its foundation.
Pattern and photograph credits
Baby Girl’s Booties, Crochet Colors Theory, printed pages 216–217 / PDF pages 218–219. Photographs show the supplied source projects. Crops, rotated photographs and editorial checklists are identified in their captions. Any stitch-count or terminology clarification is identified in the relevant section.
Open the original [BONUS 2] Crochet Colors Theory.pdf pattern reference in Drive — Printed pages 216-217; PDF pages 218-219. Keep the original pages beside this guide for the detailed diagrams and any section specifically referenced above.
Leave a Reply