Mom's Knitted Cowboy Baby Booties

These boots pictured were made by Mom, probably from a pattern, but the pattern is long gone. This pattern has been written by examining the booties themselves. It has been tested once and edited. The edits have not been re-tested (yet).

 

Gauge:

7 st per in

6 garter ridges per inch (13 rows per inch)

Pair US 1 straight knitting needles needles, or size needed to achieve gauge.

Yarn: Fingering, sock or baby yarn. I've tested pattern with success using Bernat Softee Baby yarn.

Foot: Cast on 50, placing marker between stitches 25 and 26. Work garter stitch back and forth, increasing one st 1 st at both ends of the row and before marker every other row every 4^th row (begin with 2^nd row) until 70 st on needle. Work evenly until 11 garter ridges completed in total from cast-on edge.

Instep: At center of the row, mark off 8 stitches with markers. Work short rows as follows:

R1: Knit the next row past the first marker and continue to the next marker. Remove the 2^nd marker, then K2tog, sl 1, yarn forward, turn (yarn wrap made), sl 1.

R2: Knit to the next marker, remove the marker, K2tog, sl 1, yarn forward (yarn wrap made), turn, sl 1

R3: Knit across row to 1 st before the gap. Note: when you see the little loop of yarn from the yarn wrap in the row below, pick it up with the tip of the rt needle and put it on the left needle and knit together with the next st. K2tog, sl 1, yarn forward, turn, sl 1.

Continue working R3 back and forth until 48 sts left on the needles.

Ankle:

R1: Knit remainder of current row all the way across the left needle and turn.

R2: Knit. If you are a tight knitter, knit loosely enough so the next row of K2tog’s can be done easily; maybe hold a skinny needle next to the regular one in the right hand while knitting the row, then remove the extra needle on the next row.

R3: Make beading for drawstring: Work K1,*YO, K2Tog, repeat from * until 1 st remains, YO,K1.

Work evenly in garter stitch for 30 rows.

Boot top:

K24; transfer 24 sts on left needle to a holder. Work decreases on the stitches remaining on the needle as follows:

R1: K2 loosely, SSK, Knit across until 4 sts remaining on left needle, K2tog, K2 loosely.

Work R1 until 5 sts remain on needle. The two K stitches on the edge should be worked loosely in order to prevent puckering. When there are 5 stitches remaining on the needle, work evenly back and forth 18 rows and bind off.

Move stitches on holder to needle with the needle tip positioned at the front of the ankle. Join yarn and repeat the above on the other side of the boot top.

Front ankle tab: At the center front of booties just below the beading row, pick up and knit 8 st. Work garter st back and forth, decreasing one st (K2tog) at the end of each row until none left.

Finishing: Fold in half and starting at the bottom, sew up. Make ties by crocheting doubled yarn into a chain, 12” in length. Thread through beading and put pom-pom on each end; these will tie in the BACK of the ankle, resembling spurs. Stitch down the top of the tiny triangle at the front; it covers the beading. Fold over the tabs at the top of the boots to the inside and stitch down, forming the bootstraps.