Wizard Warmers

Striped and cuffed, this set of armwarmers, legwarmers, and a neckwarmer is a men's version of the knitted Witch Warmers pattern. The armwarmers have French cuffs and easy-to-make cuff links. The buttoned neckwarmer opens with a wingtip effect at the top, and the legwarmers feature front and back extensions for a spats-look. They're fast and fun to make: no seaming or blocking.

U.S. knitting terms

Sizes
Neckwarmer: Men's X-Small (Small, Medium, Large)
Armwarmers: Men's one size
Legwarmers: Men's one size

Skill Level  Intermediate

Yarn  434 yds /397m
for complete set

Plymouth Encore DK wool blend
2 skeins #217 black: main color (MC)
1 skein #678 gray: contrast color (CC)
Photo shows discontinued Lion Brand Wool-Ease sportweight, #152 Oxford Gray and #153 Black.

Substitute Yarns: any wool, wool blend, or acrylic sportweight / DK yarn that knits to pattern gauge

Additional Materials
US 5 /3.75mm circ. needle, 40" /102cm cable
4 shank buttons, 3/4" /2cm for armwarmer
2 buttons, 1/2" /1.5cm for neckwarmer
1 large-eyed needle, size 18

Gauge 20 st x 17 rows = 2.75" x 2.75" /7cm x 7cm in K1P1 rib (unstretched flat swatch)

3 Schematic Diagrams: Armwarmer, Legwarmer, Neckwarmer

The Wizard Warmers pattern is available for purchase as a download here and on Ravelry. $3.00 USD



I owe a debt of gratitude to the brilliant Swedish knitter and crocheter, Absinthia, who improved the buttonhole on this pattern.

You can find tips and variations for this pattern in the following posts:
Add a Necktie!
Slytherin Neckwarmer
Swatch Wars
I Love Cable Cast-On
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
Black Attack: Working with Dark Yarn
Magic Loop Rocks!
Straightening and Joining in the Round
Preventing Ladders
Preventing Uneven Ribs and Moss
Adding a Color in the Round
Quick and Dirty Striping in the Round
Exquisite Striping in the Round

I'd Open a Vein for You Armwarmers

I love these! The left armwarmer is black... the right arm has the red embroidery, or vice versa if you prefer. Here's how to do it, working from the Witch Warmers pattern.

1. Knit 2 solid black armwarmers using the pattern, but make them evening length. To do this, work extra stockinette rounds at the end of the increase section, to desired length minus 1/2 inch. I stopped at 13" measured without the ruffle. Then continue to the ribbed top section in the pattern.

Right Arm Embroidery

2. Thread a yarn needle with a 6-foot length of sportweight red yarn. Tie a big slip knot in one end.

3. Find the knitted triangle in the ruffle, which leads straight up to the point where the armwarmer increases start. That's the triangle the heart goes on.

4. Using the outline stitch, embroider a heart outline on the ruffle triangle, starting at the bottom point of the heart and working all the way around back to the same point.

5. Still using the outline stitch, embroider a line going up the armwarmer, through the middle of the increase section and stopping just before the ribbed top of the armwarmer. You can make the line look more like dripping blood by shifting to the right or left by one stitch once or twice. Keeping the line perfectly straight gives a nice stocking-seam look.

6. Make an extra straight stitch on each side of the final outline stitch to create a chicken-foot effect.

7. Cut another length of red yarn, this time 3 feet long. Thread it into the yarn needle, and fill in the heart outline with satin stitch.

8. Bring all yarn ends to the inside of the armwarmer, tie off, and work in.

To Wear - line up the heart with your thumb, to show off the embroidery.

You can find more variations for Witch Warmers here:
Yule Warmers
Short Witch Warmers

Yule Warmers

This is a wide-striped variation on the Witch Warmers pattern (knit version). It uses a variegated yarn for 2 stripes, coupled with a coordinating solid. The yarns are both Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn" in sportweight: Dark Olive and Autumn Multi. *

Here's how to make them from the pattern:

1. Make a gauge swatch. This yarn knitted up smaller than the sportweight yarn used in the pattern. I had to make a size larger to get a size x-small. I decided not to use larger needles to get gauge, because the stitches would come out loose enough to not be so warm anymore.

