Spring Fling Fingerless Gloves

Spring Fling Fingerless Gloves

As you may be able to tell, I really struggled to come up with a good name for these gloves (the stitch I used, Russian Stitch, just didn't have much of a ring, or seem appropriate given the final product). I also struggled with finding the exact right way to deploy the yarn I had left over from the Little Arrowhead Fingerless Gloves, and ripped these bad boys out a couple of times before I was satisfied. Of course, the good news is that I am, indeed, satisfied with the finished product, which is a short, spring-weight fingerless glove that relies on a little bit of texture and a little bit of color for oomph. In general, I would also say that these fit a little on the large side, and if you've got super-petite hands, you're welcome to hit me up for revised pattern instructions. If your hands are small and above, however, I think one of the sizes below should work (I'm a women's small in most glove-like things, and the smaller size fits me fine).

Thumb and stuff.

Sizes: smaller (for a hand roughly 7 1/2" - 8" in circumference at the base of the thumb) and larger (for a hand roughly 8 1/2" - 9" in circumference at the base of the thumb) - directions for larger size will follow those for the smaller size in parentheses

Yarn: Schoeller + Stahl Baby Micro (51% Virgin Wool, 49% Acrylic; 106 yards [97.5 meters]/25 grams); #05 Lilac - one skein (color A) & #04 Light Blue - one skein (color B)

Needles: One set of double-pointed needles (dpns) in size 3, one set of dpns in size 2

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 26 stitches = 4 inches 

Using your size 2 dpns and your color A yarn, cast on 55 stitches loosely (65 stitches) and distribute among your dpns as follows: 20 stitches on your first needle, 15 stitches on your second needle, and 20 stitches on your third needle (for the larger size: 20 stitches on your first needle, 25 stitches on your second needle, and 20 stitches on your third needle). Join in round, and knit 4 rows in the following ribbing row:

Ribbing row: * (k1, p1) twice, k1; rep from *

Then, switch to your size three needles, and knit two rows around. And now, we'll begin the pattern, which begins with a variation on Russian Stitch from page 62 of Barbara G. Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. For both sizes, then, proceed as follows:

Rows 1 & 2: using color B, * k4, slip 1; rep from *

Row 3: using color A, * slip 1, k4 *

Row 4: using color A, * slip 1, p3, k1 *

Rows 5 & 6: using color B, repeat rows 1 & 2

Row 7: using color A, * k3, slip 1, k1 *

Row 8: using color A, * p3, slip 1, k1 *

Knit rows 1 - 8 twice, and then knit rows 1 - 7 one more time. Now, we'll begin gusseting in the thumb. So first, knit this set-up row, which also serves as row 8 of your third repeat of the pattern:

Set-up Row: using color A, m1r, and then * p3, slip 1, k1 * until the end of the round

And then we'll proceed as follows:

Row 1: using color B, knit until you have 21 stitches left on your first needle, slip 1, and then (k4, slip 1) eleven times (thirteen times for bigger size); knit until the end of the row (note: on your first repeat of this row, you will not have any extra stitches, so neither the "knit until you have 21 stitches left" or the "knit until the end of the row" will come into play, although it will the next time you come across this row; similarly, you won't be knitting at all before you make your first gusset stitch the first time you knit row 2, and you won't be knitting at all after you make your second gusset stitch on your first repetition of this row either)

Row 2: using color B, knit until you have 21 stitches left on your first needle, m1r, slip 1, and then (k4, slip 1) eleven times (thirteen times for bigger size); m1l, and knit until the end of the row

Row 3: using color A, knit until you have 20 stitches left on your first needle, (slip 1, k4) eleven times (thirteen times for bigger size); knit until the end of the row

Row 4: using color A, knit until you have 21 stitches left on your first needle, m1r, k1, and then (slip 1, p3, k1) eleven times (thirteen times for bigger size); m1l, and knit until the end of the row

Rows 5 & 6: using color B, repeat rows 1 & 2

Row 7: using color A, knit until you have 20 stitches left on your first needle, (k3, slip 1, k1) eleven times (thirteen times for bigger size); knit until the end of the row

Row 8: using color A, knit until you have 21 stitches left on your first needle, m1r, k1, and then (p3, slip 1, k1) eleven times (thirteen times for bigger size); m1l, and knit until the end of the row

Knit rows 1 - 8 twice through, and then knit rows 1 - 2 one more time, omitting the final m1r and m1l for the smaller size. Clip the tail for your color B yarn, since you're done with it. Then, using color A (obviously), knit across first 9 stitches on your first needle (10 stitches for the larger size) and transfer these stitches, plus the final 8 (9) from your third needle to a scrap of yarn, to hold for thumb. And now, knit around, rejoining glove in the round when you reach the thumb break. Knit 12 - 15 rows around in total (depending on how long you want them - I knit 12), and then return to your ribbing row, as follows:

Ribbing row: * (k1, p1) twice, k1; rep from *

Knit ribbing row 4 times and then bind off loosely in pattern. And finally, using your size 3 dpns, pick up your thumb stitches again, taking care not to put a seam where the break in the stitches occurs (where you rejoined your glove in the round after removing the thumb stitches from your dpns). Using color A, knit around, picking up two extra stitches at the break, and completing 4 knit rows in total. Switch to your size 2 needles and knit two more rows around. Bind off loosely, and tuck in ends. Make a second glove, if you're in the mood.