Angora Baby Booties

These baby booties dangle near the front window at Purl, showing off their fuzzy fibers. Belangor 100% Angora comes from French Angora rabbits; the fibers are so lofty they don't even require cutting, just regular combing.  An abundance of colors and a hard-to-beat texture makes this yarn a wonderful fiber for knitting and wearing. 

Baby booties, from Joelle's Last Minute Knitted Gifts, are the perfect way to incorporate angora into a baby project.  They require only one skein of yarn and an hour or two to make.

Your baby friend's feet will be fuzzy as Peter Rabbit himself.

Comments

[Karen]

I've made two pairs of these delightful booties and the recipients are (reportedly) very happy with them!
They are quick to make and the pattern is absolutely straightforward.

[ina and gumby]

... the angora booties are adorable ... and guess what ... the blue sky alpacas brushed suri makes a lovely pair one size up ... #8 needles ... same number of stitches ... go to 3" before separating the layers and continue on ... i think 1 skein easily makes 2 pairs ... so nice to know that a bigger baby can also wear a pair ... happy days ... happy knitting ... mille baci ...

[Rebecca]

Ooooooooh! I love them so much! It makes me want tostop the socks I'm working on and jump right to sofite colorful booties! I want to make them all!

[Laura]

Your site is very nice. I love so much knitting and cross stitch, and averything about it. I'd would like to buy this book. Soon, I hope.:-)

[princesspumpkin]

The booties all hung up like that are just gorgeous. I also love the way you have taken so much care with the photography on your website, e.g. matching different fabric as background to your knitted items. A really nice touch.

[Meagan]

Those booties are adorable! I am having a baby this fall and the worst part is that I can't follow a patten to save my soul! I just bought a weavette in hopes that I can make a baby blanket out of the squares.

[anina]

I've been knitting projects from this book and having a lot of fun! I've posted them on your Flickr Purl Bee group and blogged about them at twiddletails.blogspot.com
Thanks for the lovely patterns!!!

[Beverly Palm-Titus]

Hello,
I'm looking for a source of angora booties like this for my fine gifts retail web site. We're small, so we're not looking for huge volume. Do you know of anyone who makes items like this for sale/resale? Thanks and regards.
Beverly Palm-Titus

[purl bee]

Dear Beverly,
I'm sure there are tons of knitters out there who would love to work on something like that. Perhaps post something on some of the knitting message boards, such as knitter's review, or craftster. Best wishes, Joelle

[tomoshka]

Are there any published corrections/suggestions for this pattern? Can't seem to avoid the gaping holes at the sides ... thanks

[Nancy Reid]

I made one of these, and it is wonderfully soft, but I cannot seem to get the bind off right. It is not stretchy at all. I tried binding off in the k1 p1 pattern, but apparently didn't do it right. Any suggestions? Thank you. Nancy

[purl bee]

Hi Nancy,
Here is a link to a video of how to bind off in k1,p1 pattern. Hopefully it will help you solve the problem you're having, but if not, please let us know and we'll be happy to help!
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/casting-off
Scroll down the page to where it has links for either continental or english style "Knit-One Purl-One Bind-Off"
Good Luck!

[Kathy]

I have made these booties twice, and I love them! My only problem is that in the last section of the pattern, the cuff, the turning seems not to make sense. I have improvised my own way of doing it, using common sense, but the pattern seems to want me to go back and forth on the same side too many times. Could you please clarify this section for me? Thanks!

[Lisa]

I have the same problem as Kathy -- I just finished knitting one and because of going back and forth so much there is a hole at between the instep area and the side area. Am I missing something? I didn't cast off yet so I can always unknit that section and redo it so that there's no hole. I'd really really really be thrilled to get an answer because these booties are shamefully last minute (the babies in question have already arrived)!

[purl bee]

Hi Lisa,
This happens sometimes to these booties where you pick up stithces, its the same with socks where you pick up for the heel. You can stitch the opening closed with a scrap of angora when you're done, it will be very invisible with all of the fluffy angora. Otherwise, when you come to the pick up stitches part of the pattern, you can pick the stitches up and knit them through the back of the stitch to twist the stitch which will minimize the gap.

Hope this helps, and please let us know if you need more clarification.

[Brie]

Hi - I'm a realtively new knitter and am having some trouble reading the pattern for the cuff. I'm reading "[k1, p1] 8 times" as k1, p1 - 8 times, but this doesn't get you across all 22 stiches... I know I'm doing something wrong, but can't figure out what. Help?

Thanks much!!

[purl bee]

Hi Brie,
For this part of the cuff you are only working on 16 stitches, there should be 6 stitches on the instep that you aren't working until row 4. Hope this helps, if not, let us know!

[Jessica]

Hi,
These booties are so cute! But is it possible to make two pairs out of one skein? Angora is expensive... Thanks!

[purl bee]

Hi Jessica,
Unfortunately, the Angora is also a very short skein (33 yards) so you can only get one pair per skein.

[diane]

These booties are adorable! Am I missing something?... I can't seem to find the pattern instructions anywhere on the page. Can't wait to make 'em.

[purl bee]

Hi Diane,
The booties pattern is in our book, Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. You can find the book here:
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/booklist/author,1
Thanks!

[Jewelia]

Hello. I too am having a hard time with the cuff and getting holes between the instep and each side. So, I am now on a new pair and I am picking up stitches for the cuff and am trying to make sure I do not make any mistakes. The pattern says to pick up and knit 8sts along the garter st selvedge, and I am sure this is where I am messing up. I don't seem to have 8 obvious places to pick up as there are six little knots. Where exactly should I be picking up these stitches? Please Help!!!

[Jewelia]

Opps, I forgot to thank you for making such a wonderful book! I adore these angora booties, they are just so special. Years ago, I saw them knit up in a local yarn store and I have not stopped thinking about them since. Whenever I need a baby gift, I race to all the local yarn stores to find absolutely no angora. I finally went out of state to visit my sister in WA, bought some angora, your book, and am loving it! I should have broken down years ago and bought some online. I wish your yarn store was located in Alaska!

[Kathy]

I am knitting the wonderful angora booties for the third time, but I still haven't solved the problem of the cuff section. It seems to me that if you follow the directions to go down Row 1, turn, go back on the same stitches for Row 2, then turn for Row 3 and go along 16 stitches, then turn for Row 4 and do K1, p1 8 times, you are going to be back at the heel. No matter how often I go over this I come to the same conclusion. If I follow these directions exactly, the left side of the bootie would be higher than the right. I would so much appreciate it if you could explain this. Thank you!!!

[alexandra]

I just finished 1 bootie and I also have a problem Unfortunately, I ended up with a hole right in the front and I am not sure why.

There seems to be a problem when I started on the cuff. What could I be doing wrong?

Thanks for your help.