Little Eyes Baby Booties. Photos © Irisgc & © oranereuland
Little Eyes Baby Booties, originally called Little-Eyes, is a free newborn booties knitting pattern by Inma Gijón. These tiny knitted boots feature a beautiful cable detail across the top of the foot and require only a small amount of light fingering-weight yarn.
The pattern is designed for newborn babies and is worked flat rather than in the round. If you would like a slightly larger pair, the designer suggests changing from 2 mm needles to 2.5 mm needles.
Little Eyes Baby Booties Pattern Details
- Designer: Inma Gijón
- Original pattern name: Little-Eyes
- Published: December 2016
- Craft: Knitting
- Category: Baby booties
- Pattern availability: Free download
- Size: Newborn
- Yarn weight: Light Fingering / 3 ply
- Suggested yarn: Lanas Stop Bambini
- Yardage: Approximately 30–60 yards (27–55 m)
- Needles: 2 mm (US 0)
- Gauge: 8 stitches × 12 rows = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in stockinette stitch
- Construction: Worked flat
- Features: Decorative cable detail
- Pattern format: Written instructions and chart
- Languages: English and Spanish
Sweet Knitted Booties for a Newborn
Little Eyes is designed specifically as a pair of newborn baby booties. Their tiny size makes them a lovely project when you want to knit something special for a new baby without committing to a larger blanket, cardigan or sweater.
They can also make a charming handmade baby-shower gift, especially when paired with another small knitted accessory such as a hat.
Beautiful Cable Detail
The feature that gives Little Eyes its distinctive appearance is the decorative cable motif across the upper foot.
The raised stitches create an intricate-looking focal point while the rest of the bootie remains relatively simple, allowing the cable texture to stand out clearly.
A solid or lightly tonal yarn is particularly effective if you want the stitch definition to remain visible.
Worked Flat Instead of in the Round
Little Eyes Baby Booties are worked flat. This means you knit back and forth rather than working continuously around the foot on double-pointed needles.
This construction can be appealing if you enjoy baby booties but prefer flat knitting to working very small circumferences in the round.
The knitted piece is shaped and finished according to the designer's instructions to form the final bootie.
Light Fingering Yarn
The pattern is designed for Light Fingering / 3-ply yarn. The suggested yarn is Lanas Stop Bambini.
Bambini is a fine merino and acrylic blend, providing the lightweight fabric needed for these delicate newborn booties.
If the original yarn is unavailable, look for a suitable light fingering-weight substitute and use the designer's gauge as your main guide.
A Tiny Stash-Busting Project
One of the advantages of Little Eyes is the very small amount of yarn required.
The pattern listing gives approximately 30–60 yards (27–55 metres), making these booties a useful project for small amounts of fine yarn left over from another baby project.
You may already have enough yarn in your stash to make a pair without purchasing a full new skein.
Needles and Gauge
The newborn version uses 2 mm (US 0) knitting needles.
The specified gauge is: 8 stitches and 12 rows = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in stockinette stitch.
Gauge is especially important for tiny baby items because even a small difference in stitch size can noticeably change the finished dimensions.
How to Make the Booties a Little Bigger
The free pattern is written for newborns, but Inma Gijón provides a simple suggestion if you need a slightly larger pair: use 2.5 mm needles instead of 2 mm needles.
The larger needle size produces a somewhat larger bootie without requiring a completely different set of pattern instructions.
This should be treated as the designer's method for making the original bootie slightly larger rather than as a separate standardized baby size.
English and Spanish Pattern
Little Eyes is available in both English and Spanish, making the free pattern accessible to a wider range of knitters.
The download also includes both written and charted pattern information, so knitters who prefer following a chart can use that format for the decorative section.
Skills Used in Little Eyes Baby Booties
Useful knitting techniques for this project include:
- Knitting and purling
- Working flat
- Stockinette stitch
- Cable knitting
- Reading a cable chart
- Basic shaping
- Decreases
- Finishing small knitted pieces
Because the project is so small, it can be a fun way to practice cable knitting without committing to a large cable sweater, blanket or scarf.
Choosing Yarn for Newborn Booties
When choosing a substitute yarn for a newborn project, softness is an important consideration. The booties will be worn close to a baby's skin, so avoid yarn that feels rough or scratchy.
Easy-care yarn can also be useful for baby knits. Whatever fiber you choose, make sure it produces the required gauge and a comfortable fabric.
A Lovely Handmade Baby Gift
Small projects like Little Eyes are particularly useful when you need a handmade gift but don't have time to knit a complete baby garment.
The decorative cable gives the booties a special finished appearance, while their small yarn requirement makes them practical for using a favorite leftover yarn.
You could also coordinate the booties with a simple newborn hat or cardigan in a matching or complementary color to create a handmade baby gift set.
About the Little Eyes Pattern
Inma Gijón originally published Little-Eyes in December 2016. The pattern's instep section was subsequently updated by the designer in January 2017.
When downloading the pattern, use the current version supplied by the designer so you have the updated instructions.
Get the Free Little Eyes Baby Booties Pattern
The complete Little-Eyes by Inma Gijón is currently available as a free downloadable knitting pattern from the designer's Ravelry store.
Get the Free Little Eyes Baby Booties Pattern
Pattern availability was checked when this article was updated. Availability on external websites may change over time.
