Knit baby booties and slippers are such a great way to keep little toes warm – and they look adorable, too! If you want to knit a pair, this list of my favorite free knit baby booties patterns will undoubtedly inspire you!
Knit Baby Booties Patterns
As a mom of four, I’ve knitted my fair share of baby booties over the years. Those tiny knit slippers are just so precious, and I love having a special handmade keepsake from my kids’ baby days.
Quick project. Not only are baby booties adorable – they’re also a quick knit. Many patterns in this list can be knit up in a few hours.
Scrap yarn. Booties don’t use a lot of yarn, so you may already have what you need in your stash!
Great gift idea. Plus, they make the perfect gift for visiting a new baby or taking to a baby shower!
In this post, I’ll share some of my favorite free bootie knitting patterns. Whether you prefer kimono-style, Ugg lookalikes, woodland animal designs, dainty ballet slippers, or cozy sock booties, there’s something here for every knitter.
Can beginners knit baby booties?
Yes! There are lots of easy knitted baby bootie patterns for beginners. This list includes several free patterns for baby booties knit on two needles (knit flat), as well as easy patterns knit in the round.
A few of the best beginner patterns from this list include: Easy Baby Booties (#3), Red Heart Garter Stitch Baby Booties (#6), and Baby Hausschuhe (#12).
27+ Free Knit Baby Booties Patterns
Check out these free baby booties knitting patterns for your next project. Happy knitting!
Kimono Slippers
These little booties are made with a kimono, foldover design. They’re knit in a “T” shape and then folded over and sewn. This pattern is best for intermediates.
Designer: Blog of Joy
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Red Heart Soft
Baby Hug Boots
With a foldover top, these baby booties are the knitted version of little Ugg boots! This ankle-height design is made to keep feet warm and cozy. They pull up snugly and are more difficult for babies to pull off than shorter designs.
Designer: Marianna’s Lazy Daisy Days
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Easy Baby Booties
This easy pattern is knit flat and seamed to finish. With simple, step-by-step instructions, this pattern is perfect for beginners. These would make an adorable gift for a new baby!
Designer: Handy Little Me
Yarn weight: Aran
Suggested yarn: Rico Creative Cotton Aran
Bernat Pompom Booties
These adorable booties feature a classic foldover design, but they’re topped off with a touch of fun flair. Choose blue, pink, or neutral pompoms to fit your baby! This pattern is ideal for comfortable beginners.
Designer: Yarnspirations
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Bernat Itty Bitty Fuzzy Wuzzy Bunny Booties
What makes wearing slippers more fun? Bunnies! These precious booties are such a cute way to keep little toes warm. The facial features are embroidered and safe for little ones.
Designer: Yarnspirations
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Red Heart Garter Stitch Baby Booties
Worked with the simple garter stitch, this is a great choice for your first booties pattern. Made with a foldover brim, these booties work up quickly and are cute in any color!
Designer: Yarnspirations
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Red Heart Baby Hugs
Newborn Booties
These basic booties are easy to make and include straightforward, written instructions. This two-tone pattern is made with basic stitches and simple seaming at the end. They feature a flat top for an almost shoe-like look.
Designer: Erica and Eleanor
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Sirdar Cashmere Merino Silk DK
Baby Socks
These cute slipper socks are easy to slip on babies without being too bulky. They’re knit from the top down. This quick pattern would be great for a last-minute gift.
Designer: Kate Atherley
Yarn weight: Fingering
Suggested yarn: Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino
Baby Booties
These newborn booties feature a cute strap and are ideal for keeping the littlest toes warm! They fit babies size newborn to three months.
Designer: Knot Sew Prisca
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Petite Jete Baby Ballet
These ballet slippers include a clever piece of hidden elastic in the cast-off to help keep them snugly on a kicking baby’s feet. They knit up quickly and are available in four sizes: newborn, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months.
Designer: Pumpkin and Bunny
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Fox Booties
What an adorable way to keep feet warm! To make these fox booties, you’ll need to be comfortable with the garter stitch, ribbing, basic shaping, and short-row shaping. This pattern is best for intermediates.
