In trying to adapt a woodworking artform into knitting, I came up with a chart which I was very pleased with, but which had an unintended visual effect: everyone I showed it to said it looked like a spider web! Rather than chucking out the chart and starting all over again, I decided to roll with what I had, and this fingerless mitts pattern is the result.
It’s named after a beloved and talented web-spinning character from children’s literature, whose love and friendship has been warming hearts for over sixty years. These fingerless mitts are perfect for keeping your hands warm on those in-between weather days, and in cold office buildings.
Size
Finished Hand Circumference 6.5 (7, 7.5)” to fit hand circumference up to 7 (7.5, 8)”
0% to 5% negative ease recommended.
Total Height 6 (6.5, 7)”
Shown in size 6.5 (small)
Yarn
Approx 110 (130, 150) yards of main color and about 36 (44, 50) yards of contrast color: Knit Picks Stroll Sock Yarn (75% Fine Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon; 231 yards [211 meters]/50 grams): Dogwood Heather (MC), 1 (1, 1) ball; Color Sprinkling Heather (CC), 1 (1, 1) ball.
Thanks to Knit Picks for providing yarn support!
Needles
Size US 1.5 (2.5 mm): either set of five double-pointed or two 16″ circular (for two-circular technique), or 32″ or longer circular (for magic loop method)
Notions
Four stitch markers: two unique (for marking beginning of round and halfway point of round) and two identical to each other (for marking beginning and end of thumb gusset stitches); spare length of yarn about 10” long; tapestry needle
Gauge
32 sts and 44 rows = 4″ [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking.
38 sts and 40 rows = 4” [10 cm] in stranded pattern after wet blocking.
Abbreviations
Please see our standard abbreviations.
Symbols such as + and ^ are used to mark the beginning and end of sections you will be asked to repeat later
{} surround small sections of instructions to be repeated
MC: main color
Pattern Notes
This pattern is worked in the round from the bottom up.
This pattern calls for the long-tail cast-on: a fairly stretchy cast-on which looks very nice on the right side of the work when starting off by working in the round. For more information, the following videos may be of assistance:
Stranded knitting is to be used for the colorwork in this pattern. This is done by carrying along the unused color strand at the back of the work until it is ready to be used again. This is also known as “fair isle” or “jacquard” knitting.
When setting up Charts A and B in the first stranded knitting round, make sure you pay attention to the fact that each size starts on a different chart row and different chart stitch!
When setting up Chart F in the set-up round for the thumb, make sure you pay attention to the fact that each size starts on a different chart stitch!
Chart rows are always to be read right-to-left.
Charts
legend
Chart A (palm)
Chart B (back of hand)
Chart C (thumb gusset, 6.5″ size)
Chart D (thumb gusset, 7″ size)
Chart E (thumb gusset, 7.5″ size)
Chart F (top of thumb)
Fingerless Mitts Instructions
Left Mitten
+
Using MC and long-tail cast-on, CO 50 (54,58) sts.
Mark for beginning of rnd and join in the rnd, being careful not to twist.
Ribbing Rnd: *K1, p1, rep from * to end.
Repeat Ribbing Rnd 9 (11,13) more times.
6.5″ and 7.5″ sizes only
Next rnd: *{K3 (-,4), kfb} five times, k4 (-,3), kfb, repeat from * once more. 62 (-,70) sts.
7″ size only
Next rnd: *K3, kfb, k4, kfb, rep from * five more times. – (66 ,-) sts.
All sizes
Patt Rnd 1: Joining in CC when needed, work sts #3-33 (#2-34, #1-35) of row #7 (#5, #1) of Chart A across first 31 (33,35) sts of round, place halfway-point marker, then work sts #3-33 (#2-34,#1-35) of row #7 (#5,#1) of Chart B across last 31 (33,35) sts of rnd.
Patt Rnd 2: Work sts #3-33[#2-34,#1-35] of row #8[#6,#2] of Chart A across first 31[33,35] sts of rnd, slip halfway-point marker, then work sts #3-33[#2-34,#1-35] of row #8[#6,#2] of Chart B across last 31[33,35] sts of rnd.
Cont patt as set, cont up the rows of Charts A and B, for three more rnds, and slipping markers as you go. You will have just completed row #11 (#9,#5) of Charts A and B.
++
Patt Rnd 6: Work patt as set across first 28 (30, 32) sts, pm, then work row #1 of Chart C (D, E), pm, then work patt as set across last 34 (36, 38) sts, slipping markers as you go. 64 (68, 72) sts: 62[66, 70] for hand, 2 for thumb gusset.
