Little Stars Booties & Mittens

Make a matching pair of crochet booties and a pair of mittens in cream, with sage soles and ribbed cuffs and a little blue-grey star on the top of each. One design, seven sizes, from newborn to 24 months, chosen by the length of your baby's foot and the size of their hand. Every size has its own charts and written rows, with the stitch count checked on every row.

The top of each bootie and the back of each mitten is a chart that is yours to change. Keep the star, move it, or clear it and chart initials, a heart or stripes. It is all single crochet in three colours, with a stretchy ribbed cuff on each, so there are no snaps, buttons, ties, cords or chains, and nothing is sewn on.

You'll need:

• Soft, smooth, washable sport weight yarn (category 2) in three colours: sage, cream and a light blue-grey
• A 3.75 mm crochet hook, or the size that gives you the gauge
• A yarn needle, stitch markers and scissors

Gauge: 18 single crochet and 20 rows = 4 inches, washed and blocked. Make and wash a swatch first. Sizes: Newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months, 12-18 months and 18-24 months. Measure your baby's foot and hand and choose the size from the table; the age is only a guide. Finished sizes are within half an inch at gauge.

Important Safety Notes#

Mittens and booties: Never join mittens with a cord or string. Cuffs and ankles must never be tight. Before each wear, turn mittens and booties inside out and check for loose threads or hair, which can wrap tightly around a finger or toe.

Close the fingertip: Close the tip of every mitten completely. A finger can slip into a hole in a mitten and cut off the blood flow to the fingertip, so look for holes and worn spots before every wear and stop using a mitten at the first one.

No small parts: Do not add buttons, beads, plastic eyes, charms or bells. Make faces and details in embroidery stitched through the fabric, and tug them firmly before use.

Everyday wear: Made as everyday clothing, not sleepwear. Children's sleepwear has separate flammability rules (16 CFR 1615 and 1616).

Yarn and care: Use soft, smooth, washable yarn that does not shed or fuzz, and wash a swatch first. Weave in every end and check inside the finished item for loose strands, which can wrap around a baby's fingers or toes. Wash inside out.

Close stitches: Work a firm, closely stitched fabric. Gaps and lacy openings can catch small fingers and toes.

If you sell what you make: Children's products sold in the US must meet CPSC rules, including testing, a Children's Product Certificate and a tracking label. Start at cpsc.gov.