My gloves!
Well, I have learned to knit mittens and socks! It is so gratifying to knit something so practical! I found this pattern on-line , and I really liked the looks of it. (Here’s the link, if you want to check out the original.)(http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html
But, true to form, I just had to tweak it after making the first one. I found that way of doing the thumb to be very cumbersome, and it pulled the glove in such a way so it distorted the lovely cables. So I used a different thumb technique. I also added an extra twist at the top to give it a full twist and to add a wee bit more length. I rearranged the picot bind-off row so that the little picot bumps are always above the purl ridges. I also used a gorgeous yarn- Chunky Al…50/50 merino/alpaca. Super soft and toasty warm! A delight just to run through your fingers as you work it! (Hannah loves to pet the ball of yarn like a kitty!)
ANYHOW… here’s MY version of this cute fingerless glove! If you give my version a whirl, let me know how it goes…I’ve never "published" any tweaked patterns before….and it’s easy for me to know what I did- but getting the idea across to others is a bit different!
And now… pray for me…I’m off to teach myself to do sweaters!
Materials:
1 ball Chunky Al wool yarn, by Elsebeth Lavold.($7.00)
1 set of size 6 Double-pointed needles.
1 size 7 or 8 knitting needle for binding off if you tend to bind off tightly.
1 small cable holder
1 small stitch holder (for holding thumb stitches)
1 Small stitch counter.
2 small stitch markers.
1 yarn needle for weaving in yarn ends.
Crochet hook for rescuing dropped stitches!
Gauge: 21 stitches/30 rows = 4 inches
Special stitch instruction: M1 increase: pick up the loop of the stitch under the next stitch on left needle (insert as to knit). Place it on the left needle and then knit it. (Be careful not to pull that next stitch off the needle as you do!) Knit the next stitch.) A nice increase without that annoying little "bump" or hole will be the result.
Instructions: Left Glove:
1.Using the cable-cast-on technique, cast on 45 stitches. Divide between the 3 needles (15 per needle) (This cast-on method is stretchier, and conserves your expensive lovely yarn!) Join.
2. Rows 1-4 : [K4,P1] ribbing around.
3. Row 5. Work cable round as follows: [Slip first 2 knit stitches to cable holder. Hold this to the back of the work. K2. Replace stitches from holder to left needle and knit them. P1 ]. Work this pattern around.
4. Row 6-10: Work 5 rows of the ribbing.
5. Repeat #3 and #4 two times, then one more cable row- for a total of 3 cable twists.
6. Reset your row counter to zero. Now work 8 rows of the ribbing pattern.
7. Row 9: Begin thumb gusset as follows:
a. K1. place marker. K2. place marker.K1. P1. Then continue ribbing around the rest of the stitches.
b. next row: begin increasing: refer to special stitch instructions at top. [K1. M1.K2. M1. K1. P1.] Do ribbing around the rest of the needles.
c. next row: rib around..be careful when knitting those M1 stitches that you don’t pull off the second stitch! (voice of experience…hence the crochet hook….)
d. continue the M1 increase pattern of b and c, placing the increases in the first and last stitches between markers. You’ll see the pattern! Do this until there are 12 stitches between markers. (14 if you have a pudgy thumb!) End at row 23 (I think. I forgot to write that one down….)
e. Row 24? Rib around.
f. Row 25? M1 in the first stitch before the first marker. Remove marker. Slip next stitch to right needle without knitting it. Place all but the stitch before 2nd marker on the stitch holder.Return slipped stitch to left needle. Knit these 2 stitches together. Continue ribbing around.
8. Starting at next row (26?), work 2 cable twists as in the cuff..to the back, and with 5 rows in between. End with the second twist row.
9. Next 2 rows: rib around.
10: Really cool picot bind-off: [Bind off rather loosely the first 4 knit stitches. (Stop before the purl stitch.) Slip stitch from right to left needles. With cable cast on, Cast on 1 stitch back to left needle. Carefully bind off up to the Purl stitch. Bind off that purl stitch as to purl] A little "bump" should appear just above that purled line. Repeat between the brackets around. Break yarn (leave at least 3") and pull yarn through last stitch.
11. Finish thumb: Place stitches from holder onto needles. (About 4 per needle) Join yarn at crook of thumb. (Leave a good tail!)Pick up one stitch and place on left needle. K these 5 stitches. K around the other 2 needles. Pick up one stitch and place on right needle. (It will get knitted next time around.)
12. K 4 more rows.
13. Bind off loosely. (Mine is a wee bit tight, making my thumb squirm a bit! Use a larger needle for the bind-off if you need too! It’ s worth the bother!)
Right mitten: Do as for the left, but hold the cable needle to the FRONT instead of the back. It will twist nicely in the other direction.
