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"Oh my best little grandbaby,”
Little Pumpkin's Grandma
sings to Little Pumpkin.
"Just look at you
with your ten little toes
right on the ends
right on the ends
right on the ends
of your two little feet
good enough to eat."
- Vera B. Williams, More More More Said the Baby
Outside, on a warm and sunny summer afternoon a few years ago, a baby wiggled about in the arms of her grandfather-- my next door neighbor, Cary. Cute and funny, baby Emily was charming me with her bubbly personality.
Then the air began cool a bit, the way it often does in late afternoon out here on the prairie. The sun, not quite ready to set, had retreated behind a wall of clouds. Emily fussed. First came some ominous, unhappy noises. Next the tears. Cary jiggled her, rocked her, and tried the ways all of us have called upon one time or another in our quest to calm a cranky baby.
 "Oh, Emily," I cooed. And as I had seen my own mother do countless times, I reached to hold her sweet chubby bare feet. Icy cold.
"Wait a minute," I told Cary. "Just stay right there. I'll be right back.
I ran into my house, scurried downstairs and grabbed a pair of heel-less, snake-like spiral socks from a small pile I had started for charitable knitting. A toddler size, the spiral rib allowed them to fit a variety of legs. And they did. Quickly I slipped the socks on Emily. The crying stopped. A smile appeared. Two happy little feet danced up and down.
Really and truly, could a knitter ask for anything more than that?
Make some little feet happy. Knit socks. With or without heels. Even the simplest pair will do the trick.
Sock Talk
If you have never knit socks and are ready to take the plunge, try one of these Easy and Easy+ sock patterns for approximately 2-3 years (4 years, 5 years).
If you are intimidated by the heel--and you are not alone in this—you can easily make the Easy Knit Socks above into a heel-less socks by using a spiral rib.
Amended Instructions:
- Follow the Easy Knit sock pattern for the cast on, and 1 inch of ribbing.
- Knit in Spiral Rib for 8 inches, (9) (10)
Spiral Rib
Rows 1-4: *Knit 2, purl 2* to end
Rows 5-8: Knit 1, * purl 2, knit2 * until last stitch, knit 1
Rows 9-12: *Purl 2, knit 2*
Rows 13-16: Purl 1 *knit 2, purl 2* until last stitch, purl 1
Repeat rows 1-16 until desired length.
- Knit Toe and finish as worked in the pattern.
If you are intermediate knitter, give these absolutely adorable socks a try. For approximately 24 months (2 years) Child 3, Child 5-6.
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