Crocheting Your Leg Warmers
Make a slipknot. Make a loop about 6 inches (15.2 cm) from the free end of the yarn. The free end should hang behind your loop. Insert your crochet hook through the loop and hook the free end before pulling it back through the loop and onto the hook.
Chain 100 single crochet stitches. You can do more or fewer stitches in order to end up with a length of chain as long as you'd like your leg warmers to be. For an adult leg warmer, you'll probably create a chain about 11–15 inches (27.9–38.1 cm) long. Write down the number of chain stitches so you can make the next leg warmer the same length. To make one chain stitch, you'll want to hold the hook in you right hand and loop the working yarn over your left index finger. Hold the end of the slipknot between the thumb and middle finger of your left hand. Then, bring the yarn from back to front around the shaft of the hook, drawing it through the loop on the hook. Repeat this to make the first row, or foundation chain.
Single crochet going into the second row. Do this for 10 stitches. You can then place a stitch marker, if you want a visual cue alerting you to single crochet. To make a single crochet stitch, insert your hook from front to back in the center of the second chain from the hook. At this point, you should have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over, or twist the yarn from front to back around the hook, and pull the yarn through the chain. Again, you should have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over again and draw through the 2 loops. You'll now have single crochet stitches.
Chain 1 stitch, then turn. Turning your work simply means rotating it so that the last stitch you worked becomes the beginning of the next row.
Do half-double crochet stitches across until you reach your last 10 stitches, then single crochet those last ten. To half-double crochet, yarn over your hook once and skip the first 2 stitches on your row. Insert your hook into the center of the third stitch. Yarn over one and then pull all 3 stitches through the chain. You'll have 3 loops on your hook. Yarn over again and pull the 3 stitches on your hook.
Chain 1, then turn. Remember that chain 1 doesn't count as a stitch when in single crochet.
Single crochet into the back loops only of the first 10 single crochet stitches.
Do half-double crochet into the back loops only till you reach the last ten single crochet stitches.
Change to single crochet stitches into the back loops only for the last 10 stitches.
Chain 1, then turn. Continue working across into the back loops, repeating till you get to your desired length.
Stop crocheting and fasten off. You'll know it's time to stop when the leg warmer is wide enough to fit around your leg. After the last stitch of the row, cut the yarn, leaving an 11–15 inch (27.9–38.1 cm) end. Bring the hook straight up and pull the cut end of the yarn completely through the stitch.
Use the darning or yarn needle to sew both sides of the single crocheted edges together using the yard tail. You should be using a whip stitch to join them, going through each stitch from the front to the back and repeating all the way down the leg warmer.
Make another identical leg warmer using the above steps and then you're finished.
Preparing to Crochet
Select your yarn. While you should choose a color you'll want to wear, you should also keep texture in mind. Make sure the yarn is comfortable and easy to work. Buy several skeins of yarn that all have the same dye lot or you might notice subtle color variations between the skeins. Remember that the thicker the yarn, the warmer the leg warmers will be. You can certainly use thinner yarn, just be aware that they won't be as cozy as the ones made with bulkier yarn.
Pick your crochet hook. This is basically determined by the type of yarn you've chosen. The yarn package should give a suggested hook size for use with that specific yarn. The hook size suggestion doesn't have to be followed, but your crocheting might turn out knotty or too loose.
Create a small practice swatch to check your tension. These are usually about 4 inches (10.2 cm) by 4 inches (10.2 cm) and feature the same stitches you'll be using in the pattern itself. If you're holding the yarn too tightly, you may need to increase your hook size. Likewise, if your stitches are too loose, a smaller hook may be needed. Remember to hold the yarn tight enough to keep its tension, but loose enough to let it still slide through your fingers.
Determine how long you want your leg warmers to be. Note where you'd like them to fit on your leg, then measure that length. You'll essentially be crocheting one large rectangle before joining it together. The longest part of that rectangle should match the length you'd like for your leg warmers.
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