Circus Tent Armwarmers

Circus Tent Arm Warmers by Ella Austin

What is Being Made

The Circus Tent Arm Warmers are a pair of colorful, vibrant arm warmers designed by Ella Austin. These are knitted accessories featuring bold stranded colourwork patterns inspired by circus tent aesthetics. The arm warmers are worked in the round and include an afterthought thumbhole for functional wearability, making them both decorative and practical accessories suitable for adding visual interest to any outfit.

Sizes and Fit

This pattern is available in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. The cast-on stitch counts vary by size: 56 stitches for Small, 60 stitches for Medium, and 64 stitches for Large, allowing for a customized fit across different arm circumferences.

Techniques Used

• Knitting in the round: The arm warmers are constructed using circular knitting methods to create seamless, tubular fabric
• Stranded colourwork: Multiple yarn colors are carried across the fabric to create the vibrant circus tent pattern, requiring careful tension management
• Afterthought thumb method: A thumbhole is created by knitting with scrap yarn during the main construction, then later picking up stitches to knit the thumb opening
• Chart reading: Knitters follow a stitch pattern chart to execute the colorwork design accurately across 22 rows of patterning

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (K): The primary stitch forming the base fabric
• Purl stitch (P): Used in the ribbed edge sections to create texture and elasticity
• Ribbing (K1, P1): A five-round ribbed cuff at the beginning provides stretch and helps the arm warmers stay in place

Pattern Structure

The arm warmers begin with a ribbed edge worked over five rounds using the smaller needles, establishing an elastic cuff. The needles are then switched to the larger size, and knitters work the colorwork pattern from a provided chart for 22 rounds. The afterthought thumbhole is created on round 23 by knitting 9 stitches with scrap yarn, which are later replaced with live stitches. Following the thumbhole placement, the pattern continues from the chart for an additional 19 rounds (rounds 24-42), and the chart pattern is repeated twice more to achieve the desired length. The pattern concludes with an edge round using the main color yarn.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: This pattern uses Jamieson and Smith Jumper Weight yarn in multiple colors. The main color (MC) is FC24, with additional colors including FC41, FC125, FC001, FC28, and FC17. One ball of each color is required, providing sufficient yardage for the complete pair of arm warmers across all sizes.

Gauge: The pattern is worked at a gauge of 28 stitches and 36 rows over 10 centimeters when working the colourwork pattern on stockinette stitch. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit.

Needles and Notions: The pattern requires 2.5mm double-pointed needles (DPNs) for the ribbed cuff sections and 2.75mm DPNs for the main colorwork sections. Scrap yarn is also needed to temporarily hold the afterthought thumbhole stitches during construction.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this pattern is suitable for knitters with experience in fundamental techniques who are ready to tackle stranded colorwork and circular knitting methods. Familiarity with chart reading and the afterthought thumb technique is beneficial for successful completion.