^
Patt Rnd 7: Work patt as set to next marker, i.e. the first thumb marker, sm, then work row #2 of Chart C (D, E), sm, then work patt as set to end of rnd, slipping markers as you go.
Cont patt as set, cont up the rows of Charts A, B, and C (D, E), until all 21 (24,27) rows of Chart C (D,E) have been worked. You will have just completed row #32 (#33, #31) of Charts A and B. 82 (88,94) sts: 62 (66,70) for hand, 20 (22,24) for thumb gusset.
Next rnd: Cont on next row of Chart A and B, work patt as set to marker, then transfer next 20 (22, 24) sts, i.e. the thumb gusset sts, to a spare length of yarn, removing thumb gusset stitch markers, then work patt as set to end of rnd, slipping markers as you go. 62 (66, 70) sts.
Next rnd: Cont on next row of Chart A and B, work patt as set over the 62 (66, 70) sts of the rnd, slipping markers as you go.
Cont patt as set, cont up the rows of Charts A and B, until you have finished row #49 (#51, #51) of Charts A and B; 43 (47, 51) rows each of Charts A and B have been worked in total.
Break CC. You will be working with MC only for the remainder of the hand section.
Next round: K, removing halfway-point marker as you go.
6.5″ size only
Next rnd: {K1, p1, k1, p2tog} five times, {k1, p1} twice, k2tog, {p1, k1, p1, k2tog} five times, {p1, k1} twice, p2tog. 50 (-,-) sts.
7″ size only
Next rnd: *K1, p1, k1, p2tog, {k1, p1} twice, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k2tog, {p1, k1} twice, p2tog*, repeat from * twice more. – (54,-) sts.
7.5″ size only
Next rnd: *{K1, p1} twice, k2tog, {p1, k1} twice, p2tog*, repeat from * to * once more, {k1, p1} twice, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k2tog, **{p1, k1} twice, p2tog, {k1, p1} twice, k2tog**, repeat from ** to ** once more, {p1, k1} twice, p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p2tog. – (-,58) sts.
All sizes
Work Ribbing Rnd four times.
BO in patt.
Thumb
You will now be finishing off the thumb. Transfer the 20 (22,24) sts on the spare length of yarn back to the needles, and then pick up, but do not work, 1 (2, 1) stitch(es) of CC in the gap between the first and last thumb gusset stitches and place them on the needles; mark for beginning of rnds, noting that the picked-up stitch(es) are to be the last 1 (2, 1) stitch(es) of the round. 21 (24, 25) sts.
Thumb Set-up Rnd: Using Chart F, work – (st #3, sts #2-3) of row #1, then work sts #1-3 of row #1 seven times, then work – (sts #1-2, sts #1-2) of row #1.
Next rnd: Using Chart F, work – (st #3, sts #2-3) of row #2, then work sts #1-3 of row #2 seven times, then work – (sts #1-2, sts #1-2) of row #2.
Cont patt as set, cont up the rows of Chart F, and then rep rows #1-3 of Chart F one more time; a total of 6 rows of Chart F will have been worked.
Break CC. You will be working with MC only for the remainder of the mitten.
Next rnd: K.
6.5″ size only
Next rnd: *K1, p1, k2tog, p1, k1, p2tog, rep from * once more, k1, p1, k1, p2tog. 16 (-, -) sts.
7″ size only
Next rnd: *K1, p1, k2tog, p1, k1, p2tog, rep from * twice more. – (18, -) sts.
7.5″ size only
Next rnd: *K1, p1, k1, p2tog, rep from * four more times. – (-, 20) sts.
All sizes
Work Ribbing Rnd two times.
BO in patt.
^^
Right Mitten
Work instructions from + to ++ as given for left mitten.
Pattern Rnd 6: Work patt as set across first 3 sts, pm, then work row #1 of Chart C (D, E), pm, then work pattern as set across last 59 (63, 67) sts, slipping markers as you go. 64 (68,72) sts: 62 (66,70) for hand, 2 for thumb gusset.
Work instructions from ^ to ^^ as given for left mitten.
Finishing
Wet block to given measurements.
Weave in all ends at inside of work.
About the Designer: Kathleen Sperling
Kathleen learned to knit when she was about seven or eight, and became seriously obsessed with it in adulthood. Then she discovered that she loved designing. Knitting inspires her with ideas for patterns of all kinds: simple and complex, funny and serious, and for people of all ages and flavors.
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