Tube Sock Leg Warmers

In my mind tube socks were always the territory of my older brother. Although tube socks factor prominently in some of my least favorite olfactory memories, I do have a deep fondness for the image of my gonzo brother bushwacking his way through adolescence in his always-mismatched tube socks.
I’m pretty sure that every American who lived through the seventies and eighties has a similar nostalgic feeling for tube socks. It seems that when such a humble object becomes so iconic to a whole generation then the power of design must be at work. The classic white tube sock with the three bright stripes under the knee is crisp and clean, but it also conveys a sporty confidence that is hard to resist.

And so in homage to timeless design and to my brother, who, in his forties, still sometimes shows up in two different tube socks, I decided to knit up a contemporary version of the classic tube sock. Instead of a replica pair of tube socks, I thought I’d shake things up a bit and make a pair of sassy little leg warmers. Perfect for young fashionistas and, why not?, even for us fogies who just have a really tender spot in our hearts for tube socks!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
For this job I turned to Koigu’s classic sportweight Kersti. Crepe spun for a clean finish and hand dyed for beautifully deep color, Kersti is as good as merino gets, durable and amazingly soft too! -Whitney
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoTubeSockLegWarmers. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials

- 4 total skeins of Koigu’s Kersti, 100% Merino Wool. You will need 3 skeins of the Main Yarn (I used #0000) and 1 skein of the Contrast Color (these colors, from the left, are: #2100, #2229, and #2130). Approximately 456 yards required.
- A US 5 (3.75 mm), 12 inch circular needle
- A US 6 (4 mm), 12 inch circular needle
Shop our wonderful collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarn to find a suitable substitute for this project, and remember that it’s always a good idea to check your gauge before you cast on… Our All About Gauge Tutorial shows you how!
Gauge
25 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Size
One size fits many
Finished Dimensions: 16¼ inches long x 12 inches circumference, stretching to approximately 18 inches
NOTE: To adjust the sizing, just cast on any multiple of four stitches. For example, for smaller sizes you would cast on 64, 68, or 72 stitches and for bigger sizes, 80, 84, or 88 stitches. (For much bigger sizes you may want to purchase one extra skein of the Main Yarn, unless you plan to make your leg warmers shorter than 16¼ inches.)
Pattern
With the Main Yarn and the smaller needle, cast on 76 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place a marker and join to work in the round, being careful to not twist your stitches.
Round 1: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 3 inches from cast on edge.
Change to larger needle and knit 10 rounds.
With the Contrast Yarn, knit 4 rounds.
With the Main Yarn, knit 3 rounds.
With the Contrast Yarn, knit 6 rounds.
With the Main Yarn, knit 3 rounds.
With the Contrast Yarn, knit 4 rounds. Cut the Contrast Yarn.
With the Main Yarn, knit another 7 1/2 inches.
Change to the smaller needle.
Next Round: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat the last round until bottom cuff measures 2 inches.
Bind off in the 2 x 2 rib pattern.
Cut the yarn and weave in ends.
Then make another!
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
How many paIr does the pattern make? Can't wait to try these!
Hi Sharon-
The pattern makes one pair.
Thanks for your nice comment and question!
Hi! I'd love to make these for my baby. Do you have an idea of how many stitches to first cast for an infant size? These are fantastic!
Hi Amy-
This baby legwarmer story uses the same yarn as it's base so it could easily be adapted into a version of these. Here is the link: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/baby-leg-warmers-for-mila/
Thanks for your question!
I like these colors! Simple and gorgeous at the same time.
love, love, love these! this makes me wish i could knit. time to learn, i guess…
Amy's question reminds me of a question *I've* always had.
If there's a pattern that's meant for a child — how do you usually convert it to an adult and vice versa?
I love, love, LOVE these legwarmers! They are super cute — thank you so much for sharing and continuing to post, PurlBee <3 I love you guys.
These are so cute. I love how they are reminiscent of old fashioned gym socks. Very retro 🙂
Hi Marie,
Unfortunately, there is no easy formula for resizing a pattern! It is true that the easier the pattern, the easier it is to rework in a different size. In the case of the leg warmers, converting to a child's size is actually just a simple matter of determining the circumference you want and multiplying that number by the gauge. So let's say you want an 8 inch leg warmer, times the gauge (6 1/4), equals 50 stitches. Then because if the 2 x 2 rib you want to make sure that the number you cast on is a multiple of four, so you would cast on either 48 or 52 stitches.
Thanks for your question and good luck!
Whitney
These will be perfect for my niece! She told me she wanted leg warmers, I had not found a pattern yet. She plays soccer and gymnastics but loves pink. She can be a priss and a tomboy at once. Her birthday is Tuesday; guess what I will be doing this weekend!
I'm having a great deal of trouble getting the correct gauge. When I tried using size 5, I got 22 stitches for 4 inches (5.5/inch). Even when I went down to a size 3, I still wasn't getting the 6.25 stitches per inch.
