Crochet Baby Booties: Free Newborn Pattern in Three Sizes
Soft little booties with a shaped oval sole and an ankle strap that keeps them on — newborn to 12 months, about an hour a pair.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- DK (#3) soft cotton or baby yarn, about 70 yd
- Hook
- 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Time
- About 1 hour a pair
- Finished size
- Newborn (3½ in), 3–6 m (4 in), 6–12 m (4½ in)
You'll need
- DK weight (#3) soft cotton or baby acrylic — about 70 yd
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Two small buttons, or make ch-loop ties instead
- Tapestry needle and scissors
In this post
Baby booties are the classic new-baby gift: they use almost no yarn, they take an hour, and they are the only shoes that genuinely fit a newborn.
The two things that make a good pair are a properly oval sole — babies' feet are not circles — and a strap, because booties without one are off and lost within a day.
Baby safety. Use a yarn that machine washes. Sew buttons on with doubled thread and a knot you've tested with a firm tug, or skip them entirely and use the tie version below — a loose button is a choking hazard.
Sizes
| Size | Sole length | Starting chain | Sole rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 3½ in (9 cm) | ch 8 | 3 |
| 3–6 months | 4 in (10 cm) | ch 10 | 3 |
| 6–12 months | 4½ in (11.5 cm) | ch 12 | 3 |
Written below for 3–6 months. For the other sizes, change only the starting chain.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
The pattern (make 2)
Sole
Worked around both sides of a starting chain, which is what makes it oval.
- Foundation: Ch 10.
- Rnd 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next 7, 4 sc in the last ch. Working back along the underside: sc in the next 7, 3 sc in the last. (22)
- Rnd 2: Inc, sc 7, inc 4 times, sc 7, inc 3 times. (30)
- Rnd 3: Sc 1, inc, sc 7, (sc 1, inc) 4 times, sc 7, (sc 1, inc) 2 times, sc 1. (37)
Check the sole against the size chart — it should be about 4 in long and clearly oval.
Sides
- Rnd 4 (BLO): Working in back loops only, sc in each st around. (37)
- Rnds 5–7: Sc in each st around. (37)
Shaping the toe
The decreases all happen at the front, which is what gives a bootie its shape rather than a tube.
- Rnd 8: Sc 12, dec 6 times, sc 13. (31)
- Rnd 9: Sc 10, dec 5 times, sc 11. (26)
- Rnd 10: Sc 9, dec 4 times, sc 9. (22)
Ankle
- Rnds 11–13: Sc in each st around. (22)
- Rnd 14: Sl st in each st around. Fasten off. (22)
Strap
- Step 1: Join yarn at the back of the ankle, on one side.
- Step 2: Ch 14, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch back — this makes a firm strap. (13)
- Step 3: Attach it to the opposite side of the ankle, or sew a button there and make the strap end a ch-4 loop that hooks over it.
- Step 4 (no-button version): make two straps, one each side, and tie them in a bow.
Make it your own
- Two-tone: work the sole in one colour and the upper in another.
- Mary Janes: add a second strap across the front of the foot.
- Gift set: pair with our baby blanket and a soft crochet ball.
- Picot edge: work *sc 1, ch 3, sl st into the same st* around the ankle for a frilled top.
Common questions
What size are newborn booties?
A newborn's foot is about 3½ in (9 cm) long. Make the sole to that length — see the chart above for the other sizes.
What yarn is safest for babies?
A soft, machine-washable DK: cotton, or an acrylic labelled for babies. Anything that sheds fibres or has a loose fluffy halo is best avoided.
How do I stop booties falling off?
The ankle strap does most of the work. The decrease rounds across the toe matter too — a bootie with no shaping is a tube, and tubes slide straight off.
How much yarn do I need?
About 70 yd of DK for a pair — one 50 g ball makes two or three pairs.
Can I machine wash them?
Yes, if the yarn allows. Wash on a cool, gentle cycle in a mesh bag and dry flat.
The gift that gets the biggest reaction for the least yarn. 👶
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