Christine's Stay-on Baby Booties

I'm at the age where it seems like everyone around me is having a baby. I won't go into how terrifying that is. We'll just stick to the knitting part - baby booties, the best quick and easy baby gift there is.

Whenever I have to make baby booties, I use one pattern. I don't try new things. I even violate my rule of 'never knit the same thing twice' [okay except maybe for plain socks] because this pattern just works.

Booties knit with Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Bittersweet and something I can't remember

It's Christine's Stay-On Baby Booties (Ravelry link here). I know very little about babies, except that at a certain point they become very wiggly and it's a chore to keep socks on them - and it's important to keep those little toes warm. These booties thwart even the wiggliest baby (or so moms tell me).

Better yet for the knitter, they use up leftover sock yarn! The pattern calls for 50g of sock yarn, but measuring suggests you'll need closer to 20g for a pair.

Booties in two colors of Miss Babs Yummy 3-ply sport weight

They're constructed in such a way that it's easy to knit the soles in a contrast color, so that's what I do. First you knit a tiny garter-stitch rectangle for the sole, then pick up and knit around to form the foot. Some short rows shape the top of the toe, then you knit in the round again for the cuff. A little fiddly on small needles, but overall it's easy. 

Contrast soles, yay!

I finish my booties off with twisted cord, which is easy to make if you have a sturdy hook or a friend with a good grip.

How to make twisted cord:

1. Cut two (or more, depending on how thick you want the cord) pieces of yarn three times as long as the desired finished length of the cord.
2. Have someone hold one set of ends (or knot and put over a hook).
3. Keeping the yarn pulled taut, twist until the yarn wants to knot up on itself. Twist a little more. 
4. Being careful not to let go of the ends, fold the cord in half. It will twist up around itself.
5. Knot the loose ends together.
6. Smooth out any lumps in the cord.
7. Knot the folded end.

Rainbow booties from back in 2008

Do you have a go-to baby pattern? (My other one is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket).