Spurt Colourwork Leg Warmers in Novita 7 Veljestä & 7 Veljestä Raita - Downloadable PDF

Spurt Colourwork Leg Warmers in Novita 7 Veljestä & 7 Veljestä Raita – Pattern Summary

What You Are Making

This free downloadable PDF pattern by designer Lea Petäjä guides you through knitting a pair of colourwork leg warmers with a shaped, tapered silhouette. The finished leg warmers measure approximately 34 cm / 13½ inches in length with a circumference of approximately 32 cm / 12½ inches at the top edge, making them a cosy and stylish accessory suitable for layering over boots or wearing as standalone legwear during colder months. The pattern is offered in one size and is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with colourwork and basic shaping techniques.

Yarns and Materials Used

The pattern calls for two specific Novita yarns worked together to create the colourwork effect:

• Novita 7 Veljestä Raita (7 Brothers Stripe) – 100 g, an aran-weight yarn that introduces variegated or striped colour transitions naturally as you knit.
• Novita 7 Veljestä (7 Brothers) – 100 g, a solid aran-weight yarn used alongside the Raita to create the structured colourwork chart motifs. The pattern references an Off White shade at a specific finishing stage.

Both yarns are aran weight, ensuring a warm, substantial fabric well suited to leg warmers. The pattern is worked on double-pointed needles divided across four needles with 18 stitches on each needle at cast-on, which is the standard setup for knitting small circumferences in the round without the need for circular needles, though magic loop or a short circular needle could also be adapted by experienced knitters.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs a range of knitting techniques that place it firmly in the intermediate skill category:

• Colourwork knitting in the round – The primary technique, involving carrying two yarn colours across rounds to produce a charted stranded pattern. Working colourwork in the round allows the knitter to always see the right side of the fabric, making it easier to follow the chart and maintain consistent tension.
• Ribbing – The leg warmers begin with 5 rounds of ribbing, creating a stretchy, neat edge at the top of the piece. Ribbing is a classic technique alternating knit and purl stitches to produce an elastic band effect.
• Shaping with decreases – The leg warmers are tapered through a series of strategic decreases worked at specific chart rows. Decreases are worked as k2tog (knit two together, a right-leaning decrease) and skp (slip 1 knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over – a left-leaning decrease), placed symmetrically to create a smooth, mirrored taper. Decreases occur on rows 36 and 43 (reducing from 72 to 68 stitches), and again on rows 54, 61, and 67 (reducing to 62 stitches), giving the leg warmer its fitted lower profile.
• Chart reading – The colourwork is presented as a charted pattern. The first section of the chart uses a 6-stitch repeat worked 12 times across the round, while the second section transitions to a 4-stitch repeat worked 17 times, reflecting the stitch count reduction after shaping.
• Working in the round on double-pointed needles – The entire piece is knitted in the round from cast-on to cast-off, with the beginning of the round positioned between needles I and IV.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch – The foundation of the colourwork fabric, worked throughout in the round.
• Purl stitch – Used during the ribbing section at the beginning of the leg warmer.
• k2tog (knit two together) – A standard right-leaning decrease used for shaping.
• skp (slip, knit, pass over) –