Mia - DK baby sandals

Mia DK Baby Sandals by Jennifer Lee

What is Being Made

Mia is a pair of knitted baby sandals designed for infants from newborn through 9 months old. These sandals feature a charming open-toe design with a buttoned ankle strap for secure fastening and three decorative foot straps that add both style and structure. The sandals are sized to fit foot lengths ranging from 7cm (2¾ inches) for newborns up to 10cm (4 inches) for 9-month-old babies.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

The Mia sandals are constructed using fundamental knitting techniques suitable for beginners. The entire sandal is worked in garter stitch, which is created by knitting every row on both right-side and wrong-side rows. This produces a reversible, textured fabric with horizontal ridges that is naturally elastic and forgiving—ideal for baby garments. The pattern requires working flat on straight needles for the main sandal body, with double-pointed needles used for specific shaping elements. Sewing techniques are employed to join pieces together using a wool needle, creating a finished, structured sandal.

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch: The primary stitch throughout the entire sandal, created by knitting every row to produce a textured, reversible fabric
• Make 1 (M1): An increase stitch used to shape the sandal, created by picking up the loop lying before the next stitch, placing it on the left-hand needle, and knitting into the back of the loop
• Yarn forward (yfwd): Used to create decorative eyelet details and buttonholes for the ankle strap fastening
• Knit (K): The fundamental stitch used throughout the pattern

Materials and Tools Required

The Mia sandals require minimal yarn—just 1 ball of Panda Magnum Soft 8ply yarn (100g balls with approximately 417 meters per ball) in DK weight. This single ball is sufficient for all four size options, as the pattern is designed for tiny baby feet. Knitting needles required include one pair of 3.75mm needles (UK size 9, US size 5) for the main construction, plus two double-pointed 3.75mm needles for specialized shaping. Additional materials include two small buttons for the ankle strap closure and a wool needle for sewing seams together. The recommended tension is 22.5 stitches and 44 rows per 10cm (4 inches) worked over garter stitch using 3.75mm needles.

Pattern Difficulty and Suitability

Rated as Easy, the Mia sandals are an excellent beginner knitting project. The pattern uses only basic knitting techniques and straightforward stitch abbreviations, making it accessible to knitters new to the craft. The garter stitch construction is forgiving and hides minor tension variations, while the small size means the project works up quickly, providing satisfying results for developing knitters.