Crochet Leg Warmers

Creating booties and leg warmers for a table is a practical idea. Leg warmers can help cushion the table legs from children, who sometimes bump into them while playing on the floor, and the booties can help protect the floor from scrapes if the table is moved.

If you know how to chain, slip stitch and single crochet, you can make both items with just scrap yarn.

- Make a slipknot. Make a loop about 6 inches (15.2 cm) from the free end of the yarn. The free end should hang behind your loop. Insert your crochet hook through the loop and hook the free end before pulling it back through the loop and onto the hook.

- Chain 100 single crochet stitches. You can do more or fewer stitches in order to end up with a length of chain as long as you'd like your leg warmers to be. For an adult leg warmer, you'll probably create a chain about 11–15 inches (27.9–38.1 cm) long. Write down the number of chain stitches so you can make the next leg warmer the same length. To make one chain stitch, you'll want to hold the hook in you right hand and loop the working yarn over your left index finger. Hold the end of the slipknot between the thumb and middle finger of your left hand. Then, bring the yarn from back to front around the shaft of the hook, drawing it through the loop on the hook. Repeat this to make the first row, or foundation chain.

- Single crochet going into the second row. Do this for 10 stitches. You can then place a stitch marker, if you want a visual cue alerting you to single crochet. To make a single crochet stitch, insert your hook from front to back in the center of the second chain from the hook. At this point, you should have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over, or twist the yarn from front to back around the hook, and pull the yarn through the chain. Again, you should have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over again and draw through the 2 loops. You'll now have single crochet stitches.

- Chain 1 stitch, then turn. Turning your work simply means rotating it so that the last stitch you worked becomes the beginning of the next row.

- Do half-double crochet stitches across until you reach your last 10 stitches, then single crochet those last ten. To half-double crochet, yarn over your hook once and skip the first 2 stitches on your row. Insert your hook into the center of the third stitch. Yarn over one and then pull all 3 stitches through the chain. You'll have 3 loops on your hook. Yarn over again and pull the 3 stitches on your hook.

- Chain 1, then turn. Remember that chain 1 doesn't count as a stitch when in single crochet. Single crochet into the back loops only of the first 10 single crochet stitches. Do half-double crochet into the back loops only till you reach the last ten single crochet stitches.

- Change to single crochet stitches into the back loops only for the last 10 stitches. Stop crocheting and fasten off. You'll know it's time to stop when the leg warmer is wide enough to fit around your leg. After the last stitch of the row, cut the yarn, leaving an 11–15 inch (27.9–38.1 cm) end. Bring the hook straight up and pull the cut end of the yarn completely through the stitch

Accessorize your leg warmers by sewing on buttons or other accessories. Making a border at the top or a line down the side are two great ways to change the appearance of your leg warmers in a way that only you imagined.