Seamless Baby Bootie

from Diana Sullivan

This one is a soft sock, not a dress-up bootie, inspired by seamless sock patterns for standard gauge machines with a ribber. You could replace the picot hems with a mock ribhem.

Small amount of 2/12 yarn, fingering yarn, or leftover sock yarn. This was done with KnitPix Bare sock yarn, dyed with Kool Aid (that was a fun and messy demo!).

T6 on the Brother

Toe:

Cast on 18 stitches with waste yarn. Hang weight. Knit about 10 rows, ending with carriage on right, then 1 row of ravel cord, then 1 row of main yarn.

Set machine for short rows (to hold) and **pull 1 needle on carriage side to hold position. Knit one row. Repeat from ** until 6 center needles remain in work. **Wrap yarn and put one needle back in work on carriage side, knit across. Repeat from ** until all needles back in work and carriage on right.

Change to the ribber arm. Put ribber bed partway up. Set ribber bed on H pitch. Put 17 needles in work and pick up stitches from waste yarn edge (beginning edge) to fill them. Put ribber all the way up. Make sure all needles in B position and stitches in hooks. Hang two “7” weight holders between beds on each side edge of the knitting with a small hook weight on the loops, and claw weights, front and back.

Knit 8 rounds circular. (16 rows on the row counter)

To shape heel: Drop the ribber bed partway. Change to main bed fabric presser. Set for plain knitting (not circular) and shape heel using same short row technique as toe. Hang a claw weight partway through the process. When all sts back in work, move the claw weight closer to the needles.

Ankle:

Change to ribber arm and circular setting. Move ribber up. Pick up the heel of each end stitch and place on end ribber needle in work (2 loops on that needle). This prevents a hole from forming at the edges of the short-rowed area.

Knit 8 rounds circular (16 rows on the row counter).

Beading row: Transfer every other stitch to adjacent needle, leaving the needles in work.

Hem: Knit 8 rounds (16 rows on the row counter). Transfer every other stitch again and knit 8 more rounds. Cut yarn, leaving a tail for sewing.

Knit 8 rounds with waste yarn, break and remove from machine.

Turn the bootie inside out, fold hem down and sew hem down just above the beading row loosely. Remove waste yarn.

Make an I-cord or crochet a chain for the tie.