Little Leggings

These adorable baby leggings are designed to be gender-neutral and practical, and the worsted weight yarn it calls for makes it a very quick knit. Perfect for those last minute baby shower gifts or for a quick project when you are in the mood for instant gratification :)

This design really makes beautiful yarn sing. Use solids for an elegant, understated look, or use semi-solids or variegated yarns for a more playful effect. These leggings are knit seamlessly from the waist to ankle, featuring an easy textured stitch detail along each side and on the cuffs. A ribbed waistband with an I-cord tie ensures a secure fit around the waist. Short rows worked in the seat area as well as a generous gusset at the crotch (requiring a small amount of grafting) help accommodate even bulky diapers. Some negative ease is built-in for a close-fitting look, so it’s best to use yarn that has some stretch to it.

Gauge: 18 sts x 28 rounds = 4 inches or 10cm in stockinette stitch in the round using larger needles, after blocking

Sizes: NB (3mo, 6mo, 12mo, 18mo-2yo). To fit waist: 16 (18, 19, 20, 21) inches or 40.5 (45.5, 48.5, 51, 53.5) cm

Finished Measurements: Garment waist: 15 (17, 18.25, 19, 20) inches or 38 (43, 46.5, 48.5, 51) cm (*Note: In general it’s best to go by the child’s actual waist measurements when selecting the appropriate size. You can also choose a size according to how much ease you’d like the garment to have.)

Materials Used: Approximately 170 (200, 225, 275, 325) yards or 155 (183, 206, 251, 297) meters of worsted weight merino or merino blend yarn (*Note: If doing contrasting ties: ties require approximately 40 yards or 37 meters of contrasting color yarn.)

Needle Size:

• US 8 or 5mm 16” or 40cm circular needle (or size needed to match stockinette stitch gauge); 1 set of matching dpns for legs
• US 7 or 4.5mm 16” or 40cm circular needle or dpn for NB size only (or one size smaller than above for ribbed stitch waistband)
• Two US 4 / 3.5mm double-pointed needles for I-cord

Pattern Includes: 5 sizes; Also includes: detailed written instructions, links to tutorials, schematic.

Skill Level: Easy. Skills required: casting on, knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, knitting in the round, short rows, grafting (link to kitchener stitch tutorial provided), binding off