Knitting Baby Booties Step by Step – Easy Tutorial

Create a precious pair of booties for your little one with this easy-to-follow knitting pattern! These lovely booties feature a soft garter stitch sole and ankle, a textured ribbed section over the top of the foot, and are finished with an adorable butterfly button. They’re quick to knit and make a perfect handmade gift.

This pattern is written for a 0-3 month size, with guidelines for adjusting to larger sizes.

Skill Level:

Easy

Materials:

Yarn: DK weight (Light Worsted / #3) baby yarn (approx. 30-50g per pair). The example uses a beautiful bright blue.
Needles: 3.5 mm (US 4) straight knitting needles or circular needles (for working flat)
Tapestry needle (for seaming and weaving in ends)
Scissors
Small decorative button (e.g., a white butterfly button, as shown)
Sewing needle and matching thread (for attaching the button)

Abbreviations (US Terms):

CO: Cast On
K: Knit
P: Purl
st(s): stitch(es)
RS: Right Side
WS: Wrong Side
garter stitch: every row knit
ribbing: alternating knit and purl stitches (e.g., K1, P1 rib)

Gauge:

24 stitches and 48 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in garter stitch

(Important: Please check your gauge! Accurate gauge is crucial for baby items to ensure they fit the intended size. If your gauge is different, adjust your needle size up or down accordingly. A small difference can significantly impact the finished size of baby items.)

Pattern Notes:

These booties are knitted flat as a single piece and then seamed.
The sole, heel, and side panels, as well as the cuff, are worked in garter stitch for a simple, textured look and good stretch.
The central part of the instep/toe uses a K1, P1 rib for a distinct vertical texture.
This pattern is for size 0-3 months. Suggestions for adjusting the size are provided at the end.

Pattern Instructions

Part 1: The Sole and Lower Heel (Garter Stitch)

Using 3.5 mm (US 4) needles and your chosen DK weight yarn,

CO 36 stitches.

Work in garter stitch (knit every row) for 32 rows. (This section forms the sole of the bootie and the lower back of the heel. The piece should measure approximately 6.5 cm / 2.5 inches wide and 6.5 cm / 2.5 inches long.)

Part 2: Shaping the Heel and Beginning the Instep Opening (Garter Stitch)

This section creates the “U” shape for the heel and the opening for the top of the foot.

Row 33 (RS): K 13 stitches, bind off 10 stitches, K to the end of the row (13 stitches remaining on your right needle, 13 stitches on your left needle). (26 sts total now on needles)

Row 34 (WS): K across all 26 stitches.

Row 35 (RS):): K across all 26 stitches.

Repeat Row 34 and Row 35 for a total of 6 more rows (Rows 36-41). (You should now have a rectangular piece of garter stitch with a “U” shaped cutout in the center.)

Part 3: The Instep (Garter Stitch & Ribbed Section)

Now we will join the sides and work the top of the foot. You will pick up stitches to bridge the gap created in the previous step.

Row 42 (WS): K 13 sts (these are the stitches on the left side of the “U” opening), pick up and knit 10 stitches along the bound-off edge of the “U” (this closes the gap), K 13 sts (these are the stitches on the right side of the “U”). (36 sts total now on needles)

Work in garter stitch (K every row) for 4 rows. (This forms the initial part of the foot above the sole before the ribbed section.)

Now, we will introduce the ribbing for the distinct instep/toe area:

Row 47 (RS – Ribbing Set Up): K 13 sts, (K1, P1) 5 times, K 13 sts. (The 10 central stitches are now ribbed.)

Row 48 (WS): K 13 sts, (P1, K1) 5 times, K 13 sts.

Repeat Row 47 and Row 48 for a total of 10 rows of ribbing (5 repeats of the 2-row pattern). (This ribbed section will be approximately 2 cm / 0.75 inches long and forms the top of the foot/toe.)

Part 4: The Ankle and Cuff (Garter Stitch)

Now we transition back to garter stitch for the ankle and the cuff that will fold down.

Row 57 (RS): K across all 36 stitches.

Row 58 (WS): K across all 36 stitches.

Repeat Row 57 and Row 58 for a total of 16 rows (ending on a WS row). (This section will be approximately 3.5 cm / 1.5 inches long and forms the ankle and cuff area.)

Part 5: Finishing

Bind off all 36 stitches loosely.

Video tutorial

Assembly:

Fold and Seam: Lay your knitted piece flat. Carefully fold the piece in half lengthwise, bringing the cast-on edge up to meet the bound-off edge.
Toe Seam: Using your tapestry needle and a long length of your yarn, seam the bound-off edges together from the very top (the end of the cuff) downwards for about 2.5 – 3 inches. This forms the front of the bootie, including the top of the toe. Use the mattress stitch for a neat, invisible seam, or a simple whip stitch.
Heel Seam: Now, starting from the cast-on edge (the sole), seam the side edges of the garter stitch section together to form the back of the heel. Continue seaming until you reach the beginning of the picked-up stitches/instep section.
Side/Ankle Seam: Continue seaming the side edges along the ribbed instep section and then up the side of the garter stitch ankle/cuff.
Add Embellishment: Using your sewing needle and matching thread, carefully stitch the butterfly button onto the center front of the ribbed instep section, ensuring it is securely attached.
Weave in Ends: Securely weave in all remaining loose ends.

Repeat all steps for the second bootie!

Sizing Adjustments (Approximate Guidance):

To adjust the size, you’ll mainly modify the number of stitches and rows:

For 3-6 Months:
- CO 40 sts.
- Work 36-40 rows in Part 1.
- In Part 2, bind off 12 sts and work 8 rows.
- In Part 3, pick up 12 sts, work 6 garter rows, then 12 rows of ribbing (K1, P1 6 times).
- In Part 4, work 18-20 rows of garter stitch.
For 6-12 Months:
- CO 44 sts.
- Work 44-48 rows in Part 1.
- In Part 2, bind off 14 sts and work 10 rows.
- In Part 3, pick up 14 sts, work 8 garter rows, then 14 rows of ribbing (K1, P1 7 times).
- In Part 4, work 20-22 rows of garter stitch.