Red Wheat and Blue Crochet Beanie and Booties

A good friend is expecting a baby in early July, so I crocheted her a patriotic gift in recognition of the nearest holiday in the United States, Independence Day. I replaced the traditional white with "wheat" colored yarn for a vintage stars and stripes feel. The adorable wooden buttons were the final touch.

Patterns

• V-Stitch Newborn Beanie by Lacy Crochet (free)
• Candy Corn Baby Shoes by Kris Moore at The Slanted Life (free)

Supplies

Yarn

• Caron simply soft (worsted weight, 100% acrylic)
• dark country blue
• harvest red
• bone (an unfortunate color name, I prefer to call it "wheat")

Hook
(Note: be sure to check your gauge and adjust hook size accordingly)

• 4.5mm 
• I used this hook size for all pieces. The suggested size for the booties was 3.75mm, but I crochet tightly and the 4.5mm hook gave me the correct length for the base of the sole (gauge based on first two rows). The suggested hook for the beanie was 4.0mm for DK weight (#3) yarn, but 4.5mm gave me the correct gauge based on the first three rows using worsted weight yarn.

Buttons

• Small wooden stars <--(affiliate link)
• 13.75 mm diameter, unfinished

 

Tips 

Buttons

My favorite parts of this beanie and booties set are the wooden star buttons. They are the perfect size, shape, and color for babies (of course, babies should not be left alone with them due to the choking hazard, but they are certainly cute for photo props). They are a natural wood color and unfinished, meaning they will probably not hold up well with repeated washings, but newborns grow so quickly that I doubt they will be washed too many times. I bought the stars in the photos on Etsy. However, the shop that sold me the stars no longer has them in stock. If you would rather not buy 200 stars from Amazon (even though it's the best deal), then Etsy is a great alternative. Try typing "wooden star buttons" and look for a shop near your home to save on shipping.

The holes in the buttons are pretty tiny. Here is the link to the method I used to thread the yarn through the holes. Briefly, I used crochet thread (regular sewing thread would also work) to make a loop through a single button hole, placed the yarn into the loop, and pulled it through. I used 20 gauge crochet thread, since I had an entire skein leftover from my plumeria flower project. I'm happy to have found a use for this thread, not only for pulling yarn through button holes, but also for newborn hat photos (it made a cameo appearance in the first photo above). 

Beanie 

finished dimensions: width = 6 inches, length = 4.75 inches
I followed the V- stitch beanie pattern as written, with the exception of using worsted weight yarn (rather than DK weight) and making stripes using three different colors (rather than using a single, solid color). The V-stitch was fun to make and made this little beanie a bit more unique than a beanie made with rows of standard double crochet stitches. I had to start over a couple of times to get the gauge right, and ended up using a 4.5mm hook rather than the 4.0mm suggested. The beanie still turned out a tiny bit smaller than it was supposed to be, but it should stretch to fit a newborn. I also like that the V-stitch provides slightly larger spaces than regular double crochet for a more lacy, summery vibe. The color I used for each row is as follows: 

• Rows 1 and 2: wheat
• Rows 3 and 4: red
• Rows 5 and 6: wheat
• Rows 7 and 8: red
• Rows 9 to 11: blue
• Row 12: wheat

I used the method at this link to change colors, but crocheted over loose ends as I went along and cut the yarn each time I changed to a new color. Unfortunately, cutting the yarn left several sets of loose ends that tended to stick out from the V-stitches (more noticeably than they would stick out from standard double crochet rows). In hindsight, I should have just left the wheat and red yarn ends intact, not crocheted over them at all (this is what was done in the color changing video tutorial), and carried them down the inside for the row repeats ("stranding"). This would eliminate several of the loose ends in the wheat and red section. Since this beanie is not reversible, it wouldn't be an issue to have some yarn strands exposed on the inside.

There is a part of the pattern that I was confused about at first. At the end of each row, the instructions call for a slip stitch into the third chain of the beginning ch 4. This essentially turns the fourth chain into the first "ch1 space," which is also the spot where the slip stitch should go at the beginning of the next row. Although the total stitch count per row is not provided, the instructions are pretty fool-proof as long as you start in this spot (located immediately next to the final slip stitch of the previous row).

