still knitting: Patterned legwarmers in Outlaw Vanitas

I had my eye on this pattern ages ago when I was living in Flagstaff and bought the yarn there.  Weirdly the instructions for the cast on convinced me that I didn't know how to do it, and that held me back for a solid year before I discovered the cast on she meant is the normal one I always do. 

It is a free pattern on Ravelry. (here)
I finally started knitting them over Christmas.  But the yarn was too pretty and I didn't think it suited them so I frogged. (You can see that one over on Ravelry if you are curious.)

Only after a bit did I realise my endless stash of Outlaw Vanitas DK was here to save the day.  It suited them perfectly.  The first legwarmer took a long time and I kept losing grasp of the pattern.  Because it's full of holes anyway you really can't tell if they are in the right place, and that realisation was what kept me going.  I knew I'd love them even if they weren't perfect, and that's a good motivation.

I knitted them one set of repeats shorter than the pattern recommended as I figured that was about how I wanted them. 

The second legwarmer went really fast! 
I used the needles recommended by the pattern and was happy with the results; the whole matter took about 1.25 skeins of the endless yarn. 

I have recently decided to knit more.  Partly because my lifestyle is likely to be increasingly unstable for awhile and I can't take sewing with me, but also because I have a new Life Goal which is to make the Rose Cardigan.  Naturally, I have built up a 10 project queue of the Things to Learn before I am ready to tackle the cardi.  Yes I know I could just dive in and go for it but I feel like my knitting tolerance is low and my frustration builds really easily when things don't work out.  I've tried really hard in the past year to build up my skills in slow steps so I'll keep doing that.

Simple Legwarmers in Malabrigo Rios

This pattern is called Simple Legwarmers, by Wendy Easton.  It’s a free pattern available on Ravelry.

I followed the pattern, casting on 52 stitches, but got the idea from a different pattern to do k1p1 cuffs for about 7 rows. 

These are really easy so there’s not too much to say about them.  I chose the pattern because I had this yarn: Malabrigo Rios (in hojas) and I did not have size 3.5 or size 4 needles, which limited me from a bunch of other nice patterns.  This was the best compromise based on the yarn and needles I had, plus cold legs (I didn’t want something too difficult.) 

I measured from ankle to knee and that’s how long I made them. I used size 4.5 Chia Goo bamboo sock needles for the cuffs, and have to report that the short needles made for socks piss me off, my stitches kept falling off.  Also these needles are really sharp.  I used size 5 Addi in the round for the rest, using the shortest cord that my amazing kit had in it (the Addi click turbo kit, a birthday present from my mum!)  It was a bit alarming to see the legwarmers stretched on the needle but of course they shrink back down fast.

I used Jeny’s super stretchy bind off which is now, rather embarrassingly, the only one I know. 

I didn’t block them because I couldn’t see the point. I get that blocking makes scarves longer.  But is there a reason to use it on tubular things like legwarmers before they stretch out of shape? 

Anyway I put them on and have only taken them off to sleep.  It’s no joke living in a village with no heating - emergency upcoming project is handwarmers and I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m getting very 19th century chilblains on my feet because I just can’t feel them half the time.

I mentioned on Ravelry that if I were going for fashion I would prefer legwarmers in a finer weave and I will get on with those lace ones as soon as I can access the supplies.  (Er and the time…)  But for simple warmth these do, and I think when I return to civilisation I will block them (to make them smaller) and then wear them squashed down as per the photo below.

And the Malabrigo rios is as always delightful to work with, warm and chunky to wear.
On Ravelry too!