Knit up a pair of these toasty leggings to keep your baby's legs and toes warm this coming winter! You can use a single coloured yarn for classic tights, or get creative with some self striping sock yarn for a touch of whimsy!
I've frequently come across forums about baby knits, and many mothers feel that booties are either 1. not warm enough, or 2. don't stay on! Having recently acquired a lovely ball of Regia self-striping yarn, I set out to create a simple pattern for leggings that are super functional, and easy enough for a novice knitter!
The leg length is adjustable, I know that babies come in all shapes and sizes! I also made sure there's enough 'nappy space' in the back... No more over-stretched backsides!
'Keep Baby Warm' Leggings Pattern
SIZE
To fit baby of 0-3 months
Inside leg length 19cms / 7½ inches
MATERIALS
1 ball of sock yarn ( I used Regia Kaffe Fasset self-striping}
1 set of 2.75mm double pointed needles
Tapestry needle to weave in ends
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Gauge/Tension
30sts and 40 rows = 10cm square over stocking stitch using 2.75mm needles
Abbreviations
k = knit
p= purl
k2tog = knit the next 2 stitches together
p2tog= purl the next 2 stitches together
inc = increase 1 stitch by knitting into the front and back of the same stitch
psso = pass slipped stitch over
m1 = make stitch by picking up yarn before next stitch and knitting into the back of made loop
sl st = slip stitch
Left Leg
Sole
Cast on 33 stitches (11, 11, 11 on double pointed needles) and knit 2 rows
1st row: k4, m1, k1, m1, k15, m1, k1, m1, k12
2nd row: k22, m1, k3, m1, k12
3rd row: k4, m1, k3, m1, k15, m1, k5, ml, k12
4th row: k24, m1, k7, m1, k12
5th row: k4, m1, k5, m1, k15, m1, k9, m1, k12 (49sts)
6th -9th row: knit across without shaping
Instep Shaping
1st row: k35, sl1, k1, psso TURN
2nd row: sl1, p7, p2tog, TURN
3rd row: sl1, k7, sl1, k1, psso TURN
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until row 17.
18th row: sl1, p7, p2tog, TURN
19th row: sl1, knit to end
20th row: k17, k2tog, knit to end (30sts)
Ankle Area *
Knit 8 rows without shaping
Leg
1st-4th row: knit across without shaping
5th row: inc in first and last stitch (32sts)
6th-10th rows: knit across
11th row: inc in first and last stitch (34sts)
12th-16th row: knit across
17th row: inc in first and last stitch (36sts)
18th-22nd row knit across
23rd row: inc in first and last stitch (38sts)
24th-28th row: knit across
29th row: inc in first and last stitch (40sts)
30th row: knit across
31st row: inc in first and last stitch (42sts)
32nd row: knit across
33rd row: inc in first and last stitch (44sts)
34th row: knit across
35th row: inc in first and last stitch (46sts)
36th row: knit across
37th row: inc in first and last stitch (48sts)
38th row: knit across
39th row: inc in first and last stitch (50sts)
Work 16 rows in knit.
Crotch Shaping
1st row: cast off 2 sts, knit to end , TURN
2nd row: cast off 2 sts, purl to end (46sts)
Set aside on holders and work right leg.
Right Leg
Sole
1st row: k12, m1, k1, m1, k15, m1, k1,m1, k4
2nd row: k12, m1, k3, m1, k22
3rd row: k12, m1, k5, m1, k15, m1, k3, m1, k4
4th row k12, m1, k7, m1, k24
5th row: k12, m1, k9, m1, k15, m1, k5, m1, k4 (49sts)
6th-9th row: knit across without shaping
Instep Shaping
1st row: k21, sl1, k1, psso TURN
2nd row: sl1, p7, p2tog TURN
3rd row: sl1, k7, sl1, k1, psso TURN
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until row 17
18th row: sl1, p7, p2tog, TURN
19th row: sl1, knit to end
20th row: k3, k2tog, knit to end (30sts)
Continue as given for Left Leg from * to end of Crotch Shaping.
Do not break yarn, we are going to continue to use the same length of yarn to attach the other leg and complete the leggings!
Bum Part
With the cast off sections side by side, re-arrange the legs onto 3 needles 31, 30, 31. See the diagram below.
Knit across both ‘legs’ and all stitches without shaping for 39 rows.
Back
1st row: k64, TURN
2nd row: sl1, purl 35 TURN
3rd row: sl1, k30 TURN
4th row: sl1, p 25 TURN
5th row: sl1 k20, TURN
6th row: sl1, p15, TURN
7th row: sl1, knit to end
8th row: knit across
Waistband
Work in rib (k2, p2) for 9 rows. Cast off in rib.
FINISHING
Mattress stitch the small area where the legs meet, together with sole bottom, weave in loose ends.
I hope everyone enjoys making these!
This is an incredible pattern, thank you for sharing it. I can hardly wait to have another baby now to knit these for! :)
How sweet! Too bad they are only for the wee-est babes. I'd be tempted to whip up a pair for my 2yo! Great idea. :)
YAY!! i love you! I was just looking for a pair of footed leggings to complete a set I am making and these are EXACTLY what I was looking for! I am so excited to start knitting them.
Thank you thank you thank you!
These are fantastic! I will definitely be making these...thanks for the pdf. Check out my article in the new fall Knitty.
Thank you so very much for sharing your pattern! Those are precious. :)
they are adorable! now i just have to wait for my friends to start having babies so i can make some. thank you so much for sharing this!
These look wonderful. So much better than the pair of leggings I made for my daughter when she was tiny that she wore once! Hopefully I'll be able to knit these for another baby in the future -- it'd make a great nighttime soaker for a winter baby.
those are so sweet and i LOVE the color combo! i want knitted tights for me ;n)
do you recall the name of the Regia yarn? i can't seem to find any that look like that...
