Ultimate Gloves

I love convertible mittens/fingerless gloves because of their excellent balance between warmth and freedom of movement.

ultimate_gloves/gloves-tmb.jpg

The ones I have suffer from a few minor but annoying problems.

I still had some balls of wool/acrylic/nylon from the first socks project, and used about 60 g (180 m), or a significant bit more than one ball to work a pair of gloves.

Pattern

I've used two sets of double-point needles of the same size: one to work and the other to keep some live stitches that were being added to the main work.

Measurements

ultimate_gloves/measurements-tmb.png

Prepare a gauge swatch and measure both horizontal and vertical gauge.

Measure the width of the hand, just below the finger (A).

Measure also the lenght of your fingers (B), the distance between the fingers and start of thumb (C), between start of thumb and wrist (D) and lenght of thumb (E)

Multiply A by your gauge, round to the nearest multiple of two; this is a, the basic circumference of the glove.

Multiply B, C, D and E by the vertical gauge to get b, c, d and e.

To get the basic finger circunference, f, divide (a+12) by 4 and round up.

Mitten

The mitten part is worked like the toes of a sock; I used the short rows method.

Divide a by 2, this is g. Multiply g by 0.4; if f is even round to the nearest even integer, otherwise to the nearest odd one; this is h.

Crochet cast on g stitches; purl to the end of the row; turn work.
Knit to the last stitch; wrap and turn.
Purl to the last stitch; wrap and turn.
Knit to the last unwrapped stitch; wrap and turn.
Purl to the last unwrapped stitch; wrap and turn.
Repeat the last two lines until you have h unwrapped stitches and you're ready to start a right side row.
Knit to the last unwrapped stitch, pick up wrap, knit wrapped stitch, wrap and turn.
Purl to the last unwrapped stitch, pick up wrap, purl wrapped stitch, wrap and turn.
Repeat the last two lines until you have one wrapped stitch per side.
Knit to the last unwrapped stitch, pick up wrap, knit wrapped stitch.

Pick up the g live stitches from the crochet chain and place them on two double-point needles, knit to the end of the two needles.

Pick up the last remaining wrap, knit the wrapped stitch, add a marker for the start of round and continue working in stockinette in the round for b - (g - h) + 4 rounds (i.e. the mitten should be as long as your fingers + 4 rows).

Bind off g stitches, put the remaining ones on a spare double-point needle.

Variant

Instead of binding off you can work these g stitches flat for 2-3 rows, either in stockinette or 2k2p ribbing, and then bind them off in pattern.

You will then have to sew the sides to the main body of the glove.

Thumb

ultimate_gloves/thumb-tmb.jpg

Crochet cast on (f+2)/2 stitches, join in the round.

Knit the next two rounds spreading enough increases so that by the end of them you have f+2 stitches.

Work in the round; after a few rows (e.g. 5) use a blunt needle to pass the tail through the live stitches from the crochet chain, pull tight, loop around the hole a couple times and sew in the remaining yarn.

Continue working until you have done e / 4 * 3 complete (f+2 stitches) rows.

Knit (f+2)/4 stitches, then create the thumb hole: pass the yarn to the front of the work; slip the first stitch to the right needle as if to knit; slip the next stitch to the right needle and then pass the first slipped stitch over the second, binding it off; continue until you have bound off f/2+1 stitches, slip the last stitch back to the left needle. At the edge where you started, cast on f/2+2 stitches using the twisted purlwise cast on. Slip the first regular stitch to the right needle, slip the last cast on stitch above it, return the regular stitch to the left needle. Continue knitting to the end of the round.

Knit e / 4 other rows, place the live stitches on two spare double-point needles.

Fingers

For the ring and middle finger cast on f stitches, join in the round and work for about 2 cm, cut yarn and place on two spare double-point needles, with the tails facing the same direction.

For the small finger, if a is divisible by four cast on f stitches, otherwise f - 2, work as other fingers, place on the same double-point needles as above, with the tail facing the ring finger.

Cast on f stitches for the index ring, work as above but don't cut tail.

Joining

Knit on one needle half of the index finger except two stitches; slip, knit, passover; knit together the first two stitches of the middle finger, knit the remaining first half of the middle finger except two stitches, slip, knit, passover; repeat for the ring finger; knit together the first two stitches of the small finger, knit half of the small finger. You should have divided your stitches on two needles, but not to change needle in the gap between two fingers.

Knit the other side: knit the remaining stitches of the small fingers except the last two, slip, knit, passover; knit two stitches of the ring finger together, knit the remaining except two, slip, knit, passover, repeat for middle finger, knit together the first two stitches of the index finger and knit to the end of the row.

Leave the tails free, and use them later to sew the small holes between fingers.

Add a mark for the start of round.

Knit in the round for 3 rounds.

Just for the left glove, knit g stitches.

Place the fingers inside the mitten, hold the needle from the mitten parallel to the left one from the fingers. Pick a stitch from the fingers, put it on the needle from the mitten, knit two stitches together; repeat until the mitten is joined to the main body.

Just for the right glove: knit g stitches.

Knit c - 5 rounds; slip, knit, passover the last two stitches and mark end of glove.

Attach thumb so that the thumb-hole is facing the other fingers; knit the first two stitches together, knit the other stitches of thumb except two, slip, knit, passover; knit first two stitches of glove together, mark restart of glove, knit to the end of the round.

Work the next e rows; every 2-3 rows knit together the last 2 stitches of glove, work thumb, slip, knit passover the first stitches of glove so that you arrive at the wrist with a - 2 stitches. A few rounds before the end you may want to decrease also near the small finger; knit together the third- and second-to-last stitches of the needle, knit the last stitch, knit the first stitch of the next needle, slip, knit, passover the second and third stitch of the needle.

Cuff

Work the cuff in 2k2p ribbing until it is long enought or you finish your yarn :) Bind off loosely in pattern.

Finishing

ultimate_gloves/button-tmb.jpg

Attach a button just above the cuff in the middle of the back; on the corresponding part of the mitten insert some yarn around a stitch, work a few crochet chain stitches with the yarn doubled, pass the ends to the inside of the mitt and fix them.

You could also work a buttonhole in the mitten, but it could let some cold enter when worn.

Send a comment: unless requested otherwise I may add it, or some extract, to this page.

Return to Top