Have You Ever Knit Leggings? These Patterns Make it Easy

I have long had a goal in my knitting life that I wanted to knit a pair of leggings. Leggings are a huge project but I reasoned it would be worth it because they would be really warm and comfortable, like immensely long socks, or a sweater for your legs.

I had the opportunity to test knit the Malone Leggings by Sheila Toy Stromberg (available on Ravelry) at the end of last year, and luckily we only had to knit to the leg split because I am still working on them (they’re down to about the knees at this point). They use sock yarn so I’m using a lot of leftovers and balls I’ve never gotten around to using, so that’s been fun.

They’re also great because they can be made with any weight yarn at any gauge. You plug in your measurements, gauge and desired ease and the pattern does the math for you so you can knit the leggings of your dreams.

If you want to knit yourself some pants, they’re a great option, but there are others. Here are a few that have caught my eye recently.

The Tan Line Joggers by Little Wolf Knits are worked from the top down and designed to have a more relaxed fit through the legs. They use light fingering weight yarn and are available in 10 sizes, ranging from a waist measurement of 25 to 58 inches.

If you’d like a stripey option (of course you can make them solid, too!) the Rainbow Stripes Leggings from the Real Knitty Kitty are super cute and a lot of fun to knit. These come in five sizes up to a 31 inch waist/41 inch hips and use a DK to medium weight yarn. You can buy the pattern on Etsy.

Boring Joggers is not the most exciting name, but if you’re looking for a good, basic pair of knit pants this is a good option. Designed by Spektakel – Mie Firring, they’re available in six sizes. You can find the pattern in English or Danish on Ravelry.

And Knittatude’s Cable Crush Joggers are a great pair of lounge pants (named Cable Crush because the coordinate with a cabled top, not because they themselves have cables). They’re available in nine sizes up to a 50 inch waist and use medium weight yarn. You can grab the pattern kit from Lion Brand Yarn.

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The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check out more knit slipper options in this post all about sailor slippers) and they’re still consistently popular with knitters.

Which makes sense because they are fun and fast to knit, and seeing them go from this giant thing to something that actually fits a foot feels a little magical.

I have always loved felting (in fact my first book was about felting knitting) and it’s always fun for me to see people rediscover this technique.

If you’ve knit enough plain slippers to fit all the feet you know, maybe it’s time to stitch up some tabi style slippers instead.

Maymade Knits has designed these cute tabi ballerina slippers, made with bulky yarn and felted. They’re worked flat at first and then in rounds, and are available in 10 EU sizes (the Internet tells me add 31 to your American shoe size to get your EU size). The designer says the slippers are meant to have a close fit and you should choose a size a little smaller than your foot for the ideal fit.

The pattern includes a video tutorial along with the written pattern.

You can grab this pattern on Ravelry. The same designer has her own version of the striped felted slipper as well, called Sarah’s Striped Slippers. These are worked in super bulky yarn and have a contrasting foot and a striped body. These are knit flat and seamed and there are 7 size options available. Check that pattern out here if you’re looking for a more traditional slipper shape. They also look roomier so you can wear them with socks if you like.

[Photo: Maymade Knits]

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