Gaiters are the forerunner to the leg warmers that we know today. They are designed to be worn in the same way as leg warmers with a shaped bottom that fits over the top of boots or shoes. Although the photo looks as if the bottom is sewn shut as if it were a sock, it is not.

The pattern includes the original version and a modern version that has been totally rewritten and test knit.

This is a vintage pattern from Cornelia Mee’s 1846 book, Exercises in Knitting. The entire book can be viewed on the Gutenberg.org website. The book is a project being recorded and knitted by volunteers at the Librivox site.