Designer: Let’s Knit
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Baby-Hausschuhe
These booties are knit by starting with the sole, moving to the main shoe portion, and then working the cuff ribbing. They’re knit seamlessly and would be a good choice for a first knit booties pattern. Make this pattern for your own little one or as a gift!
Designer: Ines Strickt
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Red Heart Soft
Knitted Baby Uggs
These little, knit uggs would be adorable for a baby boy or girl! They’re worked in one piece and are quick to knit. They’re available in three sizes: 3-6 months, 6-12 months, and 12-18 months.
Designer: Things for Boys
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Rowan Pima Cotton DK
Saartje's Bootees
This precious pattern features two straps that give these slippers a more shoe-like look for little ones. There are so many fun color combinations you could use - check out the pictures for inspiration! Be sure to sew the buttons on very securely to make sure they’re safe for little ones.
Designer: Saartje de Bruijn
Yarn weight: Fingering
Suggested yarn: Rowan RYC Cashcotton 4 Ply
Baby Boots
These colorful little booties are made in one piece and joined along the back and the sole. They pull on easily, and the stretchy ribbing keeps them snugly on little feet!
Designer: Frankie Brown
Yarn weight: Fingering
Suggested yarn: Rowan RYC Cashcotton 4 Ply
Soft + Silky Baby Socks
These little socks are silky and so cozy for keeping the tiniest toes warm and snug! They can be worn alone or under a pair of slippers or shoes. The pattern is offered in two sizes: 0-3 months and 3-6 months.
Designer: Purl Soho
Yarn weight: Fingering
Suggested yarn: Purl Soho Furl
Bosnian Booties
These Bosnian-style booties feature a unique foldover cuff. They’re made on DPNs and worked partially in the round and partially flat. Make them striped or solid!
Designer: Carole Barenys
Yarn weight: Sport
Suggested yarn: DROPS Baby Merino
Perfect Newborn Socks
Socks always seem to fall off a baby’s feet, but this stretchy ribbed design will keep them on snugly! This tiny pair is perfect for little ones in the first couple of months. Pull them up tall or fold the cuff over.
Designer: Tabitha Gandee
Yarn weight: Fingering
Suggested yarn: Hey Sister Yarn Co. Allons-y Sock
Duck Baby Socks
Since babies don’t walk, they can totally wear socks that walking children and adults could never get away with! Don’t miss your chance to use a super silly and adorable pair of socks like this one while your little one is still holding (somewhat) still! This cute pattern includes pictured instructions and is available in two different sizes.
Designer: Jeny Staiman
Yarn weight: Fingering
Suggested yarn: Shibui Knits Sock Yarn
My Version of Babystøvler
Between the foldover cuffs and the toe ridges, your newborn will be the most sophisticated (but cozy!) baby on the block! These booties are knitted flat and then seamed. A pictured tutorial is included for nearly every step!
Designer: Homemade by Calista
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Dino Baby Booties
These dino booties are the perfect way to welcome a little boy or girl. They’re available in sizes 0-3 months and 3-6 months. The dino edge is worked into the sole, and the top portion is worked after that.
Designer: Anna Meier
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Seamless Cable Booties
These precious little booties are knit seamlessly in the round. They’re soft, flexible, and comfortable for the littlest feet. This intermediate pattern features a cable up the center of the foot and a sweet little bow to finish the pattern off.
Designer: Jane Anderson
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Filatura Di Crosa Baby Zarella
Scrunchy Booties
These scrunchy booties feature a stretchy, scrunched top section that can be pulled up or down on your little one to keep both feet and legs warm. They’re knit from the toe up with a short row heel. This intermediate pattern is available in five sizes, from newborn to 12 months.
Designer: Knit Picks
Yarn weight: Worsted
Suggested yarn: Shine Worsted
Stroll in the Park Booties
Load your little one up to walk your favorite paths with you - just make sure to keep those tiny feet warm! These booties are knitted back and forth and feature false cables. They can be made in a variety of sizes, from preemie to 4 years.
