Lavender Legwarmers

These cabled leg and/or armwarmers are a must for the days when it starts to get cooler. They have an interesting cable all the way up the front, which is mirrored on the second one. It’s an easy to remember 8 row repeat. But the backside is the eye catcher, the same cables as the front grow out with hidden new stitches to form the warmers to make them fit perfectly!

The hidden increases and decreases are worked into the cable pattern, and the ribbing on the sides means these will fit anyone!

Size

14” / 35 cm long and also a 14″ / 35 cm circumference at the top. These have a lot of stretch to them, because of the ribbing, but you can make them bigger or smaller by using other needles/yarn or even adding some extra ribbing stitches along the side.

Yarn

Bart & Francis Pure Merino, 100% merino, 383 y/350 m per 100 grams; 1 full skein

or Garnstudio Drops Flora, 65% Wool, 35% Alpaca, 230y/210m per 50 grams; 1 ½ balls

or Ariel Evolution by Twisted Fiber Art, 100% wool, 340 y/311 meters per 70 grams; 1.25 balls (425y/389m)

Needles

Size US 3 (3.25 mm) 24” circular or sock – or best size to match gauge

Notions

cable needle

tapestry needle

stitch markers

row tracker or spare thread to mark rows

Gauge

with US 3 needles /3.25 mm: 14 sts and 21 rows = 2” [5 cm] in k3,p2 ribbing after wet blocking

Abbreviations

Please see our standard abbreviations.

Cable over 8 stitches; see pattern notes

Pattern Notes

I found it easiest to add a traveling stitch marker in the form of a length of different colored yarn, which I moved to the front or back every 4 rows. This way I always knew when to start a cable row on the front.

When doing the 4/4 cables, knit and purl the stitches as they come, so it will still be p1, k2, p2, k2, p1. The same for the cables over 3 stitches. Always purl the “background” stitch.

Use whichever m1purlwise method you prefer. I usually picked one loop up with the left needle and purled it through the back loop.

The charts are drawn only once, you can knit them the same or mirror them, by doing the 2/2 and 4/4 cables in the other direction.

Charts

Chart A

Chart B

Chart C

Pattern

Cuff:  CO 56 sts using a stretchy cast on, such as the Long-tail cast on method. Join in the round, place a marker and work 10 rnds of 1 by 1 ribbing (k1, p1).

Knit the first chart (Chart A) twice around for front and back, placing a marker after st #28 (at the end of the first chart) to mark the beginning of the back side.

Work the first 15 rows of the chart on both front and back side; 60 sts

From this point on the backside will follow the second set of charts (charts B and C), and the front side with continue with the 8 row repeat marked in the purple box on chart A. (rows 8-15)

Finishing

After finishing chart C, work in the left over pattern of purl/knit ribbing for another 8-10 rounds. Bind off with a stretchy bind off method. Work away the yarn tails and try them on!