Whit's Knits: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Booties
I have long loved these Elizabeth Zimmermann booties. Last year I made them with fingering weight yarn to fit my newborn baby, and they got him through his first cold winter. Recently my family received wonderful news that made me want to knit some bigger booties.
My sister-in-law has been trying to adopt a baby for a long time, and this month she was finally told that there is a beautiful baby boy who needs her. He gets to come home in January and, by then, will be ten months old. His name is James, and his smile would melt an ice cube.
From waiting in line to waiting for a baby to arrive, knitting is how I get through all the episodes in my life that challenge my patience. I'm pretty sure that the next three months are going to yield a whole pile of hand knits for little James!
The Materials
- Three skeins (one skein makes one pair of booties) of Alchemy's Temple yarn, 100% superwash, superfine merino. These colors are Michelle's Marigold, Champagne and Mica.
- One set of US #7 needles (straight or circular)
- Two US #7 double pointed needles
- Elizabeth Zimmermann's The Opinionated Knitter. (The bootie pattern is on page 108. On the same page is an adorable matching bonnet.)
Whenever I knit something for a baby my first thought is, "Can I use Temple?" The hand dyed colors are so sumptuous and unusual, from perfectly warm pinks to strangely glowing greens to mysterious deep charcoals. If Elizabeth Zimmermann's insistence that itchy wool is good for a baby seems a liitle sadistic to you, you'll be happy to know that this superfine merino is also super soft. And, another concession to modernity, it's machine washable!
The original pattern uses yarn that gets 6 stitches to the inch for about a newborn to six month size. To make booties that will fit a ten month old I decided to use a sportweight yarn at 5 stitches to the inch. Knit a little bit loose, they have a lot of stretch and will fit most feet well past the one year mark.
The Pattern
Even in designing a humble bootie, Elizabeth Zimmermann engaged her fascinating mind to create a highly original object. My mind just marvels at hers! Here is what the bootie looks like right before you sew it together, kind of like origami!
Besides being a beautiful example of engineering simplicity, these booties fulfill all the practical concerns of moms and dads. Warm,yes; stretchy, yes; cushiony and cozy, yes. But let's face it, the most important thing in baby footwear is, Does it stay on?! Yes! Besides a good high cuff, the booties are held securely in place by I cord laces. I cast on three stitches to knit mine...
I am so excited to welcome my new nephew into our family with these gorgeous booties for his precious little feet. Thank you, Elizabeth Zimmermann! --Whitney
October 28, 2009 | purl bee | Print | Email Article | Share | in Alchemy Yarns, Babies, Elizabeth Zimmermann, Gifts, Knitting, Socks, Whit's Knits | 27 Comments
Reader Comments (27)
Thank you for sharing this cute pattern! And best wishes and blessings for little James and for you and your little boy too!
Yes, this pattern is copyrighted and only available in the book. We promise that it is worth it, the book is full of amazing patterns just like the booties!
You can find all of our EZ titles at this link:
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/booklist/author,11
I didn't break the yarn. Instead, I knit the 3 stitches and continued along the row, picking up 12 stitches. Next I turned the work (with the wrong side facing me) and knit the 15 stitches. Then I picked up 12 stitches by bringing my right needle from the right side to the wrong side (toward me) and purling the stitch. Picking up the stitch this way keeps the seam on the wrong side of the bootie.
I took some photos of this technique for the Sullivan Street Bolero (http://www.purlbee.com/sullivan-street-bolero/). Scroll down to the "Knitting the Edges" section, and check out the last 4 pictures for a step by step explanation.
Thanks for asking this question. If you ever make Elizabeth Zimmermann's Surprise Jacket you'll see that this little trick comes in handy again!
Whitney
I would say that these booties are quite easy to knit (you don't even have to use double pointed needles!), but I would also warn you that Elizabeth Zimmermann is not much of a hand holder. Her patterns do tend to assume a certain level of knitting knowledge.
If you live near a good yarn store or have a knitting mentor, I would really encourage you to give them a try, because the actual knitting is simple. Or if you have a good mind for patterns, just go for it! Either way, you'll be so proud of the results.
Good luck!
Whitney
The pattern is copyrighted and only available in the book The Opinionated Knitter pictured above. We promise that it is worth it, the book is full of amazing patterns just like the booties!
You can find all of our EZ titles at this link:
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/booklist/author,11