Booties

finished dimensions: sole length = 3 inches

I followed the 0-3 months pattern, as written, with a slight modification to the first color change:

• Rows 1 to 3: wheat
• Row 4: red
• Rows 5 to 7: blue 
• Row 8: wheat (I used stitch option 1)

I only added one button per bootie, as opposed to the three that were suggested in the original pattern. If I had made a larger size, then three buttons might look good, but only one star button fits well on the newborn size bootie. These booties ended up a bit on the small side (a common theme for me). I think they will fit a newborn, but may require a bit of stretching. I hope they at least fit for a Fourth of July newborn photo shoot!

 I love this color combination and I'm already planning more projects. 

What other project do you think would look good in red, wheat, and blue?

Crochet Shark Booties

Shark Week on The Discovery Channel will be here soon, so I thought it would be fun to get into the spirit with these crochet shark booties! I made these in newborn size as a baby shower gift for a good friend who loves sharks. This crochet pattern is very creative and unique. The mouth and nose are so perfectly proportioned that these really look like baby great whites! I love the fact that the sharks' mouths are designed to nibble a baby's toes (although they actually nibble the baby's leg).

Pattern

• Shark Slipper Socks by Stacie Ratcliff ($5 on Etsy)
• All sizes from infant to adult are included!

Supplies

• Yarn: Caron Simply Soft, worsted weight
• soft grey heather and white
• Hook: 3.5mm
• Buttons: black shank 5/8 inch (need 4) <--(affiliate link)
• Stitch markers <--(affiliate link)

Tips

This pattern is very easy to follow. It is not crocheted in the round so it requires some assembly, but I found the assembly instructions to be straightforward. I made one tiny modification, which was crocheting only in the back loops of the stitches around the mouth while adding the teeth. This resulted in a subtle "gum line" that separates the teeth from the grey skin  (shown in closeup photo on the right). I used single crochet for the seams, but the next time I make these, I plan to sew the seam using a whip stitch because I think it will look cleaner and eliminate a bulky seam on the inside that might be uncomfortable, especially if these are made for someone who is walking (not an issue with the 0-3 months size that I made). I sewed the buttons on as securely as possible, but they were still not as snug as I'd like. I think this is due partly to the fact that the shank did not fit into the hole between the stitches, as I intended. Embroidered or safety eyes might be a nice alternative to the buttons. I contemplated adding a tail to make these anatomically correct, but decided that the absence of a tail is just enough to keep these sharks looking more like booties than wearable amigurumi. 

Will these great white shark booties be 

nibbling  your baby's toes during Shark Week?

Crochet Country Blue Booties and Beanie

My favorite color combination for babies is country blue and white (Caron Simply Soft Yarn). The blue is icy and enchanting. A small amount of white in the trim is the perfect complement to make the blue stand out. My first ever (and possibly last) commission was a newborn booties and beanie set that my mother requested for a coworker's baby shower. Because my mom requested it, I let her choose (and purchase) the booties pattern, which we found on Etsy. Window shopping on Etsy is one of my favorite pastimes, so it was pretty fun to share this activity with my mom. 

She made an excellent choice. Not only is the booties pattern adorable, but it extends above the ankle and includes a cute tie to ensure it stays on wiggly newborn feet. I paired it with my first ever beanie. Each of the patterns I used were written as sets, but I mixed and matched to obtain the beanie and booties shown here.

Pattern Links

• Baby Tam and Booties by Zeepazoo ($4 on Etsy)
• The pdf file also includes a hat pattern, which I didn't use 

• Sweet Potato Baby Hat by Erica Jackofsky (free on About.com)

Supplies

• Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
• Country blue and white

• Hook: 4.5mm 

Tips

Best Place to buy Caron Simply Soft Yarn

The cheapest I have found Caron Simply Soft Yarn is at my local JoAnn fabrics store. I either buy it when it is on sale or when I have a great coupon. I am not affiliated with JoAnn, but wanted to share that I think it is worth joining their mailing list because they regularly send out 40% off coupons (for one regularly-priced item). I would not buy a skein of Caron Simply Soft Yarn for more than $3. For bigger projects, I prefer to purchase this yarn online simply because it doesn't have that "craft store smell" (incidentally, the Caron Simply Soft Yarn at our local store is located right next to the sachets). 

Booties 

(finished size: 3 inches long sole)

I only made one minor modification to the booties. I used standard single crochet stitches for the trim rather than what was suggested in the pattern. Also, the suggested hook size is 4.0mm, but I moved up to 4.5mm because I tend to crochet tightly. In fact, my first attempt at making these booties turned out an inch shorter than it was supposed to be! Not crocheting too tightly (especially noticeable on booties) has been my greatest challenge thus far. 