2. Follow the notes for the short-version wristwarmers.

3. Knit the ruffle and the first 2 stripes of the pattern in Dark Olive, or your solid main color.

4. Alternate the remaining wrist stripes this way: 2 stripes all variegated, then 2 stripes all solid color, 2 more stripes variegated.

5. Skip to the top section and work all in solid color.

You can find more variations for Witch Warmers here:
Evening Length: I'd Open a Vein for You Armwarmers
Short Witch Warmers



* Photos feature my newly married daughter's beautiful harpist-hands.

Elf Warmers

Short and cute, these wristwarmers make a fast crochet project... great for stash-busting too. The instructions for making them are included in the Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern. Just use the short version notes in italics. You can make short anklewarmers, too, and a matching neckwarmer to complete the look.

If you prefer, you can knit these using the original Witch Warmers pattern, designed for knitters.

The yarn for this project was I Love This Yarn Sportweight by Hobby Lobby. It's 100% acrylic, inexpensive, and it has a lovely, soft feel when working with it and wearing it. In order to make this project, I broke down and bought acrylic to save money, and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. Since these wristwarmers were a holiday project, I don't expect to be washing and drying them a lot, so they will probably continue to look good for a long time.

You can find another variation for Witch Warmers in Crochet here:
Evening-Length Winter Warmers

Witch Warmers in Crochet

Witchy-striped, ruffled armwarmers, legwarmers, and a neckwarmer are crocheted with sportweight yarn and fitted for a feminine look. This is a crochet re-design of my knit pattern, Witch Warmers. Fast and fun to make: no seaming or blocking. These warmers are great for Halloween, and they can be made in other holiday, piratey, or school colors… or to complement your everyday witch wear.

The legwarmers are kneesock-length and can be made in a short sock length. The armwarmers cover most of the forearm and can be made in a short wristwarmer length.

An innovative ruffling technique is included, which produces a uniform ruffle that keeps its shape. In addition, a smooth striping method is provided for sharp-edged, toothless stripes that are practically jogless.

U.S. crochet terms

Sizes Women’s X-Small (Small, Medium, Large)
Size X-Small is shown in photos.

Skill Level Intermediate

Yarn 600-700 yds /550-650m for complete set

Plymouth Encore DK wool blend
3 skeins #217 black: main color (MC)
3 skeins #1317 turquoise: contrast color (CC)
Photo shows discontinued Lion Brand Wool-Ease sportweight, #130 Green Heather. Pattern includes specific yarn amounts for the neckwarmer, armwarmers, and legwarmers as well as for the full set in all sizes.

Substitute Yarns: any wool, wool blend, or acrylic sportweight / DK yarn that crochets to pattern gauge

Gauge 16 sts x 14 rows = 4”/10cm x 4”/10cm flat swatch, single crochet in front loop only.

3 Schematic Diagrams: Armwarmer, Legwarmer, Neckwarmer

You can find crochet tips and variations for this pattern in the following posts:
Evening-Length Winter Warmers
Short Version: Wristwarmers
Peppermint Warmers: Uneven Stripes
Fingering Weight Vartiation: Halloween Treat-Warmers
Smooth Chain Finish
Forming a Base Chain Circle
Avoiding Stiff Crochet
Swatch Wars
Pumpkin Warmers

The Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern is available for purchase as a download here and on Ravelry. $3.00 USD



I owe a debt of gratitude to the talented Swedish crocheter, Absinthia, who figured out how to make the stripes jogless for these warmers.

Many thanks also to Erssie Major, a most-admired pattern designer and contributor to well-known knit magazines and websites, who provided a bang-up tech edit for this pattern, and made it way, way, way, way better!

Witchy Tube Top

This witchy-striped tube top is easy to knit: no seaming, grafting, or blocking. It’s great for Halloween, and it can be made in other holiday, piratey, or school colors. The tube top was designed to go with my pattern, Witch Warmers, which includes striped armwarmers, legwarmers, and a neckwarmer.

