Ok, I’ve searched every way I can think of and nothing is of any help! I am making a baby set (blanket, cardigan, hat, and booties) for my niece, who is expecting her rainbow baby on November 7th, after losing her first at birth in January of 2019. I’ve got everything finished, except for the socks/booties. I’ve never made socks before, and I’m having the hardest time with the dumb things! The pattern in the original set is completely unfathomable to me, so I’ve given up on that entirely. But since they are just a very simple reverse stockinette sock, I’ve just been trying various basic baby sock patterns. The problem I’m having is with the size. Every pattern has leg and foot length measurements to shoot for, but nothing I can find anywhere gives any indication of how big around the ankle should be. The first one I completed looks like it would probably fit a three-year-old, but I highly doubt it would fit a newborn. It’s been 20 years since I had a little one, so maybe my memory is a little off, but the circumference of this thing just above the heel is 18cm, and I’m sure that is way too big! I did a gauge swatch before starting, and my gauge was right on, but something is wrong because this thing is huge. Can any of you tell me how big around a newborn sock should be at the point just before you divide for the heel? I’m going nuts here!
In looking at the first photo for possible recommendations to change sizing, I think I would have the cuff ribbing almost touch the top of the gusset triangle. It appears as though there may currently be about 7 rows of stockinette stitch between? Working top-down, I would do ribbing until the point just before dividing for the heel.
Looking at the 2nd photo, I am reading a measurement of 7.5CM (15CM around, about 6 inches around).
So a little smaller than 18CM (about 7 inches).
There can be a lot of variation in the size of babies, even “typical” babies of 7 lbs / 18-22 inches.
Baby feet can be long or short, chubby or thin. They can grow quickly.
Babies may splay their toes when someone is placing socks or booties on their feet.
Many baby socks and booties seem large but the extra space is needed to put them on easily.
Having a good amount of ribbing can help them stay on, and the ribbing can easily be folded over to form a turn-down cuff so that the socks or booties are not knee-highs.
These are socks I made for my grandson. I had made some bootie types but they didn’t stay on his feet. Right after he was born, I made these for him and my daughter said they were great. She said a longer, ribbed cuff was the best feature. Her favorite was the light blue pair. The yarn is Hikoo CoBaSi. It’s nice and stretchy. On the light blue pair, the cuff is 3" long and the foot is 4" long. My grandson was a pretty big baby so if you know the baby will be smaller, you could go less on both of those lengths.
Awesome, thanks so much! I’ve found another pattern and intend to give it a nice, long ribbed cuff, and now I can tell before it’s finished if it is shaping up to be a newborn sock, or a 3-year-old sock!
yes, rib cuff would be good. My first son had very thin bird legs and my second one was very chunky. They are both normal sized and handsome now but you never know what kind of body they will have. Also the heeless rib or spiral rib is nice, too. What’s a rainbow baby?
@DeeAnn517 Oh, I know all about how babies can come in any size. My first was 9 lbs 3 oz and 21" and my second was 4 lbs 6 oz and 17" literally half the size of his big brother. Now that they’re 21 and 23, the younger one loves to rub it in that he’s the taller of the two! I’ll look those two you mentioned up.
A rainbow baby is what they call the baby born after the loss of a very young baby or a miscarriage. I only learned the term myself when my niece said she was expecting again, after losing her first at birth in January of 2019, but I think it’s a beautiful expression. I didn’t do a reply to your comment, because I don’t know of any way to attach pictures to reply comments, and I wanted to share this pic that explains it really well.
ohhhh ok thank you! I am glad your niece is expecting again, too.
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I’ll look those two you mentioned up.