Hush Bootees in Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino (EN) - RB002-00011-ENP - Downloadable PDF

Hush Bootees by Erika Knight in Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino

The Hush Bootees are a pair of delicately crafted knitted baby bootees designed by Erika Knight for Rowan. Published as a downloadable PDF pattern (RB002-00011-ENP), this design produces a pair of snug, seamless-style booties worked in the round on double-pointed needles. The pattern is rated intermediate in skill level and is sized to fit babies aged 0–3, 3–6, 6–9, and 9–12 months, making it a versatile project for gifting or building a baby layette collection.

What Is Being Made

Two matching baby bootees are constructed from the cuff downward, shaping the sole and foot through a series of carefully placed increases and decreases worked in the round. The finished bootees feature a neat ribbed cuff, a smoothly shaped foot, and a joined sole seam for a tidy, professional finish. The pattern instructs knitters to make two identical bootees.

Construction and Techniques

• Knitting in the round: The bootees are worked entirely in rounds using a set of four double-pointed needles, eliminating the need for side seams and creating a smooth, comfortable interior against delicate baby skin.
• Sole shaping with increases (M1): The sole is gradually widened using Make 1 (M1) increases placed symmetrically on either side of a central stitch column, building the rounded sole shape across several rounds.
• Foot shaping with decreases: The toe and foot are tapered using paired decreases — K2tog and K2tog tbl (knit two together through the back loop) — as well as their purl equivalents, P2tog and P2tog tbl, worked alternately on knit and purl rounds to create a neat, mirrored reduction on each side of the foot.
• Ribbed cuff: The bootee finishes with a stretchy K1, P1 rib cuff worked on the larger needle size, providing a gentle but secure fit around the baby's ankle. The cuff is cast off loosely in rib to maintain elasticity.
• Seaming: A sole seam is joined at finishing, and the work is pressed according to Rowan's standard finishing instructions.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st st) worked in the round — knit every round
• K2tog (right-leaning decrease)
• K2tog tbl (left-leaning decrease through the back loop)
• P2tog (purl decrease)
• P2tog tbl (purl decrease through the back loop)
• M1 (Make 1 increase)
• K1, P1 rib
• Purl rounds used within the foot shaping section for textural contrast and structure

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino, a luxuriously soft 4-ply weight yarn, with just 1 x 50g ball required across all four sizes — making this an economical as well as indulgent project. The sample bootees shown in the pattern are photographed in the shades Cecily 125 and Nutkin 121, offering a sense of the yarn's gentle, natural colour palette. Baby Cashsoft Merino is a premium blend prized for its softness and suitability for sensitive newborn skin.

Two sets of double-pointed needles are required: a set of four 3.5mm (US 4) needles used for the main body of the bootee, and a set of four 3.75mm (US 5) needles used for the ribbed cuff. The recommended tension is 23 stitches and 30 rounds to 10cm over stocking stitch on 3.5mm needles.

Who This Pattern Is For