Babies Babies Everywhere

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby nowadays. The Jaywalker socks, Sunrise Circle Jacket, and Knock Off Bag have been put on a three-day hiatus so I can make a quick gift for an upcoming baby shower. I can't attend the shower, but I figured I should send a little knitting love to the baby anyway. (If you know which baby I am talking about, please don't spill the beans before the shower!)

My first thought was to make these Robin-Hood-like booties from Debbie Bliss' The Baby Knits Book. The construction seemed simple but interesting. You knit three diamonds:one for the outside (black), one for the lining (tan), and one for the heel (both colors).


Wait a minute, black booties for a baby? I say you are never two young to have a good pair of basic black shoes. Besides, it's what I had in my stash. So there.

This bootie ended up sort of weird-looking, though. First, it's huge. Like toddler huge. The front is pretty cute (center bootie, below), but the diamonds come to a sharp point in the back that just doesn't make any sense. Unless babies have fighting blades attached to the backs of the their heels, a la cockfight?

So I moved on to just making a basic tow-up sock with the lining yarn (a yummy cashmere blend). I felt sort of bleh about the first one, too (left bootie, above). The second one has ribbing at the top (right bootie, above) that I think is going to be the big winner in the end. I think the ribbing will help it stay on Baby's teeny feet.

I'm going to have to work on that Robin-Hood bootie pattern. I can't get it out of my head! I feel like it has such potential...just need to get rid of those fighting cock blades...