Baby Hat 

(finished size: 7 inches wide at brim)

I did not modify the hat pattern, other than selecting my own color combination. There is one stitch in the pattern, a puff stitch, that was new to me and which I found a bit challenging simply because there are so many loops to go through at one time. I found that it helped to make sure I was crocheting loosely and keep my hook straight so I didn't catch the sides when pulling it through. It also helped to carefully pull my hook through one loop at a time if I was having trouble with a particular stitch. For a link to a tutorial on changing colors in the round, see my lacy crochet summer baby gift set post (scroll to the bottom).

Overall, this was a very quick and easy gift for a baby shower. Both patterns are written well and include gauge and stitch counts. I think this set is perfect for a baby boy, but the country blue certainly works for baby girls, too. I crocheted this gift set for a December baby last winter, but I think the color combination would also work great for a summer baby (think nautical).

What season do you think the country blue and white color combination evokes?

Lacy Crochet Summer Baby Gift Set

My cousin is expecting a baby girl next month. What a perfect excuse for me to crochet something lacy, pink, and embellished with satin ribbon! I combined three free crochet patterns to make a lacy hat, diaper cover, and booties set for the sweet summer baby.

 
I found all three patterns on Ravelry.com. If you are new to crochet, then I would definitely suggest signing up on Ravelry. It's free, and it's a wonderful resource for finding great patterns! It's also a pretty convenient means of organizing and keeping track of your projects. 

Pattern Links

• Lacy's Hat by AG Handmades (free)
• Princess Diaper Cover by The Lovely Crow (free)
• Basic Baby Booties by Susie J Crochet (free)

Supplies

• Yarn
• Comfy Sport from KnitPicks
• white (it's more of an ivory or antique white than pure white)
• 75% pima cotton, 25% acrylic
• 2 balls (I used less than 1.5 balls)
• Shine Sport from KnitPicks
• blush 
• 60% pima cotton, 40% modal
• 1 ball (I used less than half a ball)

• Hooks 
• 5.00 mm (hat and diaper cover body)
• 3.50 mm (diaper cover edging and booties)

• Embellishments

• Pink ribbon from Jo-Ann
• 3/8 in x 18 ft spool (only $1 with a coupon!)  

The comfy sport yarn is the same yarn I used to crochet my son's baptism outfit. This yarn is so soft! It is also lightweight (sport weight category #2), mostly cotton, and perfect for warmer, summer weather. The other reason I chose this yarn is because I had two balls leftover from the previous project and I am currently on a self-imposed ban from buying more yarn. This is also why I used the pink shine sport yarn. The shine sport is the same weight and more-or-less the same material (60% cotton rather than 75%). It is true to its name (it's shiny), but I think it complements the soft antique white.

Modifications

Lacy's Hat 
(finished dimensions: width = 6 inches, length = 5 inches)

This pattern was written for worsted weight yarn. In order to compensate for the fact that I was using sport weight yarn, I followed the 3-6  month pattern and used a 5.00 mm hook, with the goal of the final dimensions matching a newborn size. The smallest head the hat should fit is 12 inches around, but the pattern has a lot of stretch potential, so I'm hoping that it grows with the baby for at least a few months. I replaced the crocheted bow from the pattern with pink ribbon.

Princess Diaper Cover 
(finished dimensions: waist width = 7 inches, length = 6 inches)

Here is yet another Lovely Crow pattern. (What can I say? I'm a fan.) This is another great pattern with lots of close-up pictures. What makes this Lovely Crow pattern extra special is that it is FREE on Ravelry. This pattern was also written for worsted weight yarn, so I simply followed the 3-6 month instructions with the idea that it would fit a newborn using sport weight yarn. This is one of the reasons I greatly appreciate patterns that include multiple sizes! Rather than adding an elastic band, I used a ribbon to tie the waist.

Note: This pattern includes an excellent pictorial tutorial on how to do an invisible join when finishing off (I used it in every piece of this set).

Basic Baby Booties 
(finished dimensions: sole length = 3 inches)

This is a great beginner pattern. I found it very easy to follow. My booties ended up half an inch shorter than they were supposed to be, but hopefully they will still fit a newborn (I should have checked my gauge first and used a larger hook). Since the pattern was written for lightweight yarn, I did not alter it, at least not for sizing purposes. I made the soles (first three rows) pink. I wanted to add a ribbon, so I replaced the last row with double crochet stitches in a pattern that looks similar to what was used in the other two pieces.

