Hanna - DK baby sandals

Hanna - DK Baby Sandals by Jennifer Lee

What is Being Made

Hanna is a pair of knitted baby sandals designed for infants from newborn through nine months. These are garter stitch sling back sandals featuring a T-bar strap across the foot and a buttoned ankle strap for secure fastening. The sandals are available in four sizes to fit feet ranging from 7cm (2¾ inches) for newborns to 10cm (4 inches) for nine-month-old babies.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

The sandals are constructed using fundamental knitting techniques suitable for beginners. The primary construction method is garter stitch, which creates a textured, reversible fabric by knitting every row. This stitch is ideal for baby garments as it produces a soft, stretchy fabric with excellent durability.

The pattern employs increases using the M1 (make 1) technique, which involves picking up the loop lying before the next stitch, placing it on the left-hand needle, and knitting into the back of the loop. This method creates invisible increases that shape the sandal structure. The increases are strategically placed to form the foot bed and accommodate the T-bar and ankle strap components.

Assembly involves sewing up using a wool needle to join the knitted pieces together, creating the three-dimensional sandal form with the sling back, T-bar, and buttoned ankle strap components.

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch - the foundation stitch created by knitting every row, providing texture and elasticity
• Knit stitch (K) - the basic stitch used throughout the pattern
• Make 1 (M1) - an increase technique for shaping the sandal structure
• Knit together (tog) - used for decreasing stitches where needed

Materials and Tools

The Hanna sandals require minimal materials, making them an economical project. Yarn is Panda Magnum Soft 8ply in a DK weight, with only 1 ball (100g, approximately 417 meters) needed regardless of size. The 8ply weight provides appropriate thickness for baby footwear while remaining soft against delicate skin.

Needles required are a pair of 3.75mm knitting needles (UK size 9, US size 5). A wool needle is also needed for sewing the pieces together during finishing.

Additional notions include 2 small buttons for the ankle strap closure, allowing parents to easily fasten and unfasten the sandals.

Tension and Sizing

The pattern specifies a tension of 22.5 stitches and 44 rows to 10cm (4 inches) over garter stitch using 3.75mm needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for proper fit across the four available sizes. The pattern accommodates different foot sizes through varying stitch counts: sizes progress from 31 stitches for newborns to 47 stitches for nine-month-olds.

Difficulty Level

Rated as Easy and suitable for beginners, the Hanna sandals use straightforward knitting techniques and simple construction methods. The garter stitch requires only basic knit stitches, and the increase techniques are fundamental skills. This pattern is an excellent beginner project for learning shaping and garment construction.