Itty bitty Mary Janes with a purpose!
These little Mary Janes are not only super cute, but they also serve a purpose in the NICU! The shoe helps hold medical lines onto the babies' feet, while the buttoned strap makes it easy for nurses and doctors to remove and replace the shoe as needed.
This pattern is a slight variation of the Little Dot Mary Janes from Whistle and Ivy: https://www.whistleandivy.com/little-dot-mary-janes-pattern/
I've adjusted her pattern to be preemie sized, so if you use the same yarn and gauge as me, your Mary Janes will come out to be about 2.5 - 3 inches in length (for a 3-5 lb baby!). By simply adjusting the hook size, you can make these booties slightly larger or smaller. I alternated between using Size G and Size E hooks, the Size E producing a slightly smaller Mary Jane than the Size G.
I love making these because they're super quick to whip up a pair!
Here's my preemie variation of Whistle and Ivy's Little Dot Mary Janes:
PREEMIE MARY JANES PATTERN:
Materials:
- 1 skein baby yarn (I used Bernat Baby Sport in "Baby Green")
- Any crochet hook between Size E - G (A Size E hook will produce a shoe closer to 2.5 inches, while a Size G hook will produce a shoe closer to 3 inches.)
- Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
- 2 buttons
- Needle and thread to secure buttons
Abbreviations:
Ch = chain
Sc = single crochet
Sl St = slip stitch
Hdc = half double crochet
Dc = double crochet
Sc2tog = single crochet 2 together
Hdc2tog = half double crochet 2 together
Dc2tog = double crochet 2 together
Yo = yarn over
St = stitch(es)
Round 1: Ch 9.
3 Sc in 2nd Ch from hook, Sc in next 3 Ch, Hdc in next Ch, Dc in next 2 Ch, 7 dc in last Ch.
Now working across the opposite side of base Ch: Dc in next 2 Ch, Hdc in the next Ch, Sc in next 3 Ch.
Round 2: 2 Sc in next 3 St. Sc in next 7 St. Work 2 Sc in next 5 St. Sc in next 7 St.
Round 3: *Sc in next St. 2 Sc in next St* 3 times. Sc in next 7 St. *Sc in next St. 2 sc in next St* 5 times. Sc in next 7 St.
Round 4: Sc in next 36 St. Hdc in last St.
Round 5: Dc in next 10 St. Hdc in next St. Sc in next 26 St.
Round 6: Sc2tog. Sc in next 6 St. Sc2tog. Sc in next 5 St. Sc2tog 7 times. Sc in next 5 St.
Round 7: Hdc2tog. Hdc in next 4 St. Hdc2tog. Sc in next 5 St. Dc2tog 4 times. Sc in next 4 St.
Round 8:
Right Shoe: Sl St 11. Ch 9. Sc into 5th Ch from hook. Sc in next 4 St. Sl St into next St on the shoe. Sl St in next 12 St. Tie off and weave in ends.
Left Shoe: Sl St in next 23 St. Ch 9. Sc into 5th Ch from hook. Sc in next 4 St. Sl St into next St on shoe. Sl St in next 3 St. Tie off and weave in ends.
With a needle and thread, securely sew a button to the shoe on the opposite side of the strap. Secure your stitches with a few tight knots.