There are two spinning techniques of art yarn in this tutorial: Twisted & Lockspun (Tailspun).
NEEDLES: Size 15, 16 inch circular needles
YARNS I USED:
Yarn A: 15 yards of super bulky grey alpaca yarn from Pam Blasko of Pam's Fiber on ETSY (https://www.etsy.com/shop/pamsfiber)
Yarn B: 15 yards of handspun white yarn from Robyn Story of Yarns and Storys on ETSY (https://www.etsy.com/shop/yarnsandstorys) - a bulky single ply yarn that coordinates with your art yarns will do, you will see this yarn above the boot.
Yarn C: 30 yards of "Roots" style handspun yarn by Amber Churchill of Designs by Amber (https://www.etsy.com/shop/designsbyamber) - or learn to spin your own see tutorial link above.
Yarn D: 20 yards of "Tailspun" style handspun yarn - you can use 10 additional yards of "Roots" style yarn instead of Tailspun if you don't have access to Tailspun. Tailspun yarn can be found by many spinners on ETSY (http://www.etsy.com) or you can spin your own using the link above.
GAUGE: About 2 stitches an inch, although this may vary depending on the yarn you're using so I've included all dimensions within the pattern so you can adjust accordingly.
THE PATTERN:
- Cast on 24 stitches (12 inches) on size 15 16" circular needles. To make sure your boot toppers are a perfect fit, measure the widest part around your calf and then cast on one inch less than that amount. My calf measures 13 inches around, so I cast on 12 inches of stitches).
- Yarn A Knit 10 rows (3 inches). This is the part of the boot topper that will be tucked into your boot. If you are from a very cold climate, feel free to knit a longer cuff to tuck into your boot for added warmth - keeping in mind you'll need more yardage than the pattern originally calls for.
- Yarn D or Yarn C knit 1 row, leaving the tails or twists to hang on the outside of the cuff
- Yarn A knit 1 row
- Yarn B knit 3 rows
- Yarn C or Yarn D knit 1 row, leaving the tails or twists to hang on the outside of the cuff
- Yarn B knit 1 row
- Yarn C or Yarn D knit 2 rows leaving the tails or twists to hang on the outside of the cuff. Continue knitting rotating rows of Yarn B and Yarn C or Yarn D until piece reaches 5 inches long (longer is fine too!)
- Yarn B knit 4 rows (1 inch) and bind off. Option: Knit 2 Pearl 2 (if you cast on an even number of stitches) for a stretchy fitted edge.