What A Feeling!

A lot of us who came of age in the ‘80’s, know intellectually that the fashions were bad. Still, we hold certain articles of clothing from that era dear. Which is why legwarmers excite me. You know, I’m a maniac, maniac on the floor! And I’m dancing like I never did before!

Okay, so I was never much of a dancer. But for some reason, I have this thing for legwarmers. A few years back, someone gifted me the book Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. I instantly fell for the mouthwatering periwinkle legwarmers on the back jacket, made from Cascade and mohair ribbed k1,p1 in the round. Instead of making a pair for myself, though, I got it in my head that it would be funny to make a pair for my at-the-time man.



I even scored these really short circular needles so I didn’t have to use DPs. Oh these circulars are SO CUTE. If they’d been a hair shorter, working with them would have meant instant carpal tunnel. But it turned out they were perfect for the job.

People asked, "What are you working on?”

“Legwarmers,” I’d say, then add, “for my man.” And if he were nearby, I’d gesture toward him so folks could clearly see that he was not then, nor probably ever, a dancer with legs in need of warming.

And still, the response I’d get was always the same. “Aren’t they going to be too small?” No one ever questioned that I was knitting him legwarmers—as if that part were perfectly normal—they only wondered if I’d measured right.

When we broke up, he got the legwarmers. Still, I never forgot the pattern and vowed to make myself a pair one day. Finally, I did. They are at once utterly ridiculous and stunningly beautiful. Ever so obviously not a dancer, I look like a fool when I wear them. A very warm, very self-satisfied fool. And I cannot WAIT to go hiking in Monhegan with my usually always-chilly gams snugly ensconced.