Footsies v2 by Alasdair Post-Quinn

Footsies v2

Knitting
October 2018
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
28 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches
in double-stockinette
US 2 - 2.75 mm
US 4 - 3.5 mm
112 - 144 yards (102 - 132 m)
0-6mo, 7-12mo, 13-18mo, 19-24mo
English

From the pattern:

These are the first in a series of works I plan to design integrating doubled garter stitch and double-knitting. The flexibility of this combination of techniques adds a whole new dimension to the practical application of double-knitting.

This pattern includes an optional bonus two-pattern section for the top front of the booties — the R and L correspond to the right and left footprints on the bottom of the booties; however, when the booties are turned inside out, the footprints change from left to right and vice versa, so the R and the L also change places using two-pattern charts.

What’s New?

The main issue that everyone had with these booties was that I only ever designed one size. Pattern grading wasn’t something I had much experience with at the time, and I was concerned about having to redesign the footprint for every subsequent size. With more time to puzzle out this issue, I have created four sizes, and only had to redesign the footprint once since the smallest two sizes are done in fingering weight yarn and the next two sizes are done in sport weight. I’ve also done a totally new heel turn, which I feel looks and works more cleanly than the original. The experience of redesigning these will go a long way toward the eventual adult sizes that I’d like to work out someday.

I also had to replace the yarn, since Dale Baby Ull is no longer distributed in the US. I had great difficulty finding an easily accessible fingering-weight superwash wool in 50g skeins, and finally settled on working in a lovely wool by a local dyer. The sport weight option was much easier to source.