Hush Bootees in Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino (DE) - RB002-00011-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Hush Bootees in Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino – Pattern Summary

Designed by Erika Knight and published by Rowan, the Hush Bootees pattern is a charming knitting project for tiny feet. Available as a downloadable PDF (reference RB002-00011-DEP), this pattern produces a pair of delicate, snug-fitting baby bootees worked in the round using double-pointed needles. The design is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it a rewarding project for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping techniques and working in the round.

What Is Being Made

The pattern creates a pair of classic baby bootees sized to fit infants from 0–3, 3–6, 6–9, and 9–12 months. The bootees are knitted in the round from the cuff downward, with careful shaping worked at the toe and sole to create a neat, fitted finish that stays securely on little feet. The finished pieces are shown photographed in Cecily 125 and Nutkin 121, two colourways of the recommended yarn.

Yarn and Materials

The recommended yarn is Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino, a luxuriously soft 4-ply weight yarn that is perfectly suited to delicate baby garments. Only 1 x 50 g ball is required across all four sizes, making this an economical and practical project. The yarn's blend of cashsoft and merino fibres gives the finished bootees a gentle, skin-friendly texture that is ideal for newborn and infant wear.

• Yarn: Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino, 4-ply weight
• Quantity: 1 x 50 g ball (all sizes)
• Shown in: Cecily 125 and Nutkin 121

Needles

The pattern calls for two sets of double-pointed needles, which are essential for working small circumferences in the round:

• 1 set of 4 double-pointed needles, 3.5 mm
• 1 set of 4 double-pointed needles, 3.75 mm

Using two needle sizes allows the knitter to achieve the correct tension and structure across different sections of the bootee, such as the cuff ribbing and the main body of the foot.

Techniques and Construction

The bootees are constructed in the round using a set of four double-pointed needles (Nadelspiel), a technique that eliminates seams and produces a smooth, professional finish. Working in the round is a fundamental skill in small-circumference knitting and is particularly well suited to accessories such as socks, mittens, and bootees.

The foot shaping is a key technical feature of this pattern. Decreases are worked across multiple rounds to sculpt the toe and sole, creating a three-dimensional shape that fits naturally around a baby's foot. The shaping rounds use a combination of:

• Knit two together (k2tog) – a standard right-leaning decrease worked on knit rows
• Twisted knit two together / slip-slip-knit (ssk or twisted decrease) – a left-leaning decrease that mirrors the k2tog for a symmetrical finish
• Purl two together (p2tog) – worked on purl rounds to maintain the stitch pattern while reducing stitch count
• Twisted purl two together – the purl equivalent of the twisted decrease, used to keep the shaping balanced on wrong-side rounds

These paired decreases are worked at specific points on each round, systematically reducing the stitch count from the initial cast-on number down through several rounds of shaping. For example, the stitch counts progress from 36 (42: 48: 54) stitches down through 34, 32, 30, 28, 26 and so on, with four stitches decreased on every round until the toe is fully shaped. This technique is similar in principle to the toe shaping used in traditional sock knitting.

Stitches Used

• Kn