How to Knit Fingerless Gloves

My neighbor is from the Lake District in England. She lived near the Scottish border not far from the sea. One Christmas, she presented me with a pair of crocheted hand warmers and let me know that they were a traditional gift. I was touched that she took the time from everything she had to do to make them for me. She made them without using a measuring tape. They fit perfectly. She used a method most crafters and sewers call “eyeballing,” or guessing. Once you master the skill, you can “guess” fairly accurately.

This article assumes the reader knows the basics of knitting. If you do not, there are many websites and books to learn from. If you have a friend, relative or neighborhood that knits, you may be able to take lessons in exchange for teaching him or her something you know how to do.

You will need:

• ·:

  KF&B-; Knit into the front and back of the stitch- this increases one stitch

  K- Knit

  P- Purl

  Step One:

  Measure around the wrist and hand; record the measurements.

  Measure the length of your hand from your wrist to your knuckles.

  Measure around your knuckles and around your hand’s width at the thumb knuckle.

  Measure around the hand at the base of your thumb as well.

  Step Two:

  Knit a swatch to get your gauge. Determine how many stitches per inch in the rows and how many rows per inch you have. That’s your gauge.

  You can easily change your gauge by using different weights of yarn, two or three strands of yarn, different size of needles or stitch patterns.

  This glove uses garter stitch, or knitting every row. You can use stockinette (P one row, K one row), or insert any stitch pattern. Keep in mind that some stitch patterns are narrow; you’ll need to adjust your pattern to ensure the fit.

  Step Three:

  This pattern uses two needles. You can use four needles and knit in the round if you know how. It does take a little practice.

  Cast on the number of stitches you will need to fit around your wrist.

  Row 1: K1, P1 across. If you end on a K stitch, begin row 2 with a P. If you end on a P stitch, begin with a K

  Row 2. See directions in row 1. P1, K1 or K1, P1 across.

  Follow the above directions and continue rows 1 and 2 for two to three inches.

  Periodically wrap your work around your hand and wrist to ensure the fit.

  Step Four:

  The pattern here will change. Each row, you will increase the number of stitches so your work will fit around your hand. Notice how your hand is shaped. One side of your hand is fairly straight; the other (thumb side) is shaped like a “V.” We’ll begin to shape the thumb.

  Here is where the gauge comes in handy. No matter what sized hand you are working on, frequently check to ensure the work will fit around the hand. If you are working from measurements only (as in the case of a gift), check with a measuring tape.

  It may sound obvious, but you will need fewer increases for a smaller hand than a larger one. This is one craft that does not bear the description, “one size fits all.”

  The Thumb:

  The following is given for a “regular” hand size. The number of stitches on the needles is a total of 40.

  Note: Here you keep your gauge and hand measurements in mind. First refer to your measurements. Increase enough stitches following the directions to fit the measurements. You will be increasing on one side of the work.

  Tip: It helps me to write down which side of my work the tail is on. I will give my self the note, “tail end” or “tail top.” The first means the row I’m starting with has the tail yarn near the end of the needle. The second means the tail is towards the tip of the needle. This also helps to identify the wrong side (WS) or right side (RS) of the work.

  You’ll be increasing the number of stitches on the back of the hand between the thumb and forefinger area.

  This work was inspired by Onix Terevinto’s design. I have changed the stitches to allow you more flexibility and design capability.

  Increase:

  Row 1: K18, KF&B;, K2, KF&B;, K18. You have increased two stitches this row

  Rows 2, 3, 4: Knit

  Row 5: K18, KF&B;, K4, KF&B;, K18.

  Rows 6, 7, 8: Knit

  Row 9: K18, KF&B;, K6, KF&B;, K18

  Rows 10, 11, 12: Knit

  Row 13: K18, KF&B;, K8, KF&B;, K18

  Rows 14, 15, 16: Knit

  Row 17: K18, KF&B;, K10, KF&B;, K18

  Row 18, 19: Knit

  Now we work the thumb:

  Rows 20, 21: Knit

  Row 22: K18 and place on holding needle. K14. K18 and place these on holding needle.

  The 14 stitches will wrap around the thumb. It pays to keep your measurements in mind here. That cannot be stressed enough; practice will be your best teacher.

  Rows 23, 24: Knit

  Rows 25, 26, 27, 28: K1, P1 across as you did for the wrist. If your last stitch ends in a Knit stitch, begin the row with a Purl stitch. Your work should be around the top knuckle of your thumb. Cast off loosely.

  Pick up the 18 stitches from the first holding needles and knit 3 rows. Work the ribbing as above for 4 rows. Cast off loosely.

  Do the same on the other holding needle. Your work should be level across your hand. You can place the stitches on holders instead of casting off so that you can return to your work and add or subtract rows to make the work even.
  For shorter hands like mine, I would leave out some of the extra rows between the thumb increases.

  Sew the seams together using your favorite method.

  Source: Onix Terevinto, “Fingerless Gloves,” All Free Knitting website, no date given

  Source: The author of this article has over 40 years of experience in diverse forms of DIY, home improvement and repair, crafting, designing, and building furniture, outdoor projects, RV’ing and more.

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