Materials
US 4/3.5 mm circular needle with 30” - 40” / 76.5-102cm cable
yarn needle
54" / 138cm narrow 1/8" or 3mm satin ribbon

Yarn
approx. 400 yds / 370 meters sportweight wool or wool-blend. The pictures show Wool-Ease Sportweight, which has been discontinued. Plymouth Encore DK is a fine substitute.

Gauge
20 st x 16 rows = 2.5" x 2.5" / 6.5cm x 6.5cm (flat swatch) in K1P1 rib

Difficulty: easy

For a free .pdf of this pattern click here:

download now

For knitting tips that will help with this pattern, see:
Preventing Uneven Ribs
Big Magic Loop
Swatch Wars
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
Black Attack: Working with Dark Yarn
Adding a Color in the Round
Preventing Ladders
Quick and Dirty Striping
Exquisite Striping
Closing the Bind-Off Gap

Shown with Witch Warmers.

Sneak Peek... Witchy Tube Top

I've just finished a new pattern for Halloween, which will be offered here and on Ravelry after it's been tested. It is a striped, ribbed tube top, designed to go with the Witch Warmers pattern (armwarmers, legwarmers, and a neckwarmer).

If you'd like to be a tester, please let me know and I'll email you the pattern for free. It's an easy project, and it takes about 400 yds / 370 meters of sportweight yarn. I used Wool-Ease sportweight, but I checked the gauge on Plymouth Encore DK, which is a fine substitute.


For knitting tips that will help with this pattern, see
Preventing Uneven Ribs
Big Magic Loop
Swatch Wars
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
Black Attack: Working with Dark Yarn
Adding a Color in the Round
Preventing Ladders
Quick and Dirty Striping
Exquisite Striping
Closing the Bind-Off Gap

Short Witch Warmers

Short and sweet, these wristwarmers and anklewarmers are super fast to knit... great for stash-busting too. Basically, you just knit up to the top of the straight stockinette section in the pattern, and finish off with 2 stripes of ribbing.

You can find more variations for Witch Warmers here:
Evening Length: I'd Open a Vein for You Armwarmers
Yule Warmers

Witch Warmers

Witchy-striped, ruffled armwarmers, legwarmers, and a neckwarmer are knitted in the round and fitted for a feminine look. Fast and fun to knit: no seaming or blocking. These warmers are great for Halloween, and they can be made in other holiday, piratey, or school colors… or to complement your everyday witch wear.

The legwarmers are kneesock-length and can be made in a short sock length, if desired. The armwarmers cover most of the forearm and can be made in a short wristwarmer or gauntlet length. Another variation would be evening length, going past the elbow.

Materials: uses US 4/3.5 mm circular needles with 30” - 40” cable; larger size needles are recommended for neckwarmer bindoff; you’ll need 2 stitch markers.

Yarn: the pictures show Wool-Ease Sportweight, which has been discontinued. Plymouth Encore DK was swatched and tested with this pattern (see picture below), and it works fine.

Gauge: 20 st x 26 rows = 4" x 4" (flat swatch) in stockinette

Difficulty: medium

3 Schematic Diagrams: Armwarmer, Legwarmer, Neckwarmer

The Witch Warmers pattern is available for purchase as a download here and on Ravelry. $3.00 USD



You can find knitting tips and variations on this pattern in the following posts:
Evening Length: I'd Open a Vein for You Armwarmers
Yule Warmers
Halloween Legwarmers
Fingering Weight Variation: Halloween Treat-Warmers
Preventing Uneven Ribs
Big Magic Loop
Closing the Bind-Off Gap
Preventing Ladders
Exquisite Striping in the Round
Quick and Dirty Striping
Adding a Color in the Round
Straightening and Joining in the Round
Magic Loop Rocks!
Short Witch Warmers
Black Attack: Working with Dark Yarn
Cast-Ons: Keeping Count
I Love Cable Cast-On
Swatch Wars