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Gaiters

Gaiters from Home Work, published 1891

Please note: This pattern has been rewritten into modern language and checked for clarity and accuracy but it has not been test knit.

Gauge and Size

Sport weight yarn at a gauge of 25sts to 10cm should produce a gaiter to fit an average female sock size with an 8″ ankle. You may need to adjust the pattern to suit your specific leg shaping and size. Note that these should not be quite as tight as socks but they should still stay up.

Materials

Sport weight yarn
A set of double pointed needles in 3 mm and 3.25mm sizes or needles to get gauge. Gauge is measured on the larger needles.
You will also need a wide piece of elastic or webbing to go under your shoe to keep the gaiters in place.

Pattern

Cast on 63 stitches using your smaller size needles.

Note: the last stitch of every round is the seam stitch that sits at the back of the leg. It is worked as a knit stitch on every odd round and a purl stitch on every even round. Don’t forget about it!

Keeping the seam stitch correct throughout, work 2 1/2″ of k2 p2 rib.

Change to larger needles and purl 2 rounds.

Next round: Knit

Commence pattern stitch as follows (don’t forget to keep working your seams stitch as established):

Stitch pattern for knitting gaiters from Home Work, published in 1891

R1 (RS): k1, *p4, k1, p1, k1; repeat from * to last 6 sts, p4, k1, seam st

R2: k1, p5, k1, *p6, k1; repeat from * to last 7 sts, p5, k1, seam st

R3: k1, *p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k1; repeat from * to last 6 sts, p1, k2, p1, k1, seam st

R4: k1, p1, *k2, p2, k1, p2; repeat from * to last 5sts, k2, p1, k1, seam st

Keeping the pattern stitch correct, decrease for the ankle as follows:
K1, k2tog, continue in pattern to the last 4sts, ssk, k1, seam st

Keeping the pattern stitch correct, decrease in this manner on every 3rd row another 5 times You will have 51sts left including the seam stitch

Purl 1 round

Knit 1 round

Change to smaller needles and work 2″ of k1, p1 rib. Break the yarn.

From now on the gaiters will be knit flat.

Next work the back of the foot as follows:
Put the last 11sts of the round onto a double pointed needle. Put the first 10 stitches ont the beginning of the needle so you have a total of 21sts.

Keeping the rib and seam stitch correct, work back and forth on these stitches for one and 3/4 inches.
Put them onto a stitch holder.

With the top of the gaiter facing you, pick up and knit 12sts along the right hand side of the heel, work across the 30sts that form the top of the gaiter in rib, pick up and knit 12sts down the left hand side of the heel.

Place a marker after the 12th stitch on each end of the knitting.

The gussets will now be worked in garter stitch while the centre of the gaiter is continued in rib.

Next 2 rows: Knit to the marker, work 30sts in rib pattern, knit to the end.

3rd row: knit to within 2sts of the marker, k2tog, work the 30 rib stitches, ssk, knit to end.

Repeat these 3 rows until 32sts remain.

Next row: Keeping the rib pattern correct, work 2sts together at the beginning and end of the row. (30sts)

Continue in rib for a further inch, ending with a right side row.

Next row: Pick up and knit stitches down the side of the foot (about 2 sts for every 3 rows), work across the heel stitches, then pick up the same number of stitches up the other side of the foot.

Purl 4 rounds. Cast off.

Making up

Sew a piece of elastic or webbing to the sides of the foot, near the edge of the heel.