Yarn: Knit Picks Palette

Green/Clover

Red/Autumn Heather

White/White

Pattern: This pattern was created as I knit with a little bit of design and planning prior to casting on.

Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) double pointed needles

What I enjoyed in this project:

• Tubular Cast On and Bind Off
• Longer ribbing for cuffs so they extended slightly down the arm and could cover the hand yet be folded down for use of fingers
• Checked colorwork to cover hand that added so much warmth
• Instructions for left and right glove are the same

What bothered me in this project:

• Carrying three yarns in thumb gusset section
• Not using a smaller needle size for ribbing

The Story

My dad had requested a pair of fingerless gloves. He is very handy. From typing for his job to his various outside tasks, he keeps busy with his hands. When it’s cold, he needs his hands free yet kept warm. I decided to play around with yarn from the pantry and colorwork to design and create a warm covering for his hands that still allowed the use of his fingers. That’s a long way of saying a pair of fingerless gloves. This pair became my mom’s as I tested out stitch patterns and how to make this knit fit like a glove.

The Construction

I used a Tubular Cast On before working a 1 by 1 rib. I made the cuffs around three inches long. For the hand, I used two colorwork patterns. After the thumb gusset and remaining hand, I finished with approximately three inches of 1 by 1 ribbing. I bound off using a Tubular Cast Off. For the thumbs, I worked in stockinette for a few rounds before working 1 by 1 ribbing and a Tubular Cast Off.

The Yarn

I’ve had two balls of Knit Picks Palette, one green and one red, in my stash for years. I wanted to use it up and chose this glove project to use up this yarn. I did order a few more balls of Palette, one being white. I contemplate the success of working through stashed yarn when purchasing more yarn was involved. I’ve found this yarn does catch the surrounding fibers when knit and blooms beautifully when blocked making it very nice for a colorwork project.

The Stitch Pattern

I wasn’t clear what type of colorwork stitch pattern I would use at first. I ended up using a checked pattern, alternating green and white for the hand portion, but included a band of colorwork that was inspired by hoof prints. On hikes around our property, it’s common to spot an animal’s footprint pressed in the muddy trail. Since the thumb gusset was knit in green, knitting this hoof-inspired colorwork portion involved carrying three colors across a round. I didn’t enjoy holding three colors. I’m happy that I picked a colorwork stitch pattern as the gloves are truly warm due to the double fabric stranded colorwork creates.

Tubular Cast On and Bind Off

One of my favorite parts of these gloves is the Tubular Cast On and Tubular Bind Off. These techniques produced nice, stretchy edges. Perfect for fitting on and off hands. Also, I enjoy that the edges almost appear to have no starting or ending point. The first round of knit and purl stitches appear to flow over to the opposite side.

“The true method of knowledge is experiment.”

William Blake

The above quote from William Blake really embodies this fingerless glove knitting project. Starting with a request or need, utilizing your resources both in materials and techniques, taking body measurements, and sitting down to experiment can be a method to increase your knowledge as a knitter. You may, like me, be quite pleased with the resulting handknit too!

Have you experimented in your knitting recently?