braided tie booties

I've finally gotten around to taking photos of my second pair of booties for the Stash Buster Booties Challenge; I really hadn't thought this whole thing through seeing that I'd have to photograph all ONE HUNDRED of them (that's if I make it till the end) as I make them!

I bought a HUGE cone of teal cotton from Cancer Research Wales a while back, and 3 very time-consuming dishcloths later (with hardly a dent in the cone must I add), I had put it away in the cupboard and didn't want to look at it again! When my sister came to visit she brought along some of her yarn, and I 'inherited' a few balls of dark brown soft cotton... I loved the contrast between the two colours so I decided to knit them both together for these booties.

Braided Tie Booties Pattern

SIZE

To fit baby of 0-3 months

MATERIALS

1 colour double knitting weight yarn
1 fingering/baby weight yarn in a contrasting colour
1 pair of 3mm needles

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Gauge/Tension
20sts and 30 rows = 10cm square over stockinette (stocking) stitch using 3mm needles
Abbreviations
k = knit
k2tog = knit the next 2 stitches together
m1 = make stitch by picking up yarn before next stitch and knitting into the back of made loop
p = purl
p2tog = purl next 2 stitches together
sl = slip next stitch
yo = yarn around needle

Work with 2 strands of contrasting yarn throughout.
Right Bootie
Sole
Cast on 35 stitches
1st row : knit across
2nd row: (k1, M1, k16, M1), 2 times, k1 (39 stitches)
3rd row: knit across
4th row: (k1, M1, k18, M1), 2 times, k1 (43 stitches)
5th row: knit across
6th row: (k1, M1, k20, M1) 2 times, k1 (47 stitches)
7th – 18th row: knit across
Toe Shaping
1st row: k19, k2tog, k5, k2tog, sl TURN
2nd – 4th row: k2tog, k5, k2tog, sl TURN
5th row: k2tog, k5, k2tog, sl TURN
6th row: p2tog, p5, p2tog, sl TURN
7th row: k2tog, k5, k2tog, sl TURN (as 5th row)
8th row: p2tog, p5, p2tog, sl TURN (as 6th row)
9th row: k2tog, k5, k2tog, knit to end of row
10th row: purl across
Begin Cuff
11th row: k1 (yo, k2tog, k2) repeat brackets till end, k1 (eyelets will be on this row)
12th – 17th row: continue in stocking stich (purl even rows, knit odd rows)
Cast Off
Second Boot
Make second boot to match

FINISHING

Join leg seam and underfoot seam, and weave in any loose ends. Plait 3 lengths (I used 4 strand ‘bunches’ for each length) of one of the yarns together to make the tie, knotting the ends to secure them. Thread ties through the eyelets (see the photograph below)