Free Legwarmer Knitting Pattern, ‘Weirs on the Dodder’
This free legwarmer knitting pattern was inspired by the little fishing weirs along the River Dodder, which encourage the water to run along in bubbles and swells. Those bubbles became the ombre stripes of this design.
The ombre effect happens all by itself. You hold two strands of yarn together, swap one strand at a time, and the colour changes land exactly on the stitch changes. It looks far more clever than it is.
And they actually fit. This plus size friendly pattern comes in seven width fittings and five lengths — from 8 ½” / 21.5 cm to 17 ¼” / 44 cm around the calf — and any width can be worked to any length. Curvy calves, slender calves, short legs, long legs: you can knit your perfect fit.
If you prefer a PDF download, you can purchase the legwarmer pattern together with the matching sock as a PDF e-book on Ravelry.
Sizes for Legwarmer Knitting Pattern
The legwarmer knitting pattern has a choice of sizes based on both calf circumference and leg length. In adition, you can choose the style, creating the legwarmer to come to under the knee, over the knee, or thigh high, depending on your style choices.
Therefore, while the legwarmer is a simple straight tube to knit, there are three different size decisions you need to take.
1. Circumference — based on your calf or thigh measurement
2. Length — based on how long your leg is from ankle to knee
3. Style — under the knee, over the knee, or thigh high
Don’t worry, each decision is simple on its own.
Legwarmer Circumference (measured around widest part of leg)
Measure around the widest part of your calf or thigh. Your dress size won’t help you here, so trust your tape measure over your dress size.
Instructions are given for sizes 1 (2, 3, 4) (5, 6, 7), which relate to the stitch counts throughout the pattern.
These cover tween sizes up to roughly 5XL women’s sizes. Leg circumference doesn’t appear on standard sizing charts, so this range comes from studying many product size charts, plus some educated guesswork. If your size isn’t covered, please let me know! And if you want a custom fit, you can adjust the pattern to any multiple of 4 stitches.
Legwarmer Length
Measure leg from ankle to start of knee. Even if you are planning on a thigh high legwarmer! You want more bubbles, not wider bubbles, for the longer sizes!
To get the 3 equal bubbles on the calf, you need to plan the correct length from the start.
Instructions are given for sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5), which relate to the row counts throughout the pattern.
Legwarmer length: to be worn with 2 – 5” / 5 – 13 cm of positive ease.
The legwarmer should be at least 2” / 5 cm longer than the leg, to encourage the bubbles to pop out. If between sizes, longer is better!
Finished length including both cuffs for knee length option:
Extra short -13” / 33 cm
Short – 15” / 38 cm
Medium – 17” / 43 cm
Long – 19” / 48 cm
Extra-long – 21” / 53 cm
Style of legwarmer
You can choose where your legwarmers finish:
Under the knee: the classic legwarmer, as we wore them in the 80’s. Work 3 bubbles.
Over the knee: work 4 bubbles
Thigh high: for a very contemporary look. Work 5 bubbles
Yarn and Materials
Yarn required:
Kremke Soul Wools, Edelwiss Classic. 75% Wool, 25% Polyester (recycled PET bottles) 420m / 100g
A: 1 (1, 1, 2) (2, 2, 2) balls
B: 1 ball
C: 1 (1, 1, 1) (2, 2, 2) balls
Note, because there are a large number of variants between width fittings and separate length fittings, the yarn estimates above are indications only.
I recomend planning 2 balls of each colour. You will probably have enough left over for another stripy pair of socks.
Colours used for sample
Cream and Brown:
A: 412 copper (brown)
B: 411 walnut brown (tan)
C: 401 vanilla (cream)
Purple:
A: 422 navy blue (purple)
B: 421 blue violet (light purple)
C: 420 lilac (pale purple)
Yarn choices and substitutions.
This pattern uses far more yarn than a sock, but is designed for sock yarn. So I avoided the hand dyed, 100% wool tightly spun sock yarns I usually favour, as that could make the pattern prohibitively expensive.
Edelwiss Classic is a great compromise for people that worry about using nylon, as the nylon content comes 100% from recycled bottles. The colour range is fantastic, offering three shades that will work together in a range of colours, all while being quite affordable.
You can buy on line here. (Not an affiliate link, just where I bought the yarn from)
To substitute yarn for the leg warmer, you could use any 4 ply or sock yarn held double, or any double knit / 8 ply yarn held single.
If you dont hold the yarn double, you won’t get the same blended, ombre effect. But you will still get a nice stripy legwarmer.
Needles and Notions.
Needle size recommendations, adjust to match the stated tension/gauge.
Main needles: 4mm needles, or size to match gauge
For cuffs: 3.25 mm nneedles, or size smaller than main needles
Needle type: recommend long (60 – 80 cm) circulars for magic loop, or preferred needle type for small circumference knitting in the round.
Stitch marker to indicate begining of round (if used)
Darning needle for weaving in ends (sadly, there is a lot of weaving in ends on this pattern)
Tension / gauge for Legwarmer Knitting Pattern
21 stitches = 4 inches / 10 cm over stocking stitch.
32 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm over stocking stitch.
To swatch for legwarmer, cast on 34 stitches using yarn held double and larger needles, and swatch for 40 rows using the ‘shortcut’ method of swatching in the round, as described by Kate Atherly here.
Abbreviations and terminology:
BOR: Beginning of Round marker
K: knit
K2tog: knit 2 stitches together (decrease 1 stitch)
Kfb: knit front and back – creates an increase by knitting into both the front and back of stitch.
MOR: Middle of Round marker
P: purl
How to … knit with 2 strands, held double.
