Legwarmers?

Ok, throughout the 80’s I was 0-9 years old, and I’m sure I must have owned a pair of legwarmers but really my enduring memory is of Lizzie Webb on GMTV prancing around in a leotard definitely legwarmered-up and generally looking a bit daft.

Well despite all that I just decided to knit some, and not just any, I chose Manresa – a pair of amazing stranded legwarmers from the (free) 2006 Summer Knitty magazine.

I’ve never done any stranded knitting before so it was a bit daunting and stupidly hard at first but when I got into the swing of things it went very quickly. Here is the first one, just knitted, and it snugly fits. A couple of months only wearing trousers means I forgot I have Henry VIII’s calves.

I love the pattern so I’ve ordered some larger dpns and I’m going to start again. I won’t frog this though since it’s my first proper stranded knitting. Yep there is a mistake, and yes the strands are showing through but I’m so proud I might frame it!

The cream yarn is a wool-mix dk something from a charity shop jumper I frogged ages ago. The teal is a bit lighter than in the pictures and is left over from Alpine (AKA a new shapeless knitted thing) I finished a few weeks ago.

Will I wear them when they’re finished? I think so, because I’ll be insanely proud (my legwarmers? Oh, well, I knitted them myself…) I have an idea they might look cute with skirts, tights and trainers. I might be wrong, let’s wait and see.

Beccy