Thanks everyone for your kind enthusiasm!
The Regia yarn I used is part of the Kaffe Fassett Designer Collection, in the Landscape Fire colourway.
Happy Knitting!
We are expecting a new grand baby in November, this looks like a perfect gift. Thank you for the pattern.
I always wanted to make baby leggings and never had the pattern,
thank you so much for sharing this wonderful pattern.
hugs ginger
Oh those are adorable!
Hi there I was searching all over the place for some nice leggings with feet.. and here I found them.. but they are too small for my 9 month old.. will you be adding anything larger.. I'm not confident enough to make a larger size on my own. But great pattern for those who have wee ones.
These are very sweet -- love the colorway! For those of you with older babes and/or toddlers, you could easily upsize the pattern by subbing a heavier-weight yarn. IIRC Elizabeth Zimmerman has a pattern for footed tights in "Knitting Around" (or one of her books) so that might be of some help to some of you as well. Personally I can't imagine knitting that much fabric to cover both my legs -- doing longies for a toddler was monotonous enough for me! But they would be toasty! :)
I'm planning to work on a larger pattern in the near future, but at the moment, I haven't got a bigger baby to use as a 'model'! I had to 'borrow' one to make the measurements for this pair!
As for SassySnow, I would have to agree with Nick, if you switch to a double knitting weight yarn, and 4mm needles, the foot size will be large enough for a 9 month old, but you will have to increase an inch/2.5cms of stocking stitch on the ankle area (instead of the stated 8 rows), and lengthen the leg section to fit your baby (instead of the stated 16 rows!)
Keep Knitting everyone and look out for some new patterns coming soon!
How CUTE! Love these!
Those are beautiful leggings and colors are fantastic. I just came over from BlogCatalog to visit your site. Best wishes and keep posting the free patterns as crafters just love free project ideas and it provides lots of traffic.
Cindy
Too Cute! Thanks for sharing. I hope to be knitting these up shortly!
Beautiful, beautiful longies and a wonderful concept. Definitely will be knitting these up for our babe due in February!
I'm curious - you say you used 1 ball of the Regia yarn. Is this one 50g skein? I'd like to order this colorway but it doesn't seem like 1 would be enough...?
Yes Maria I did use a single 50g ball of Regia Yarn, I even had a few metres left over!
Fantastic post. Bookmarked this site and emailed it to a few friends, your post was that great, keep it up.
I am really confused by this pattern. I have made a sweater and booties for a cousin's daughter that is expecting and though I would also make matching leggings with attached booties. I was very excited to find your patter but I have spent the last 2 days trying to knit them and keep tearing it out and starting over thinking I was doing something wrong. I then gave it over to my English mother-in-law who has knit since she was 5 years old. Neither one of us is having much luck with it. When you get down to the instep shaping and repeat row 2 & 3--- your 17th row is row 2 and a row with purl stitches, your 18th row is also a purl stitch row which doesn't make sense to have 2 row together with purl stitches, especially when using circular needles. When I got to the 20th row there are 39 stitches not 30. I have not gotten any further then this and keep re-knitting the pattern trying to find out what I am doing wrong. I also found the pattern didn't have enough explanations. I would love to hear back from the person that created this pattern and get some insight into where I am going wrong. April
I'm so sorry to hear that you're having trouble following the pattern! I wrote this pattern when I was quite new to pattern writing so my instructions might not be as clear to everyone... I had a test knitters test the pattern and I'm quite sure it's sound, but I understand if my instructions are a little difficult to understand.. everybody has their own way of explaining things!
The entire piece is knitted in the round, and begins at the sole which you will need to sew up afterwards. The confusion with the instep rows 17-18 is where you're going wrong. When you repeat rows 2 & 3, on row 17 you would have just finished a knit row (a repeat of row 3); the following row, row 18, is a knit row, which is consistent with the stocking stitch pattern throughout.
I whipped out my needles and checked the pattern anyways, and I'm not sure how you are ending up with 39 stitches at the end of the instep shaping. The pattern calls for a decrease on every row except row 19 in the instep shaping section, so by mathematics alone, you should have 19 less stitches! You may be missing some decreases, please take a look at the photographs that I took (check your email) and I hope they make things clearer!
I love this pattern and am working on it right now. Like April, I had some trouble with the instep part. I'm not a great knitter by any means, but I am an enthusiastic knitter and have knit several pieces successfully. I have undone my work on the instep and am going to give it another shot. I'm expecting in November and would like several of these (love them!) I'm glad for the feedback and I will really give these another effort because I do love them (did I say that already?).
Thank you!
Rhoda
I figured it out! The problem I had and that April had too was that I was including the first nine rows when counting to row 17 (and ending up with 39 stitches instead of 30), instead of beginning the instep portion of the pattern as its own section with its own row 1.
hi i have just started knitting and am trying out this pattern when i got to the instep shaping i am getting a bit wrong where it says turn do that mean that i stop there and go back the other way and leave the rest of the stitchs not knitted
Hello Emma!
You are absolutely right.. when the pattern says to turn you simply turn the work around without knitting the rest of the stitches in that particular row. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any more questions!
hi i have just started the bum part and have never knitted with three neddles and dont know how to can you give me some helpful hits please
Great article, i was reading something similar on another website that i was researching. I will be sure to look around more. thanks..
I am almost done knitting these lovely longies up with a lime green and purple striped yarn from Lorna's Laces. I was very surprised at how easy these have knit up! I have a new baby due in December and am looking forward to making several more pairs! Thank you so very much for this pattern! Happy knitting!
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