Finished at Last

I don't have a digital camera so here's a scan. They are 14" long and fit perfectly. The calf shaping was just right. The red yarn I used at the top and bottom is left over from the red heather tam I made in December, so when I wear both the hat and the legwarmers I will actually be colored coordinated.

These were knit with Cascade 220 and a little bit of Jo Sharp DK Wool Heather. I think I'm going to weave in elastic in the top ribbing to help them stay up. After all, I made them to wear with skirts. If they fall down too much they won't really be keeping my legs warm!

KISS - Araucania legwarmers

legwarmers in Araucania
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

after fooling around fruitlessly with a bunch of other rib patterns, including a corrugated rib, I concluded that it was better to Keep it Simple, Sophie ;)

These are in Araucania Chunky, which feels wonderful in a 2 by 2 rib. I made them on the large side, 48 stitches on size 9 needles, but I figured the ribbing would hold them in place.

Now I can give my Noro legwarmers a rest and a nice soak in Eucalan - I've been wearing them almost continuously. The wind continues to blow cold here!

Anklewarmers!

Ankles will be covered!

I really liked the look of legwarmers under jeans, so I made mine short and snug in 3x1 rib. The yarn is Wool-Ease Woods Print from my stash. I used a little more than half a skein.

All the other details are here.

One Leg Warm, One Leg Cold

This morning I finished legwarmer #1. Twisted ribbing in red at top and bottom; heathered chocolate brown for the leg, which I knit in stockinette. This time I measured my ankle and calf first (duh! should have done that the first time) and then increased by 2 stitches every inch from the ankle to the calf to shape it. Result: It fits perfectly!

Now all I have to do is cast on the second one tonight and get going. With single-digit temps here in Mass. I could really use them! Hope to post a pic when they are done.

One Down . . . Sort of . . .

Here's the other end of my first one. Just for fun I ended with a bit of red yarn on the ankle end.

But...I frogged it! Once I tried it on, I decided it was too short and too snug around my calf. Also I didn't like the stitch pattern. I mean, I liked it, but not for a legwarmer. So I've started again, casting on four additional stitches. This time I'll have a couple rows of red at both ends, and after the ribbing I'm going to do plain stockinette.

Off and running!

Here's the start of mine. I'm using Cascade 220. Did a k1, p1 twisted rib with #4 dpns for 2 inches; for the body I'm using #6 dpns and doing 4 rows of stockinette, 2 rows of k1, p1, 4 rows stockinette, etc. These will be 12-13" long, so that they'll reach my knee.

Finished mine!

Actually, I finished them New Year's Eve day and just haven't gotten around to taking a picture. I wore them to a NYE party, Minty-style under my jeans, and do on a regular basis. I kinda love them.

I used the "Super-Easy Legwarmers" pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, done in Cascade 220 in 9460 and KidSilk Haze in "Drab". I did both at once, magic-loop style, and was going to keep going until I ran out of the Cascade, but I got impatient (and tired of the 1x1 rib), so I decided to make them shorter, perfect for under the jeans without getting too bulky. I could probably have done them both with less than one skein of the 220.

I will probably make another, longer pair at some point, once I decide what pattern to make. That, and once I get a few other WIP's finished up. I remember a pair of knitted tights from when I was a kid that had cables and such - I can see them re-interpreted as legwarmers, perhaps.

Finished legwarmers

Finished legwarmers
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

They're done! I actually finished them a few nights ago, but was too lazy to take a picture. Apparantly I'm still not photography competent, as I completely ignored the shadow box stitching I added to the top of the cuff to remind me which side was up.

So despite the careful calf shaping (which worked really well!) I'm wearing the left leg warmer upside down. No wonder they felt kind of funny.

I'm already planning my next pair! I'm knitting up some Whitby socks for DH in a thick worsted, and I keep looking at them and thinking they would make swell legwarmers, sans foot of course.

more leggy details (not much more, though) on the blog.