- Dec 19, 2023
- 7 min read

Easy Crochet Leg Warmers

December 14, 2023

Legwarmers are back and better than ever. Even better, crocheting your own leg warmers lets you customize everything – colors, yarn, size, and fit. Make yourself a pair for yourself, or whip up a set for a thoughtful handmade gift. These Easy Crochet Leg Warmers are super cozy, and so quick to work up! This free pattern is written for 8 sizes, from Baby up to Adult Large. You can whip up a pair of crochet leg warmers for everyone in your family! This crochet leg warmers pattern is easy to customize so that they fit you just right! Each leg warmer is a simple rectangle, which is worked flat in one piece and then seamed to form a tube. The main body of the leg warmer is a combination of half double crochet (hdc) and slip stitches (sl st), which creates a fun ribbed texture. And the ribbing at the top and bottom has the most satisfying knit/purl look!

This pattern was written by Esther at caabcrochey.com

I’m Esther!

I started Cute As A Button Crochet & Craft as an outlet for creativity and my love of pretty things, while also hoping to bring in some additional income for my family. I started out by crocheting finished items for local craft fairs and markets. I absolutely loved it, but in my eagerness to create I overdid it and started having pain and numbness in my hands.

I couldn’t stand the thought of giving up crocheting completely, so I decided to try designing patterns and posting them on a blog. I figured I could still get my creative fix, but not have to work up so many items at once. It was worth a shot! And it turns out I love it! I love everything about it, from coming up with the ideas, to making the item, to taking photos, to marketing. Only problem is I still find myself crocheting too much and eventually I’m going to have to do something to help my poor hands!

Crochet Leg Warmer Sizing

The leg warmer is designed to fit snugly around the widest part of the calf. Your finished leg warmers will measure approx. 1″/2.5cm less than the calf measurement for the Baby-Child sizes, and 2″/5cm less for the Adult sizes.

The calf circumference measurements that I used for each size are as follows:

Finished sizes:

Materials:

Yarn

Any #4/medium/worsted weight yarn will work great for this pattern. For my leg warmers, I used WeCrochet Wool of the Andes Tweed, which is a toasty combination of Peruvian wool and Donegal tweed. Definitely guaranteed to keep legs warm!

If wool allergies are a concern, then any #4 acrylic yarn would work great.
410 Yards Size 4 Yarn

Some suitable alternatives include:

WeCrochet City Tweed Worsted (55% Merino Wool / 25% Superfine Alpaca / 20% Donegal Tweed)
Lion Brand Heartland (100% acrylic)
WeCrochet Brava Worsted (100% acrylic)
Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran (100% acrylic)

Other Materials:

Hook

For my leg warmers, I used a 5.5mm (I-9) crochet hook. The slip stitches rows especially can tend to end up a little tight (more on this below!), so the slightly larger hook size helps a lot here.

Gauge:

Check gauge at the end of the lower band construction. Band should be 2 ½“ wide x 11“ long

Ribbing: 7 sts x 14 rows = 1.5″ x 4″ / 4 cm x 10 cm measured over hdc-slst (blo) ribbing.
Body: 14 sts x 12 rows = 4″ x 4″ / 10 cm x 10 cm measured over alternating rows of hdc/sl st (blo).

Sizing:

13 ¼ “ tall x 6 ½ “ wide (at widest part)

This pattern is one size, but instructions for customizing the fit are in the pattern notes.

The calf circumference measurements that I used for each size are as follows:

Stitches & Abbreviations Used:

ch = chain
st = stitch
sl st = slip stitch
hdc = half double crochet
blo = back loop only
hdc-slst = half double crochet slip stitch (see Special Stitches)
beg = beginning
rem = remaining

To customize the Fit:

The top band of the leg warmer is meant to hug the calf snuggly enough to not fall down. The pattern instructions create a top band of 12 inches (circumference, 6” across when measured laid flat). This fits a calf of 14 inches. To adjust for a different size, measure the widest part of the calf where the warmer will sit. The band should be 2 inches smaller than the calf measurement.

NOTES:

Beginning chain of each round does not count as a stitch unless specifically noted. So be sure to check your gauge and if you are crocheting more loosely you can move to a smaller hook (or larger if you crochet even more tightly). Some people find they even need to go down two hook sizes to meet my gauge.

Each leg warmer starts with a long ribbing panel (using the hdc-slst technique outlined in the pattern).

