Sarah Shrimpton - Crochet Barefoot Sandals: 8 Crochet Patterns for Barefoot Sandals

Look at those poor neglected toes. They deserve to be adorned with the latest crochet accessory: beautiful barefoot sandals.

Happy feet mean happy you, and with the perfect accessory for summer you wont be able to resist skipping lightly through lush grass, feeling the beach beneath your feet, or rocking that Ibiza hot spot. With eight designs to choose from you can create stunning foot couture to match any occasion. Grace a beach wedding with delicate Ivory Star Flowers, display your festival chic with the Ferris Wheel Mandala design, or flaunt your flower power with a dainty Daisy Chain. Each pattern is small in scale and quick to make, so theres no need to stop at just one pair.

Remember that with all these little beauties you can add your unique stamp by choosing colours that match your outfit, your mood or your yarn stash. Because they really dont take much yarn to make, barefoot sandals are the perfect way to use up half balls and leftover bits and pieces.

If you need a little help with any of the stitches, take a look at the instructions at the very end of the book. There you will find all you need to get you hooking with success. And if you love these designs you can visit the blogs of the talented designers that created them. So explore and discover a whole new way to crochet for your feet.

Never mind socks this is what the beautiful and creative crocheter is making!

designed by Anna Fazakerley

I remember endless summer days spent running around barefoot on lush green grass studded with daisies, before finally getting on with the serious business of the day: making a daisy chain to adorn my hair, one for my wrist and another for my ankle. These days my chains are of the crochet kind so I have hooked up this daisy pattern to go with them.

• 4 ply cotton yarn, one ball each in three colours. I used Patons cotton 4 ply in apple 01205 (A), yellow 01740 (B) and white 01691 (C)
• Crochet hook: 2mm
• Yarn needle and scissors
• Steam iron

Stitches used

• Chain (ch)
• Double crochet (dc)
• Half treble (htr)
• Treble crochet (tr)
• Slip stitch (sl st)
• Picot stitch (picot)

With colour A, make 7 chain. Turn, and starting in 2nd ch from hook work one st in each ch as follows: dc, htr, htr, tr, htr, dc.

Work 3ch and sl st in 3rd ch from hook to make picot. Turn so that you are ready to work along the back loops of the initial chain and work one st in each of the back loops as follows: dc, htr, tr, htr, htr, dc. Sl st to join and do not fasten off.

Continue to ch until your chain equals 120cm (48in) in length. Do not fasten off.

Make 10 chain, sl st in 3rd ch from hook to make picot, then starting in next ch work one st in each ch as follows: dc, htr, tr, htr, htr, dc, 1ch.

Now work along the back loops of the initial chain and work one st in each of the back loops as follows: dc, htr, htr, tr, htr, dc, sl st to join. Fasten off.

Round 1: With colour B make 4 chain. Work the following into 4th ch from hook: tr, 1ch, (trcl, 1ch) 6 times, sl st to top of first tr and fasten off. (7 trcl [1 is made from 4ch and tr], 7 ch-sps)

Round 2: Join colour C in next ch-sp, (4ch, 2ttr, 4ch, sl st) in each ch-sp around, sl st to beg ch-sp. Fasten off and weave in ends.

TIP

Make these daisies in in other colours, perhaps yellow petals and brown centres to suggest sunflowers, or anything else that matches you mood or outfit.

Making up

Sew in all ends.

Set your iron to steam. Steam press the back of each motif and the leaves of the chain strap to flatten them out and neaten them up.

Double over an ankle tie. Using a length of colour B and the yarn needle, attach three daisy motifs at 6cm intervals along the tie, starting about 6cm down from the loop. Stitch only the back and the centre of each motif, making sure to catch through both strands of the colour A tie rather than just sewing over it otherwise the motifs will slide off. Repeat for the second sandal.

Ferris Wheel Mandala

designed by Anna Fazakerley

One of my favourite summer outings is a trip to the fair. I like to let all the whirling sounds, colours and lights engulf me and carry me away for a day of fun. The circular motifs for these sandals remind me of the bright lights of the ferris wheel which may be glimpsed in the distance when the fair is in town.

You will need

• 4 ply cotton yarn, one ball each in five colours. I used Patons cotton 4 ply in jade 01726 (A), yellow 01740 (B), purple 01743 (C), nectarine 01723 (D) and raffia 01714 (E)
• Crochet hook: 2mm
• Yarn needle and scissors
• Steam iron

Stitches used

• Chain (ch)
• Double crochet (dc)
• Treble crochet (tr)
• Triple Treble (ttr)
• Slip stitch (sl st)

Mandala motif

make 2

Round 1: With colour A make 8 chain. (ttr, 2ch) 11 times in 8th ch from hook, sl st to 6th ch of initial ch8. Fasten off. (12 ttr, 12 ch-sp)

Round 2: Join colour B in next ch-sp and work 5ch. (tr, 2ch) in each ttr and each ch-sp around and fasten off. (24 tr, 24 ch-sp)

Round 3: Join colour C in next ch-sp and work 4ch, tr in the same ch-sp. (tr, 1ch, tr) in each remaining ch-sp around, ss to 3rd ch of initial ch4 and fasten off. (24 clusters of 2 tr)

Round 4: Join colour D in next ch-sp and work 4ch. (dc in next ch-sp, 3ch) around, ss in 1st ch of beg ch4 and fasten off. (24dc, 24 ch-sp)

Round 5: Join colour E in next ch-sp and work 4ch. (dc in next ch-sp, 3ch) around, ss in 1st ch of beg ch4 and fasten off. (24dc, 24 ch-sp)

Round 6: Join colour A in next ch-sp. *8ch, ss in 8th ch from hook, ss in same ch-sp, 2ch, dc in next ch-sp, 2ch, ss in next ch-sp,* Repeat around to last ch-sp, ss in 1st ch of beg ch8 and fasten off.

Sew in all ends.

Set your iron to steam. Steam press the back of both motifs to flatten them out and neaten them up.