Can I change the number of stitches that I would initially cast on? If so, what might that be? I honestly struggle with understanding modification of gauge (I also struggle with math), so if I have 5.5 stitches per inch, would that mean I'd need MORE stitches or FEWER to make the proper 12″?
Thanks for any assistance you can offer. 🙂
Hi Allison,
You should cast on 64 stitches. Here's how I got 64: I multiplied 5.5 (stitches) by 12 (inches) and got 66. Because of the ribbing, the cast on number should be a multiple of 4, so I chose the closest multiple, which is 64! I guess that probably does sound more complicated than it is – I understand your struggle!
Thanks for your question!
Whitney
I find that the circular needles make too big of a circle and the 64 cast on stitches are stretched to fit around the 12 in cord of the needles. Would #5 dpns work better
Hi Janis,
The 12-inch circular needle should measure 12 inches from tip to tip and shouldn't really be too long for the 64 stitches. Maybe you actually have a 16-inch needle whose cord is 12 inches? Anyway, using double pointed needles is a perfectly good option!
Thanks for asking and good luck!
Whitney
You could also Magic Loop. 🙂
Oh wow, those legwarmers brought back fond memories of stark white tube socks with bright stripes! I used to buy them for my husband all the time because he likes his socks to go up his leg (no anklets for him!). Now all tube socks are plain white (such a shame)
I'm gonna have to make some one day 🙂
Tanks for the memories 😉
hi,
are you using the long tail cast on? so for these it would be 12 inches x 3 or 18 inches x 3? i found the rule on the tutorial. thanks.
The rule is to use 3 times the length of the final cast on edge. So if you’re making a scarf that’s 6-inches wide you’d start with an 18-inch tail. – See more at: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2006/09/29/long-tail-cast-on/#sthash.49qMqMOf.dpuf
Hi pm,
That is a general rule of thumb, but the most important rule is to overestimate rather than underestimate, since having to start over is no fun at all! So, in this case, go with at least 18 x 3 inches.
Thanks for asking and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Whitney
This is my first time switching colors in the middle of a project and the contrast color keeps on doing this weird thing where it looks like I started out doing it as half a row. Any tips to keep this from happening?
Thanks!
Hi Lara-
When you knit stripes in the round this is just something that happens, since you are actually knitting in a spiral and not one round on top of another. This tutorial explains it a little better: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/03/09/stripes-in-the-round/
However, if you want to get a very clean stripe you might want to Google “jogless jog”. But if it doesn’t bother you too much then you can rest assured it’s just a part of knitting in the round and you’re not doing anything wrong!
Best-
Molly
I can’t find a 12″ size 5 needle anywhere! Any suggestions? Should I just give in and go the DPN route?
G x
Hi Giuliana,
Thanks for writing in! We sell US 5 12″ circular needles. They can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/addi-turbo-circular-needles.html
You can also certainly use DPNs if you have them handy!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I would like to use white, but the recommended yarn does not come in white. Is there another yarn you would recommend?
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for writing in to us. We do currently have the Koigu KPM in white. The color code is “0000”. Click here for the link.
All the best,
Adam
OMG. These are perfect for my daughter. She always buys tube socks and cuts off the feet so she can wear them as leg warmers. It’s many years since these were originally posted but I just found them. Even at 35 she will love these as a holiday present.
How would you modify the pattern for worsted weight? Thank you!
Hi Tracie,
Thanks for reaching out! To knit these leg warmers in worsted weight, you will first need to knit a gauge swatch with your selected yarn and measure your stitches per inch. You can then multiply this number by the leg warmer circumference of 12 inches and round to the nearest multiple of 4 to determine your cast on. After that, you can follow the pattern as written!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello! This pattern indicates that you need 4 skeins of Koigu, and that 875 yards are required. However, I see that each Koigu skein only has 175 yards, which means 4 skeins would be 700 yards. So, which is it? Do I need to buy 4 skeins (for 700 yards) or 5 skeins (for 875 yards)? Thanks!
Hi Betsy,
Thanks for reaching out about this! We noticed that the yardage we originally indicated is actually incorrect, and it should actually be 456 yards of Koigu’s Kersti, which comes in 114-yard skeins. Thank you again for bringing this discrepancy to our attention!
All the best,
Lili
I cannot find the yarn you recommend anywhere, and I am having trouble finding a dk cable plied/crepe spun substitute. Do you have any recommendations or suggestions for yarn that would work just as well for this pattern?
Thank you!
Hi Alexia,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m afraid that we don’t currently carry any cable plied/crepe spun yarns, but I’d be happy to offer another recommendation. I think that Good Wool would be really nice for these leg warmers! Good Wool is a loosely-spun 2-ply yarn, it’s exceptionally durable and springy, and you’ll definitely be able to achieve the gauge of the pattern. I hope this helps give you some inspiration for your project!
All the best,
Lili