A top-down hat and toe-up baby booties with a brand-new “forked heel” turn give the baby set a new twist. Babies have pronounced heels and fat feet, so making baby socks that fit can be difficult. The forked heel helps out by creating a longer, wider heel that will stay on.

A common cast-on technique for toe-up socks also doubles as a cast-on technique for the top-down hat. This adaptation takes the pain out of small-circumference circular cast-ons and might just win you over for your next shawl, too.

Basic 2x2 ribbing is flexible enough for new parents to get squirmy babies into both the socks and the hat.