Baby Booties Without Seams (bottom up)

A pattern by YarnThrower
This pattern was inspired by Ruth's "Perfect" Baby Booties, though my construction method is quite different, eliminating the seam found along the back and center bottom of many baby bootie patterns. (After searching online **unsuccessfully** for a "seamless" baby bootie pattern, I decided to figure one out on my own...)

This particular pattern begins at the bottom of the bootie and works up toward the cuff. I have also published another version, which is Baby Booties Without Seams (top down).

This pattern utilizes a cast on which is often used in toe-up sock patterns. A couple of methods are Judy's Magic Cast-On and Deb's Turkish Cast-On. [I find that this type of cast-on works very well using a long circular needle (magic loop), continuing with that needle until at least the first row is knit.]

(This pattern is the property of YarnThrower and may not be reproduced except for one copy for individual use. If you print or distribute this pattern without YarnThrower's written permission, you are stealing.)

Needles required: Size 5 DPN's, or very long circular needle (40" for magic loop), or both.

Note: I used a size 2 circular needle which is 40 inches long to cast on and work the first round (because that happens to be the largest diameter *long* circular needle I have), and then switched to size 5 DPN's for the rest of the bootie.

Yarn required: DK weight

Added August 20, 2009

Abbreviations (assumes right handed knitter):

P#:  Purl the given # of stitches

K#:  Knit the given # of stitches

M1:  Make 1 (a method of increasing which is almost invisible, done by inserting tip of left needle underneath the little "bar" of yarn which runs between the needles, from front to back, forming a new stitch on the left needle, and then knitting into the *back* of that new stitch)

SSK:  Slip, slip, knit (Slip one stitch as if to knit, slip another stitch as if to knit, insert left needle into front of both stitches from left to right, wrap yarn around right needle and pull loop through both slipped stitches, sort of knitting through the backs of the stitches which have been slipped.)

P2tog:  Purl two stitches together

K2tog:  Knit two stitches together

YO:  Yarn over (bring yarn from back of work to front of work -- makes a hole if "knitting" all stitches)

End of August 20, 2009 edits

Directions:

Sole and sides of bootie:

• Using your preferred method for a "toe-up" style cast-on, Cast-On 28 stitches. (There will be 14 stitches on each of the two needles.)
• Knit one round. (After this row, I switched over to my size 5 DPN's.)
• *P1, M1, P12, M1, P1* twice. (Note: To do a "M1" on a purl row, insert the left needle through the back of the little bar which extends between the first stitch on the left needle and the first stitch on the right needle, effectively adding a "stitch" to the left needle; then purl this "new" stitch.)
• Knit one round.
• *P2, M1, P12, M1, P2* twice.
• *K1, M1, K16, M1, K1* twice.
• *P3, M1, P14, M1, P3* twice.
• *K1, M1, K20, M1, K1* twice.
• *P4, M1, P16, M1, P4* twice. (52 stitches)
• Knit eight rounds.

Top of bootie shaping:

• K29, SSK, turn.
• Purl Short Row: Slip 1 as to purl, P6, P2tog, turn.
• Knit Short Row: Slip 1 as to knit, K6, SSK, turn.
• Repeat these two rows until the total number of stitches is 36, ending with the purl row, except do not turn work on the final purl row.
• Slip next stitch from left needle to right needle, bring yarn to opposite side of work, and return the slipped stitch to the left needle. (This "wraps" the next stitch.) Now turn work.
• Continuing in the round, knit to the end of the round, which is at the center back of the bootie.

Cuff:

• Knit one round, working the wrap along with the stitch it wraps together as one.
• Knit one round.
• *K2tog, YO, K1* repeat until end of row. (This forms eyelets for inserting a tie.)
• Knit one round.
• Work K2 P2 ribbing for 15 to 20 rounds. Bootie shown in photo has 15 rounds of ribbing.

Finishing:

• Cut yarn.
• Weave in ends.
• NO SEAM TO SEW!
  

As always, I welcome your comments, concerns, suggestions -- and by all means, if you find an error or if something is confusing, I'd love to know about it so that I may improve the pattern!