Chunky Wristwarmers #3

Design: Chunky Wristwarmers

Designer: Me

Yarn: James C Brett Marble Chunky

Fibre: 100% acrylic

Colour: Mallard Mix (MC6)

Needles: 5mm

I rustled these up with the leftovers from the scarf - are you bored of seeing this design yet? LOL These are my least favourite of the three pairs I've made so far, I think they look a little too restrained! :o)

Chunky Wristwarmers #2

 

Design: Chunky Wristwarmers

Designer: me, such as they are 'designed'

Yarn: King Cole Magnum Chunky

Fibre: 75% acrylic, 25% wool

Colour: Amber (317)

Needles: 6mm

I've decided I have a new 'go-to' pattern for fingerless mitts. It's basically knit a rectangle in garter stitch, seam where appropriate, darn in the ends and then flutter my hands and wait for the admiring comments...which I get in bucketfuls. And more than when I wear my nicely cabled mitts with a proper thumb ...ahem.

I'm lucky that in the UK, it rarely gets cold enough to need more than these. If the daytime temperature here goes below -2 deg. C, it's about as cold as it gets in an English city - I've been on the hills and been colder, a lot colder, but then I wear the proper gear, 'k?

Another bargainous yarn from The Wool Baa - something like £2.00 a ball, and I used less than 2 balls to make these and the beret in the next post. The wool in the blend makes them feel great, lightweight and warm and the acrylic means they'll go in the washing machine. What's not to like? If any of you say 'the colour' I'll be over to try and convert you to the joys of orange !

Chunky Wristwarmers

Design: Chunky Wristwarmers

Designers: Can't remember where I got the idea from - not that there's a design as such!

Yarn: Fontana (from Lidl Supermarket)

Fibre: 100% acrylic

Needles: 6mm

These match the scarf in the previous post. They are basically a rectangle of garter stitch, seamed so that the ridges run vertically and with a gap left in the seam for the thumb. They could not be simpler, and so I make a pair in about an hour. They don't look anything much when not worn, hence the rather odd hand modelling going on...

I was wearing them to class a couple of weeks ago, and my Literature tutor admired them. So did one of my classmates when she borrowed them as she couldn't get her hands warm - these did the trick and I nearly lost them! My tutor asked for the instructions and by the class the following week, she'd already made three pairs! My tutor for this class is great - she's pretty creative herself, she was showing me some needlefelted jewellry she'd made with combings from her Shih Tzu!

Cable Fingerless Mitts

Design: Cable Fingerless Mitts
Designer: Me! It's a free pattern too...
Yarn: James C Brett Marble Chunky
Needles: 4.5mm

This third pair of fingerless mitts was made for the Hermit, to go with his stupendously long scarf. This was the last incarnation of the pattern, and the one I was most happy with, so I wrote it up and offered it as a freebie here.

Double Cable Mitts

Design: Double Cable Mitts
Designer: based on a pattern found on Ravelry, but I amended it
Yarn: James C Brett Marble Chunky
Needles: 4.5mm (I think)

I knitted these mitts as a gift for my B-i-L at Christmas - this was one of three pairs knitted as a variation on a theme for the men in my life. I've raved about Marble Chunky before and although time has shown it has acrylic's tendency to pill a little, I like it for quick, cheap to make knits that don't look cheap and nasty. Yes, okay, I admit - I'm a yarn snob. Horrible shiny acrylic just doesn't do it for me, I don't think it ever did, but I am getting worse - sucked into the natural fibres section ...

Triple Cable Mitts

Design: Based on Delovely Mitts, see text for alterations.
Yarn: James Brett Marble Chunky, 100% acrylic
Needles: 4mm DPN

I made these mitts for my Dad for Christmas. In total, I made three pairs of similar sized mitts out of one 200g ball of yarn, and I still have some leftover - excellent value!

The yarn is 100% acrylic, but it is the nicest, softest acrylic I've ever used. It's very popular in my SnB group, as it's so nice to work with, easily available at the independent department store in town, and above all - it's cheap! £3.49 for a massive ball, which means that each of the pair of mitts I made cost less than a quid to make - you can't buy them for that!

I amended the pattern to make the mitts longer in the wrist(12 rows total) and in the hand (5 pattern rows) and also added some rib (2 rows) at the finger ends. The thumb had 5 knit rows and 2 of rib. Even so, they took less than two evenings to make, as they do knit quickly, especially once I got the hang of the cabling.

I knit three left mitts first, then went back and knit all the right mitts in order to save yarn and to make the colour variations as close as possible on each pair. I'm horribly pedantic at times...