Here's what I did (see Quick Reference Guide for abbreviations):

• Modified Row 8: 
• Switch to pink (pull a loop of pink yarn through on the sl st at the end of row 7)
• Ch3, dc in same space, (skip next stitch, 2dc in next stitch) x 10, fasten off, skip last stitch and join to top of ch3 using invisible join
• There will be 11 dc groups and 11 spaces in this row (22 st)

I threaded the ribbon through the spaces and tied a bow in the front. I think the ribbon turned out to be a bit too wide for the booties, but I kept it to ensure that the set matched.

Tutorial Links

Here are some tutorial links for the techniques I used to make the lacy crochet summer baby gift set:

• Edging rules-of-thumb
• How to make an invisible join
• How to heat seal the edge of a ribbon (use with caution)
• How to change colors in the round (video)
• Note: Usually when I change colors, I just crochet over the loose ends to avoid having to weave them in later. However, with the lacy hat pattern, I found that the yarn shows up in the spaces when I do this. Therefore, for the hat and the last row on the booties, I left all of the loose ends and wove them into the first shell stitch cluster. It was a lot of weaving, but I think it turned out cleaner looking. I did something similar for the diaper cover, but in hindsight, realized that I should have just woven the ends into the areas that were going to be covered by the edging.

I can't wait for my cousin to see this pretty gift set! 

Are you crocheting a gift for a summer baby this year?

Crochet Boy Booties - Loafers with a Strap

I taught myself to crochet in order to make cute items for my kids. Because I am sentimental, I wanted my first ever project to be something I made for one of my own children. Well, that ship sailed when I sent off the bulky newborn set to my good friend. However, my second project was booties for my young son. Ideally, I would have learned to crochet before he was born so that I could have dressed him properly for a newborn photo shoot, but I also missed that boat. My son was wearing size 6-12 months by the time I crocheted his first booties.

I wanted his booties to be adorable, but not too frilly. I had a hard time finding cute booties patterns for boys. Yes, there are many unisex patterns out there, but many of them tend to be a bit generic. Where could I find something as cute as Mary Janes, but intended for boys? The answer for me was...Etsy (again). I just love the crochet patterns featured there. The pattern I selected was from The Lovely Crow, which is also the source of the booties I blogged about last week. Actually, I had bought these two patterns at the same time so that I could get a two-for-one deal (two patterns for $10.75 rather than $5.95 each, for a savings of $1.15).

Pattern Link:

• I chose The Lovely Crow's Little Mister Loafers for my son's first booties (note: the original pattern does not include the strap shown in these pictures)

I still swoon every time I see a picture of these booties. The pattern was very easy to follow. I finished the booties very quickly. I opted to keep them simple, so I left off the buttons and optional trim on the toes. Even though I did not add the buttons as embellishments, I did add a strap and button (see below). A bonus of this pattern is that it comes with a video tutorial that includes a very clever and fast technique for sewing on buttons.

Supplies:

• Worsted weight (#4) yarn: I used Caron Simply Soft, as suggested in the pattern. The colors in my photos are "bone" and "chocolate"
• Hook size 3.5mm (aka "E")
• Tapestry needle
• Two buttons (I used coconut)
• Stitch marker for keeping track of the first stitch of each row (optional) 

Tips:

These booties are loafers, which I call the male equivalent of Mary Janes. They are designed such that a relatively large part of the top of the foot is exposed. Although this is extremely cute (especially on chubby feet), there is a drawback: they fall off pretty easily. I would not call this a design flaw, per se; it's just what happens when you put a loafer on a baby. I made an attempt to correct this by adding a strap. The strap was not part of the original pattern. 

Pattern modification - adding a strap:

If you already have a booties pattern with a strap that you like, then that would probably work fine for this. I wanted the strap to be very simple, so I made a chain and used slip stitches to add a button loop.

Simple chain strap (for a chubby ankle in size 6-12 months):

Chain 18 (or to desired length), slip stitch in 5th chain from hook and continue down to the first chain, fasten off and secure loose ends to the inside body of the bootie.

Add a button on the other side of the bootie using the technique described in the tutorial that goes with the bootie pattern.

I must say that even with the strap (which helped a lot), these booties still tended to slide off of the heel. I suspect this happens with many booties that do not cover the ankles and include an ankle tie. I still love them, especially for photo shoot purposes. The next time I make these, I may add a much thicker strap. Incidentally, The Lovely Crow offers a pattern, Little Prince Loafers, that looks almost identical to these, but includes a wide strap. They are also very cute baby boy booties, and probably stay on busy babies a bit better (yeah, I like alliteration).

