A simple knit that looks complicated (always a good thing if you’re knitting it as a gift for non-knitters). It will see more use than a sweater, is more practical than booties. And it uses fingering-weight yarn, so it’s a great sock-yarn stash buster.

Make the set as a gift, or for your own kids. Hell--make it for yourself! I’ve sized it for babies through teens, but it would be very easily sized up for you. Oh, come on. You totally deserve your own hat and legwarmer set. In cashmere, even. It doesn’t take that much yarn.

Any fingering-weight yarn will work. I knit the baby’s first set with one skein of Elann Baby Cashmere and knit her an additional hat from half a skein of 100% cashmere I’d had floating in the stash for years. (Small things are a great way to use luxury yarns without totally breaking the bank.)

SIZES

Hat
0–6m 6–18m, 2–4yrs, 5yrs–teen

Legwarmers
0–12m 18m–5T, 6–12yrs, teen

YARN
Pictured here in: Zen Yarn Garden 70% Superwash Merino/20%Bamboo/10%Nylon; 450yd per skein; Color: Passion.

For the complete set:
1 1, 2, 2 skeins.

For just the hat:
1 1, 1, 1 skein.

For just the legwarmers:
1 1, 1, 2 skeins.

The pattern includes instructions for both hat and legwarmers.