Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
             DesigningVashti logo with lacy snowflakes banner
Boot Cuffs: Trendy, Useful, & Quick
Special alert crochet project! See the spiking blue line, below? Googling for crochet boot cuffs is way up.
Full Google Trends chart is at my DesigningVashti shop blog.Yep, boooot cuffffs. This is specifically a crochet trend. Along with boot toppers (yellow line), a breakout* number of Google searches are specifically for crocheted boot cuffs! (The red line is knit boot cuffs.) This is a cropped Google Trends map. See the full size one here.  *relative to the past 8 years or so.

Just Use a Pattern & Yarn You Already Have!

That’s what I did with all the boot cuffs shown in this issue. I used my existing patterns for scarves, cowls, and even a coffee cozy. Sometimes I changed almost nothing about the pattern to make the boot cuffs.

Take a scarf you never finished and seam it into a tube. Slip it onto your leg before you put your boot on. Try folding it over the top of the boot. Too loose? Add a drawstring to the top of it and scrunch it down like leg warmers. Try it on the outside of the boot; weave ties through the middle section of it and cinch it tight around the boot for a boot “wrapper.” I did that with Starspats at right.

Too thick? Wear on the outside of the boot; see Bootlegged Eva at right. Too thin? I like to scrunch those. I made the Boot Orbits (at right) longer so that I can scrunch them even more than they are in the photo. I'm going to add suede lacing to control the folds. Or, double layer them (This looked cool with Undaria but I forgot to get a photo).

Let's Talk Finished Dimensions

Lucky Twists Boot Cuffs in progressAt the very least, a simple boot cuff needs to be 4” {10 cm} long: enough to show over the edge of the boot, and give a true impression of being much longer. My personal minimum is 6" {15 cm}. I like the option of folding it over the boot top.

I love having slip stitch ribbing at one edge, as shown at left above.

To scrunch it or use as a leg warmer, make it much longer, at least 12". You could pull it up over the knees or slouch it down over the ankles, and even the boot heels. It also needs to fit looser around the leg than a sock would, if you want to scrunch it.

More to Boot Cuffs Than I Expected 

1. I thought boot cuffs were only for cuffing boots. It turns out they can make other kinds of shoes appear to be boots. These are clogs. Now I wear any socks I wish with the clogs under these ankle warmers.

2. I thought you had to be careful not to make boot cuffs too thick. It's not a big deal, unlike the thick boot socks I used to avoid wearing up north.  I suspect boot cuffs are inspired by thick boot socks, but without the bulk of the sock part. Like boot socks, boot cuffs fill in the gap between the boot tops and legs. 

3. I thought they had to be really stretchy, or else they don't stay up. Again, just not a big deal.

4. They're surprisingly practical. I thought they were a limited and frivolous sort of thing. You know, just for looks—they look warm but aren't. In reality, they're versatile and practical. Their uses (and patterns) overlap greatly with legwarmers, spats, and boot socks. When I've thought other people were wearing long leg warmers or thick socks, they might have been wearing boot cuffs!


That's it for #66! If you know someone who would enjoy this kind of newsletter, please forward this to them so that they can subscribe. (Click here to subscribe: http://eepurl.com/XwQk ) If you have any comments or suggestions, please email me. Thanks!      --Vashti         Helpful links:
Happy Hanukkah & Midwinter/Yule!
Click here to take 14% off (it's the end of 2014!) your total purchase until Dec. 26. (Always free shipping in the USA.)

Try the improved credit card payment option I added to the site.
Drafty Boots No More!
Lucky Twists Boot Cuff: pattern being tested now!
Lucky Twists Boot Cuff: pattern is being tested now. Goes with the new Lucky Twist Mitts pattern. (Basically I repeated the cable rows over and over.)

Slip Slope FREE patterns: Boot Cuffs, Scarf
Slip Slope Boot Cuffs (NEW FREE pattern) based on the scarf pattern.

Starlooper Bootwrap & Cowl/ScarfI used the Starlooper Cowl/Scarf pattern to make steampunk-style Starspats. (I followed the pattern except used an H/5 mm hook and chained 26.) See more stylings in my boot cuffs-o-rama photo set.

Eva's Ribs FREE scarf pattern as Bootlegs
This is Eva's Ribs Scarf as Bootlegged Eva. I used bulky yarn and an M/9 mm hook. Chained 52, did 28 ribs (i.e. 56 rows), following the FREE Eva scarf pattern. A few more ribs would be roomier over tall boots.

Orbit Cowl
I love my Boot Orbits based on the Orbit Cowl pattern: 39 foundation stitches, then 54 stitches in the spiraling rounds.

Alpine Coffee Cozy pattern
Here's the Alpine Coffee Cozy as Alpine Boot Cozy. (Same yarn and hook; 30 foundation stitches and 9 rounds before edging.) See sage green colored pair also.
 
DesigningVashti News
Slip Slope Boot Topper FREE patternNEW FREE boot cuff pattern for warm, last minute gifts: Download the free Boot Sloper in Ravelry. It's shown here cozying up, spat-style, over ankle boots.

More new patterns are being tested right now. Some, like Bam-Bam Bangle, are odd little gift ideas from my archives. See this blog post: "Simple Pleasures Crochet Bling Bangles" and the post right before it. 

Did you vote for the final Flamies crochet award nominees?
 
Links I Enjoyed This Week:
Brittany's Crochet Wave Stitch at her b.hooked blog.
Like Crochet Inspirations Newsletter #66: Hot Trend: Boot Cuffs! on Facebook
You received this email because you opted in at my DesigningVashti website.

Forward this email to a friend!  -:---:-  Subscribe to this free newsletter.

Update your profile or Unsubscribe <<Email Address>> from this list.
 
Vashti Braha is a professional crochet designer & teacher who resides in Florida (USA) and owns www.DesigningVashti.com.

Our mailing address is:
DesigningVashti Crochet
680 Fox Street
Longboat Key, Florida 34228

Add us to your address book

Copyright (C) 2014 DesigningVashti Crochet All rights reserved.
 
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp