Katrina - 4ply baby shoes

Katrina 4ply Baby Shoes by Jennifer Lee

What is Being Made

Katrina baby shoes are Mary Jane style footwear designed for infants and young babies. These knitted shoes feature a classic Mary Jane silhouette with a buttoned foot strap across the instep, combining both style and functionality for delicate baby feet. The pattern includes four size options to accommodate babies from newborn through nine months, with foot lengths ranging from 7cm to 10cm (2¾ inches to 4 inches).

Knitting Techniques and Construction

These baby shoes are constructed using fundamental knitting techniques suitable for beginners. The primary construction method is garter stitch, which is created by knitting every row on both the right and wrong sides. This produces a textured, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges that is naturally stretchy and forgiving—ideal for delicate baby garments.

The pattern employs several essential knitting techniques including:

• Casting on to create the foundation stitches (35 to 53 stitches depending on size)
• Make 1 (M1) increases, created by picking up the loop that lies before the next stitch, placing it on the left-hand needle, and knitting into the back of the loop to add stitches without creating visible holes
• Slip stitches for shaping and stitch manipulation
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) for decreasing stitches
• Knitting stitches together for additional decreases
• Yarn forward (yfwd) techniques to create buttonholes for the Mary Jane strap

The shoes are constructed as a pair, with each shoe made individually using the same pattern instructions.

Yarn and Materials

Katrina baby shoes are designed to be knitted in 4ply yarn, a lightweight yarn weight ideal for delicate baby garments. The pattern specifies Lincraft Lullaby 4ply yarn in 50g balls, which yield approximately 185 meters per ball. Only one ball of yarn is required to complete the pair of shoes across all four sizes, making this an economical project. The pattern notes that yarn quantities may vary slightly between individual knitters and different yarn brands due to variations in tension and fiber content.

Two small buttons are required to secure the Mary Jane foot strap, adding both functional closure and decorative detail to the finished shoes.

Needles and Tools

Construction requires 3.25mm knitting needles (UK size 10, US size 3/4), supplied as a pair. A wool needle is needed for sewing up and finishing the shoes after the knitted pieces are completed.

Tension and Gauge

The pattern specifies a tension of 27 stitches and 54 rows to 10cm (4 inches) measured over garter stitch using 3.25mm needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for producing shoes that fit properly across all four size options. The relatively tight gauge creates a dense, durable fabric suitable for footwear that will withstand wear.

Difficulty Level

Rated as Easy and suitable for beginners, Katrina baby shoes introduce fundamental knitting skills without overwhelming complexity. The straightforward garter stitch construction, combined with basic increases and decreases, makes this an accessible first project for new knitters while still producing a practical, wearable garment.