My young lady is attending dance school for a week in Australia. Having danced all this while in our hot tropical climate, leg warmers are definitely not part of her dance wardrobe. All fellow crafters would agree with me that when faced with a choice of 'buying' versus 'making', most of us would definitely say "I could make that!". And so I did, with great help from the free crochet pattern (here) generously written up by Ashley at A Crafty House.
Have fun!
Serena
Pattern for Leg Warmers (written in American terms)
[modified from pattern by Ashley @ A Crafty House]
Abbreviations:
CH = Chain DC = Double Crochet SC = Single Crochet
SK = Skip SS = Slip Stitch st = stitches
Top Ribbing:
CH 7
Row 1: SC in second chain from hook and in each CH across (6 st)
Row 2: CH1 and turn work, SC in back loop of each SC (6 st)
Row 3 - 40: Repeat Row 2
Leg Section:
Row 1: CH1 and turn work 90 degrees in order to work across the ribbing for the leg portion. SC evenly across (39 st), join work to first SC with a SS. (The opening in the ribbing will be seamed together later.)
Row 2: SC and 2 DCs in the first SC space, *skip the next 2 SCs, SC and 2 DCs in the next SC space, repeat from * to last 2 SCs, skip the last 2 SCs and SS into first SC from beginning of row to close the round. (39 st)
Row 3: CH1, turn, SC and 2 DCs (cluster) in the first DC, *Skip the next DC and SC, SC and 2 DC in the next DC, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, skip the last 2 stitches and SS into first SC from beginning of row to close the round.
Row 4 - 20: Repeat Row 3 [Increase or decrease the number of these rows depending on the length required.]
Row 21: [This row serves to begin the narrowed section of the leg warmer at the lower end.]
Repeat Row 3 except that for the first and last cluster, use 1SC and 1DC (instead of 1SC and 2DC)
Rows 22-23: Repeat row 21 [Increase or decrease the number of these rows depending on the length required.]
Row 24: CH 1, turn and SC in each stitch across, join to first SC with a SS. Do not fasten off.
Bottom Ribbing:
The bottom ribbing is made similar to the top, except that the ribbing will have to be joined to the rest of the work at the end of every other row.
Row 1: CH 6 and SC in 2nd CH from hook and each CH across (5 st), SS in next SC of the last round from the leg section.
Row 2: Turn, SC in back loop of each SC all of the way across (5 st)
Row 3: CH1, turn, SC in back loop of each SC all of the way across, SS in next 2 SCs.
Continue Rows 2 and 3 until you have worked all of the way around. Seam ribbing using SS through both thicknesses of first and last row all of the way across. Fasten off.
Seam together the Top ribbing using SS through both thicknesses of first and last row all of the way across. Fasten off.
[Alternatively, you may seam the ribbing using a darning needle and regular 'sewing' stitches'.]