Designer: DROPS Design
Yarn weight: Sport
Suggested yarn: DROPS Baby Merino
Mini Snow Boots
These mini sock booties are just the right accessory for those cold, snowy days. Made with cables and ribbing, they stretch nicely over little feet for a snug fit. They’re available for babies and toddlers sizes 1 month through 4 years.
Designer: DROPS Design
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: DROPS Puna
Pippi Baby Booties
This ridged pattern integrates lots of color to create a pair of delightful baby booties. They have a cozy ribbed cuff to keep them snugly on your baby’s feet.
Designer: Frankie Brown
Yarn weight: Fingering
Suggested yarn: Purl Soho Furl
Bananen-Socken pattern by Susanne Shahin
These banana socks are created as a long tube with no heel - so no shaping is required! This straightforward pattern is quick and easy to make and is a great choice for beginners.
Designer: Susanne Shahin
Yarn weight: DK
Suggested yarn: Lang Yarns Super Soxx 6-ply
Necessary Supplies
Supplies you’ll need for knitting your booties include:
- Yarn. Keep reading for our favorite yarn suggestions for baby booties!
- Needles. Check your pattern to see whether you’ll need straight needles, DPNs (double-pointed needles), or circular needles.
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- Buttons (Please note that buttons can be a choking hazard. Make sure you sew them on very securely, or consider leaving them off for older babies and toddlers that might grab at the bootie.)
What yarn is best for knitting baby booties?
When knitting for babies, choose a yarn that’s soft and gentle on sensitive skin. Babies tend to get messy, too (think spit-up, diaper blowouts, etc!), so make sure to choose something that’s easy to throw in the washing machine.
If you’re not using a baby-specific yarn, check the softness of your yarn by rubbing it on your face or neck to ensure that it’s gentle enough for new little feet.
Some of our favorite baby yarns include soft acrylics like Bernat Softee Baby, Red Heart Baby Hugs, and Red Heart Soft.
Techniques to Know
What do you need to know to knit baby booties? Here are some common stitches and techniques that might come up in your pattern.
- Making a gauge swatch
- Casting on and binding off
- Basic Stitches: Knit (k) and Purl (p)
- Increases: Make one (m1), knit front and back (kfb)
- Decreases: Knit two together (k2tog) and slip, slip, knit (ssk)
- Stockinette stitch (knit a row, purl a row)
- Ribbing (for example, k2, p2 rib)
- Knitting flat and in the round
- Picking up stitches (for adding cuffs or decorative borders)
- Cable knitting
- Color changes
- Seaming (joining knit pieces using the mattress stitch or grafting)
Read through your whole pattern before getting started, and practice any stitches you’re not comfortable with yet!
Tips and Tricks for Knit Baby Booties Patterns
Size it right
Most baby bootie patterns come in multiple sizes so that you can pick the right one for your baby! Other patterns give a size in length (inches or centimeters), so you’ll need to measure your baby’s foot to make sure the fit will be right.
Booties should be snug but comfortable. Remember, babies grow very quickly, so if you’re not sure, err on making them on the slightly bigger side.
Make a gauge swatch.
And speaking of size… don’t forget to make a gauge swatch! A gauge swatch helps ensure that your project will turn out to be the size the author intended. If your gauge isn’t correct, size your needles up or down accordingly.
(Using larger or smaller needles is also a good way to purposefully adjust the size of your pattern if you want to make the booties larger or smaller than the size that the pattern offers.)
Check the care instructions.
Babies are known for getting messy, so it’s important to make sure your yarn is washable and durable. Read your yarn label before washing (and preferably before even choosing your yarn)!
Remember to let the receiver know about any special care instructions if you’re giving your booties as a gift.
More Knitting Ideas
If you like to knit, you may be interested in these related posts.
- 25 Free Headband and Ear Warmer Knitting Patterns
- 25+ of the Cutest Free Knit Baby Hat Patterns
- 25 Free & Easy Baby Blanket Knitting Patterns
- 25 Free & Easy Cardigan Knitting Patterns (Beginner-Friendly!)
- 25 Free Baby Sweater Knitting Patterns
What’s Next?
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