Baby Vest & Booties in Ella Rae Lace Merino - ER14-04 - Downloadable PDF

Baby Vest & Booties Knitting Pattern – Ella Rae Lace Merino (ER14-04)

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Ella Rae presents two coordinating baby projects: a classic Baby Vest (sleeveless tank-style top) and a pair of Baby Bootees, both worked in the luxuriously soft Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn. The pattern is designed for newborns and infants, with sizing options spanning 0–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, and 12–24 months, making it a versatile choice for handmade baby gifts or a growing wardrobe. The finished chest measurements range from 41 cm (16 in) up to 56 cm (22 in) across the four sizes.

Materials & Yarn

Both projects are knitted using Ella Rae Lace Merino, a 4-ply weight yarn sold in 100g hanks. The pattern specifies colour number 55 throughout. The Baby Vest requires 1 to 2 hanks depending on size, while the Baby Bootees require just 1 hank for the 0–3 month size. As a merino-based lace-weight yarn, Ella Rae Lace Merino offers a fine, smooth hand that is gentle against delicate newborn skin and produces crisp stitch definition ideal for textured pattern work.

• Yarn: Ella Rae Lace Merino, 100g hanks, colour 55
• Needles for the Vest: 1 pair 2.75mm (US 2) and 1 pair 3.25mm (US 3) needles
• Needles for the Bootees: 1 pair 2.75mm (US 2) needles
• Additional requirements for the Vest: 2 small buttons

Tension / Gauge

Achieving the correct tension is essential for a well-fitting baby garment. The pattern specifies 29 stitches and 37 rows over 10 cm / 4 inches in Stocking stitch using 3.25mm needles. Because 4-ply yarn at this gauge produces a fine, dense fabric, knitters are encouraged to swatch carefully before beginning, adjusting needle size as needed to match the stated tension.

The Baby Vest – Design & Construction

The Baby Vest is a sleeveless, fitted top worked in separate pieces — a Back and a Front — which are then seamed together. The construction follows a traditional flat-knitting approach, making it accessible to knitters with a solid understanding of basic shaping techniques.

Back

The Back is worked upward from the lower edge. The body fabric combines Stocking stitch (knit on right side, purl on wrong side) with sections of Moss stitch (also known as Seed stitch), which creates a subtle textural contrast and a neat, non-curling fabric. Moss stitch is formed by alternating knit and purl stitches across each row, with stitches offset on every subsequent row so that knits sit over purls and purls sit over knits. This technique is particularly popular in baby knitting for its decorative yet practical qualities.

Armhole and shoulder shaping are worked using cast-off sequences at the beginning of rows, with the remaining stitches continued straight until the piece reaches the required length. Shoulder stitches are then cast off to complete the Back.

Front

The Front is worked identically to the Back up to a marked point, after which front neck shaping is introduced. Stitches are divided and worked separately for each side of the neck. Neck shaping is achieved through k2tog decreases (knit two stitches together), worked on both right-side and wrong-side rows to create a smooth, tapered neckline over 15 shaping rows. Each side is then continued straight to match the Back length before shoulder cast-off.

A neat button band is added at the shoulder opening, worked in Stocking stitch