All proceeds (i.e. the purchase cost less Etsy/PayPal fees) from this pattern go to The Badger Trust to help with their project to vaccinate UK Badgers and STOP THE CULL!

I love Badgers – I have several things in common with them: I can be feisty if attacked by a larger animal, and my legs are pretty short. When an opportunity came along to join a group of creatives designing, making and selling things to raise funds for The Badger Trust and their work to help and protect Brocks, I knew I had to jump in and help my short-legged chums.

Leg warmers are such a great mindless knit – the best ‘take it, knit it anywhere’ type of project. Plus, they’re so perfect for knitting with short circular needles– which are the epitome of mindless knitting!

This pattern assumes that you know the basics of knitting in the round and it’s suitable for a first time knit in the round project. I’ve written it assuming that you’ll be using my favourite short circular needles, but you can easily use your preferred method of knitting in the round, whether on double points, 2 circulars, or magic loop.

I’ve written this pattern for a specific yarn that also supports The Badger Trust and it would be great if you use that, but feel free to substitute for any DK weight yarn that gives you the same gauge and yardage when you swatch it. I’ve also knit these leg warmers with some very colourful Autumnal colours, which you can see on my project page. If your DK yarn comes up a little ‘heavier’, I wouldn’t worry too much, these colourful ones had slightly larger finished dimensions and it doesn’t matter if your finished leg warmers are a bit slouchy – that’s how they roll! Whichever yarn you choose, you will need 100g of DK weight with a gauge of 25 stitches to 4 inches / 10cm and yardage of 251.5 or 230 metres.

Everyone’s knitting tension is different and gauge isn’t essential for leg warmers, but my finished leg warmers had the following dimensions: width 4.5 inches / 11.5cm when measured flat, and a length of 12 inches / 30.5cm.

Materials: One skein of Mad Scientist Yarns Continuum DK in the colour of your choice. The colour shown here is Trufflehunter, specially dyed for The Badger Sett project. Gauge of 25 stitches to 4 inches.

Equipment: Short Circular Knit Needles 3.5mm/US4 or whatever knit in the round needle style you prefer
Stitch marker
Wool needle

What you need to know: long tail cast on, how to work in the round, how to knit and purl and how to work a regular cast off.