When choosing crochet booties patterns, do you rank
form (i.e., cuteness for photo shoots) or function higher?

Bulky Crochet Booties with Matching Headband

The first project I ever started was a wavy chevron blanket for my preschooler (see last week’s post for a link to the pattern). The first project I ever FINISHED was a set of bulky Mary Jane booties and matching headband for my good friend’s baby girl.

Almost immediately after learning to follow patterns, I formed a list in my head of all the projects I wanted to complete. At the top of the list was a gift for my friend’s newborn baby. I found a ton of free booties patterns online, but I didn’t find the perfect one until I stumbled upon a selection of amazing patterns for sale at The Lovely Crow on Etsy. Yes, I had to pay $5.95 for the pattern, but it was worth it because these booties are absolutely adorable and the pattern is written for bulky (or chunky) yarn. I have yet to find a similar free bulky yarn pattern. Sometimes it’s worth spending money on a good pattern. I think of it as a splurge and a gift to myself. I figure $6 is an affordable self-indulgence, especially if you are going to use the pattern to make multiple items as gifts or for sale. 

In addition to the booties, I wanted to make a matching headpiece. I could have gone with the irresistibly cute matching bulky beanie that is also for sale on Etsy, but I was short on time and money, so I used a free headband pattern. It was designed for lighter weight yarn, but it worked well with bulky yarn. Since it is based on length rather than stitch numbers, I didn’t have to worry about converting the number of stitches from light to bulky weight yarn. I just needed a measuring tape. To decorate the headband, I used a free bulky flower pattern written specifically for bulky yarn.

Pattern links:

• Booties: bulky Mary Jane booties by Elizabeth Alan (The Lovely Crow) 

Size 0-3 months

• Headband: free headband pattern at Crochet Hooks You 

• Flower: free bulky flower pattern at Ambassador Crochet

What’s so great about using bulky yarn to crochet tiny booties and a simple headband? 

The patterns work up VERY quickly!

This comes in handy when you are just starting out and may need to crochet a few booties before getting it right. The pattern is so easy that my very first bootie actually looked like the picture in the pattern. The only problem was that it was too tiny. My second bootie was a good size, but my third bootie didn’t match it! I would say that’s the main challenge with crocheting booties (when you’re a beginner): they have to match! So I crocheted a fourth bootie and gave booties #3 and #4 to my friend, carefully stored #2 so I could make a matching pair someday, and saved #1 as a chew toy (suitable for kids or cats).

I also made a headband for the baby’s older sister. I'm a sucker for matching sibling accessories. Since I wasn’t sure of the size, I didn’t sew the band closed, but attached ribbon to both sides. I simply tied the ribbon to each end of the headband using a square knot, then wrapped it around several times to hide the knot. I made sure to seal the ribbon ends so they would not fray. Here is the finished set including the big sister headband. It's my first ever completed crochet project! (I completed it last summer about a month after I first taught myself to crochet).

Supplies:

I used the same yarn that is suggested in the pattern. It’s (affiliate link)--> Lion Brand Baby’s First Yarn (bulky #5) and I love working with it. I love the feel of a 45% cotton yarn. I also love 45% (or greater) cotton yarn because it is less "fuzzy" than 100% acrylic. The colors are Cotton Ball and Fairy Tale.

To go with the bulky size yarn, the pattern calls for a 6.5mm (aka size "K") hook. At this point in my crochet journey, I decided to buy a crochet hook set. I found an aluminum crochet hook set <--(affiliate link) on Amazon for a great price ($7.16 for 22 hooks). I have already bought two similar sets (because I have a tendency to misplace hooks). You will also need a tapestry needle and stitch marker (optional; see below).

Beginner tips:

One challenge I noticed with these booties (and any bootie crocheted in the round) is keeping track of the very first stitch in each row. Because there is a turn, that stitch tends to get twisted and tightened and I often cannot find it by the time I finish the row. By placing a stitch marker in that stitch, I can make sure that I have the right number of stitches in addition to ensuring that I put the first stitch of the next row in the right place. 

Here are the tips I learned from my first bootie project:

•  Don’t crochet too tightly
•  Crochet with consistent tension so the booties match in size
•  Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each row

There are  a couple of other techniques used in the bootie pattern that may be a small challenge for beginner crocheters, but Elizabeth clearly explains them in the pattern and the accompanying video tutorials. That is one of the best things about her patterns...you can learn a lot from them!

Aren't the little bear buttons adorable?

What do you think? Would you pay $6 for an irresistibly cute crochet pattern?