Rowan Pip Booties Knitting Pattern

Rowan Pip Knitted Baby Slippers and Booties

What is Being Made

Rowan Pip is a downloadable knitting pattern for soft, comfortable baby slippers and booties designed by Grace Jones. This intermediate-level project creates a pair of fitted footwear suitable for infants and toddlers, with sizing options ranging from newborn (0-3 months) through to 3 years old. The pattern includes seven different size options to accommodate growing feet, with foot lengths ranging from 9 cm (3½ inches) for the smallest size up to 16 cm (6¼ inches) for the largest.

Techniques Used

This knitting pattern employs several fundamental and intermediate shaping techniques to construct the slippers. The design uses cast-on and cast-off methods to establish and finish edges. Picked-up stitches are a key technique, particularly for shaping the sole section where stitches are picked up along multiple edges of the foot piece to create the three-dimensional bootie structure. Decreasing stitches at the toe edge creates the tapered toe shaping that gives the slipper its fitted form. The pattern also incorporates turning rows to work different sections of the shoe in separate directions, allowing for the heel and toe areas to be shaped independently before being joined together for the sole.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch used throughout this pattern is garter stitch (abbreviated as g st in the pattern), which is created by knitting every row. Garter stitch provides a textured, reversible fabric with good elasticity and durability—ideal properties for baby footwear that needs to withstand frequent wear and washing. The pattern also uses basic knit stitches and decreases to shape the toe and heel areas, creating the contoured fit necessary for a properly-fitting slipper.

Materials and Tools

The Rowan Pip pattern calls for Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino yarn, a luxuriously soft blend suitable for delicate baby skin. Yarn quantities vary by size, ranging from 1 x 50 gram ball for the smallest sizes (0-3 months and 3-6 months) up to 3 x 50 gram balls for the largest size (3 years). The yarn is worked using 3¼mm (US size 3) knitting needles. The pattern specifies a tension of 24 stitches and 50 rows over 10 centimeters in garter stitch using the recommended needle size, ensuring proper fit and fabric characteristics. The design is completed with 2 decorative buttons (BN1785V/12 from Bedecked) that add both functional and aesthetic detail to the finished slippers.

Pattern Details

• Pattern Reference: ZB247-00009 v.1
• Designer: Grace Jones
• Brand: Rowan
• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Available Sizes: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months, 12-18 months, 2 years, and 3 years
• Yarn: Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino (photographed in Cream 102)
• Format: Downloadable PDF pattern