New to holding two strands of yarn together? It’s easier than it sounds, and this is a great pattern to learn on — no heel turns or toe grafting while you get used to it
- Treat two strands as one
Simply hold both strands together as if they were a single thicker yarn, and work every stitch as normal. The two strands sit together in each stitch; you never work them separately.
- Two balls, or both ends of one ball?
You can either use two separate balls, or pull one strand from the centre and one from the outside of the same ball. The two-ends-of-one-ball trick saves you winding extra bobbins, but I find its much more likely to tangle. I prefer to wing half of each ball on a ball winder, or start with 2 balls of tge same colour.
- Keep the strands untwisted
If your working strands start to twist around each other, the simplest fix is to let the work dangle and spin every so often, and the twist un-winds itself. Also check that the two strands aren’t crossing at the same spot on every round; if you always set your yarn down the same way, the twist builds up fast
- Swapping one strand for a new colour
This is the whole trick behind the ombre. When the pattern says to replace one strand of colour C with B, you drop one strand of C, pick up a strand of B, and just carry on knitting. It’s exactly like joining a new ball of yarn mid-project, done at the start of a round so the change is hidden in the seam of the tube. No ends to weave in until you’re finished, just drop the old strand and pick up the new one
Pattern starts: leg warmer knitting pattern.
A reminder. All stitch counts are given in the format 1 (2, 3, 4) (5, 6, 7) and control how wide your legwarmer will be. Meanwhile, all row counts are in the format of 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) and control how long your legwarmer will be. The length and width are not dependant on eachother.
Cuff:
Using smaller needles, and colour A (darkest colour) with 2 strands held double, cast on 52 (60, 68, 76) (84, 92, 100) stitches. Join to work in the round without twisting and place BOR marker.
Ribbing Round: [k 2, p 2] to end.
Repeat ribbing round until work measures 2” / 5 cm
Leg part 1 – bubble stripe
Change to larger needles
Increase round: in colour C (lightest colour) with 2 strands held double, kfb to end.
Stitch count: 104 (120, 136, 152) (168, 184, 200).
First stripe: Knit to end of round 4 (5, 6, 7, 8) times as for length chosen.
Second stripe: replace one strand of colour C with B (now working with 1 of C and 1 of B)
Knit to end of round 4 (5, 6, 7, 8) times.
Third stripe: replace the strand of C with B (now working with 2 of B, mid tone colour)
Knit to end of round 4 (5, 6, 7, 8) times.
Fourth stripe: replace one strand of colour B with A (now working with 1 of B and 1 of A)
Knit to end of round 4 (5, 6, 7, 8) times.
Total rounds for bubble: 17 (21, 25, 29, 33) including increase round
Leg part 2 – straight stripe
Decrease round: replace the strand of B with A (now working 2 of A, darkest colour) k2tog to end.
Stitch count: 52 (60, 68, 76) (84, 92, 100).
Straight Stripe:
Round 1: knit to end.
Repeat round 1 another 9 (11, 13, 15, 17) times, for extra short (short, average, long, extra-long) lengths.
Bubble repeats
Repeat from ‘Leg part 1, bubble’ once (twice, three times) for under tge knee, over tge knee or thigh high styles. Then repeat from start of leg to end of fourth stripe once more, to create final bubble. You will now have worked 3 (4 or 5) bubbles, based on style chosen.
Bottom cuff
Decrease Round: using 2 strands of colour A, k2tog to end.
Stitch count: 52 (60, 68, 76) (84, 92, 100).
Ribbing Round: [k 2, p 2] to end.
Repeat ribbing round until cuff measures 2” / 5 cm.
Leg warmers only, without sock foot:
Cast off loosely using a stretchy bind off.
For those who wish to knit a sock foot directly onto their legwarmer,
Proceed to sock foot post.
For those who wish to knit a sock foot directly onto their legwarmer,
Proceed to sock foot post. (Availible as a PDF, coming free to my blog next week. Check back for the link, or sign up for my newsletter and get a free exclusive sock knitting pattern)
What to knit after your legwarmer knitting pattern
Have you tried the Delvin Vest, Sweater or Hoody knitting pattern yet?
Frequently Asked Questions for the legwarmer knitting pattern
The legwarmer knitting pattern is best with 2 strands of sock yarn, held double.
If you’d rather not work with two strands, substitute any DK yarn held single. Although you’ll lose the ombre effect, as that comes from swapping one strand at a time. A self-striping DK held single gives easy, simple stripes instead.
A wool or wool-blend yarn with some bounce — it holds the ribbing and the bubble shape. Avoid slippery or drapey fibres, which will make the legwarmers sag. Choose solid or semi-solid shades rather than heavily variegated yarns, which will muddle the colour changes
Not at all. You simply knit with two strands as if they were one. The main things to know are how to manage your two balls of yarn so they don’t tangle, and how to swap one strand for a new colour
Thanks and Acknowledgements
This legwarmer knitting pattern was Tech Edited by Louise Plumridge, my thanks as always. Any errors that remain are my own. It was modeled by Chloe Brueck and Jane Doyle. Many thanks to both.
Copyright
This legwarmer knitting pattern, ‘Weirs on the Dodder’, including the wording and the pictures, are my work and copyright. Please do not distribute them in any way except by using the link to this blog post. You may not copy in any way, including by making your own videos, if they are directly based on my work. Please also do not upload either the PDF or link to blog post into any pattern reading app.
This blog is not intended for commercial use. You may sell finished items based on this pattern only if you have made them in your own home, with your own hands. However, selling your own makes from this pattern, especially for charity, is strongly encouraged. I would love to hear about your event, and how it went