If you haven’t tried hdc-slst ribbing before, then this is a great opportunity to learn a new skill. It’s not a difficult stitch, but it does require a little practice to get the tension just right. I think it’s well worth the effort though as it gives such a lovely neat and knit-look ribbing.

Next, you will work the body of the leg warmer into the long edge of the ribbing. The body section consists of alternating rows of hdc and sl sts.

Once the body is complete, the final step is to work the top ribbing section. This is worked directly into the last body row, joining the ribbing to that last row with a series of slip stitches.

Construction:

Each leg warmer is crocheted flat from the bottom up as follows:
Work bottom ribbing in a long strip.
Work body into the edge of the bottom ribbing.
Work the top ribbing, joining as you go to the body.
The leg warmer is then seamed at the back to create the tube.

Slip Stitch Rows:

It is important to maintain a loose tension when working the slip stitch rows in the BODY section of the pattern. If they are too tight, you may find it difficult to work the next hdc row into those slip stitches.
If you are unsure of where to insert your hook on the hdc rows, I recommend using a stitch marker to mark the last slip stitch of the previous row – this will make it easier to see both loops of the slip stitch.

Adjustments:

These leg warmers are very easy to adjust! To make the legwarmer narrower or wider, begin with any EVEN number of ribbing rows until the desired circumference is reached.
In general, you want the finished circumference to be slightly less than the widest part of the calf. In this pattern I made the finished legwarmers 1″/2.5cm less than the calf measurement for the Baby-Child sizes, and 2″/5cm less for the Adult sizes.
To adjust the length, simply continue working the BODY rows until your desired length is reached. Don’t forget that the Top Ribbing will also add a little bit of length!

Special Stitches:

Half Double Crochet Slip Stitch (hdc-slst)
Step 1: Yarn over, insert hook into indicated st, yarn over and pull up a loop. [3 loops on hook]

WRITTEN PATTERN (Make 2):

SIZES:

Baby (Toddler, Child 3-5, Child 6-10)

RIBBING (BOTTOM):

Row 1: Ch 6 (7, 8, 8), hdc-slst in second ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. [5 (6, 7, 7)]
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st, here and throughout), hdc-slst (blo) in each st across, turn.
Rows 3 – 20 (22, 26, 30): Repeat Row 2.
Do not fasten off.

BODY:

Row 1: Ch 1 (does not count as a st, here and throughout), hdc evenly along edge of ribbing (working one hdc for each ribbing row), turn. [20 (22, 26, 30)]
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st, here and throughout), sl st (blo) loosely in each st across, turn.
Row 3: Ch 1, hdc (both loops) in first st and each st across, turn.
Rows 4 – 15 (21, 27, 33): Repeat Rows 2 and 3.
Row 16 (22, 28, 34): Repeat Row 2.
Do not fasten off.

RIBBING (TOP):

Work the ribbing perpendicular to the leg warmer, joining to the final BODY row as you go. At the end of each odd-numbered row, the second sl st is in place of a turning ch-1.

ROW 1: Ch 6 (7, 8, 8), hdc-slst in second ch from hook and in each ch across, sl st in each of first 2 sts of BODY row, turn. [5 (6, 7, 7) hdc-slst]
ROW 2: Sk 2 sl sts just made, hdc-slst (blo) in each st across, turn.
ROW 3: Ch 1, hdc-slst (blo) in each st across, sl st in each of next 2 sts of BODY row, turn.
ROW 4: Repeat ROW 2.
ROWS 5 – 20 (22, 26, 30): Repeat previous 2 rows.
Cut yarn and fasten off, leaving a long tail (approx twice the length of the leg warmer) for seaming.

Go to FINISHING:

SIZES: Adult XS (Adult S, Adult M, Adult L)

RIBBING (BOTTOM)

Row 1: Ch 12, hdc-slst in second ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. [11]
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st, here and throughout), hdc-slst (blo) in each st across, turn.
Rows 3 – 38 (42, 50, 56): Repeat Row 2.
Do not fasten off.

BODY

Row 1: Ch 1 (does not count as a st, here and throughout), hdc evenly along edge of ribbing (working one hdc for each ribbing row), turn. [38 (42, 50, 56)]
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st, here and throughout), sl st (blo) loosely in each st across, turn.
Row 3: Ch 1, hdc (both loops) in first st and each st across, turn.
Rows 4 – 37 (39, 45, 51): Repeat Rows 2 and 3.
Row 38 (40, 46, 52):Repeat Row 2.
Do not fasten off.

RIBBING (TOP)