Cable Gloves - Free Pattern Here :o)

Design: Chunky Cabled Fingerless Mitts:
Pattern: Available below, I adapted it from a number of sources
Yarn: Stylecraft Life Chunky, in cream
Needles: 4mm double pointed

These were a Christmas gift to my sister. I had originally planned to make her some plain mitts with a different yarn I'd picked up, to go with her new red coat, but on knitting, I decided they really weren't her style, and went with something a little more classic.

I had to work with a number of patterns, as none were exactly right - many 'handwarmer' patterns seem to me to be very short in the wrist and/or the palm, or some were too big - a family trait for the entire family, whether blood or married in, are small hands. So, I came up with this pattern and I've made myself a pair too, in a different yarn, as well as the plain version.

Edited to add: If you feel so inclined, a donation to the MS Trust for this pattern would be appreciated. Pennies will do - and you can make payment via the link in my sidebar or by clicking here.

Chunky Cabled Fingerless Mitts

You will need:

• about 60/70g of chunky yarn - I've used the James Brett Marble Chunky and Stylecraft Chunky with good results
• 4 double pointed needles - I use 4mm BUT I do knit loosely, and I have small hands. I would suggest 4.5mm or 5mm (the pattern I have adapted these from used US Size 8, which are equivalent to 5mm)
• a cable needle
  
• a small spare needle (a V shaped cable needle is ideal) or some waste yarn

Abbreviations:

K = knit
P = purl
M1 = make one by picking up the loop between stitches and twisting it as you knit
C6F = cable 6 forward (slip 3 stitches onto a cable needle and hold in front of work, K3 then K3 from cable needle)

Left Hand:

Cast on 30 stitches and distribute evenly across 3 needles. I use a cable cast on, to give a little elasticity. Join without twisting.

Rows 1-10: *K1, P1 repeat from * to end
Rows 11-16: K10, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 17: K10, P2, C6F, P2, K10
Rows 18-22: K10, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 23: K4, M1, K2, M1, K4, P2, C6F, P2, K10 (this is the start of the thumb gusset)
Row 24: K12, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 25: K4, M1, K4, M1, K4, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 26: K14, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 27: K4, M1, K6, M1, K6, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 28: K16, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 29: K4, M1, K8, M1, K4, P2, C6F, P2, K10
Row 30: K18, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 31: K4, M1, K10, M1, K4, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 32: K5, move 10 stitches to waste yarn or spare needle, K5, P2, K6, P2, K10
Rows 33-34: K10, P2, K6, P2, K10
Row 35: K10, P2, C6F, P2, K10
Row 36-37: K10, P2, K6, P2, K10
Rows 38-43: *K1, P1 repeat from * to end
Cast off. I cast off knitwise, but you may want to cast off in rib.

Thumb: Join in yarn. K5 stitches onto one DPN, and K5 onto another. With third needle, pick up and K 4 stitches evenly across the gap (14 stitches). K2 rounds. Work 2 rounds in K1, P1 rib then cast off. Try the mitt on, because you can darn your ends in and tighten up the thumb gusset M1s at the same time if holes appear and you need to :o)

Right hand:

Cast on 30 stitches and distribute evenly across 3 needles.

Rows 1-10: *K1, P1 repeat from * to end
Rows 11-16: P2, K6, P2, K20
Row 17: P2, C6F, P2, K20
Rows 18-22: P2, K6, P2, K20
Row 23: P2, C6F, P2, K4, M1, K2, M1, K14 (this is the start of the thumb gusset)
Row 24: P2, K6, P2, K22
Row 25: P2, K6, P2, K4, M1, K4, M1, K14
Row 26: P2, K6, P2, K24
Row 27: P2, K6, P2, K4, M1, K6, M1, K14
Row 28: P2, K6, P2, K26
Row 29: P2, C6F, P2, K4, M1, K8, M1, K14
Row 30: P2, K6, P2, K28
Row 31: P2, K6, P2, K4, M1, K10, M1, K14
Row 32: P2, K6, P2, K5, move 10 stitches to waste yarn or spare needle, K15
Rows 33-34: P2, K6, P2, K20
Row 35: P2, C6F, P2, K20
Row 36-37: P2, K6, P2, K20
Rows 38-43: *K1, P1 repeat from * to end
Cast off.

Thumb: Work as for left hand.

This pattern is offered for personal, non-commercial use only. Items made from this pattern may be sold on a small scale basis such as on Etsy or at craft sales. Sales for charity are positively encouraged! This pattern and the text and photos contained within, may not be copied or reproduced for any purpose other than personal use. Please direct people to this blog rather than forwarding the pattern, thank you! Copyright 2009 N M Wray