Leggings are one of those things that not only bring a finishing note to a woman's toilet, but also warm her legs in the cold season. Good leggings do not have to be bought in the store, because even novice craftswomen can knit them.
Leg warmers are easier to knit than socks, as they lack the heel and nose parts. Knitting should start from the top, since the top should keep the entire product on the leg, and the first row always turns out tighter than the others, and it also looks neater. The elastic of the gaiters can be located in the middle of the ankle, above the knee, or anywhere between these two points, but most often it is located just above the protruding part of the calf muscle.
To calculate the loops, it is necessary to knit a test sample using the basic pattern, after which the number of loops in one centimeter is calculated. For example, a sample of 30 loops minus the edging has a width of 12 cm, that is, 2.5 loops are placed in 1 cm. With the help of a tailor's centimeter imposed at the location of the upper part of the product, the girth of the leg is measured, after which it will be possible to calculate the number of loops to be recruited by multiplying the resulting value by 2, 5.
To knit gaiters, you should get short stocking needles and yarn. To prevent them from sliding down the leg, the first rows should be made with an elastic band. The scheme of a simple elastic band looks like an alternation of the front and back loops, however, instead of ordinary loops, crossed loops can be used, instead of single loops, paired ones, or even completely containing harness elements. Five rows will be enough, but if the product is planned to be made with cuffs, then the elastic should take at least a few centimeters.
A further pattern can be performed according to the same scheme, but for relief it should be changed. Most often, harnesses are used when, when knitting, several loops are removed onto an additional knitting needle located in front of or behind the fabric, and then returned back. Such gaiters will have a higher density and are suitable for wearing in winter. However, in the summer coolness, it will be hot in them, and for the manufacture of thin products it is better to dwell on openwork patterns made using yakids and other techniques.
Decreases are not necessary: the gaiters tightly wrapped around the leg in the upper part, from the bottom will be loose, folded, which looks especially impressive when applied to shoes. If you want to make them tight-fitting, then every few rows along the inside of the product, two loops should be knitted together. When the length of the circular blade reaches the ankle, it will be necessary to decide whether to change the pattern to an elastic band or continue it until the end of the product - while the bottom will turn out to be slightly flared.
