Knitting Down Memory Lane November 27, 2008

I hope everyone has a happy and delicious Thanksgiving!  Lowell and I headed back to Virginia for Thanksgiving with my family.  The only good thing about the plane flight was the uninterrupted, pure kniting time.  The bad part was that I was in the middle seat (we take turns in the middle and last flight I got the window) and I’m kind of obsessive about now impacting the person next to me, unless it’s Lowell.  I developed an interesting twitch after sitting hunched over for 4 hours trying to knit a sock.  It’s okay, though, because the sock is lovely.  Can’t show it to you, though, because if it continues to be lovely, it’s going to be submitted to Knitty.

Last night, I went digging through the family room to see if I could find any of my old knitting.  I dug through tons of stuffed animals, searching for any of the doll blankets that I had made.  All I got was a lot of sneezes.  I was worried that all of the old knitting had gotten lost (know it wasn’t tossed out, my mother doesn’t really throw things away especially something that was handmade as a child.)  I settled on just finding my old needles and there were still some scraps of knitting on the needles!

It was really fun going through my old knitting things.  My mom gave me all her old knitting/crochet needles when I learned to knit around 9 or 10.  The needles were all kept in this great tube with a little latch at the top.  The center of the lid had a hole in it, which at the time confused me but I assumed it was too allow taller needle to fit in the tube.  Now I know that the hole is for guiding the yarn but I remember puzzling over it for a long time.

Another thing that confused me was the DPNs.  I didn’t know why some of the needles didn’t have stoppers at the end.  And, what really confused me, was why in the world were there four of them?  I thought that you were supposed to pair them up and keep the others as spares!  I would tie pairs of needles together with scraps of yarn (any needles) so that all the pairs were together.  I divided the DPNs up into pairs and tied them together.  Not all of the needles had matches, which bugged me to no end.  (Look at those DPNs… the one in the middle is the world’s longest DPN, I swear!)  I remember being very amused at the little needle protectors, although I didn’t know that’s what they were.  They’re very squishy rubber and they only cover the very tips of the needles.  The rest of the cover just flops around.

I had one pair of needles that was bought just for me and those were always my favorites.  I tended towards the plastic needles over the aluminum ones, because I didn’t like how cold the needles were in my hands.  I always chose color over material, though.  If I wanted to knit with blue needles, then I’d pick up some aluminum ones.  Now, I can’t stand plastic needles and only somewhat tolerate aluminum.  Ah, how things change.

On to the knitting.  When I relearned knitting a few years ago, I kept knitting into the back of the stitch.  It felt more natural.  Well, that’s apparently because I was knitting all my stitches twisted as a kid.

These pictures are awful, but I don’t have a lightbox or more importantly a tripod.  Look at that lovely cast on edge there, cast on with the backwards loop method.  All garter stitch, all twisted.  In a nice pastel purple Red Heart acrylic. Still on the needle, even!

This piece is interesting.  It appears that I accidentally did some short rows.  One of the reasons that I quit knitting as a kid was because I could only stop at the end of a row.  If I put the needles down mid-row, I had no idea which needle had been in my right hand.  Here, I obviously picked up the knitting mid-row and continued working, having no idea (or maybe just a sneaking suspicion) that I was knitting the wrong direction!

I don’t remember ever learning how to purl.  But this piece proves that I must have, because here, in all it’s twisted glory, is a tiny swatch of stockinette.  This might have been near the end of my knitting as a kid, because the cast on is much nicer, but the piece is smaller.  Towards the end, I was knitting smaller pieces and sewing them together into small blankets.

Going back to my knitter roots was a lot of fun.  Because of the long gap between knitting crazes (almost 15 years!) these swatches almost seem like they belong to someone else.  It was amazing how many memories came back when I opened the tube of needles.  I wish I could find some of my finished blankets, but these little pieces are enough for now.

Cruiser November 24, 2008

 

I love these mittens. They’re easy and quick to make and they’re so incredibly soft and warm. I named the mittens after a ski run on Blackcomb Mountain, since we’re going to be wearing our mittens in the village (while drinking hot chocolate) after a long day of skiing. The cable in the center is nicely unisex, making this pattern a good addition to the “how could I forget so-and-so’s gift?” pattern pile. The cable is just enough to keep things interesting and, as an added bonus, easy to memorize! Another bonus: after the ribbing, there’s no more purling! These mittens can be scaled to any size and the pattern offers instructions in three sizes. Small will fit small women’s hands or large kids’ hands. Medium will fit most women and small men’s hands. Large will fit large women’s hands and medium men’s hands.

 

The instructions for left and right mittens are the same except for the placement of the thumb stitches. You can read more about the afterthought/peasant thumb here or EZ’s method here. The yarn used is a worsted weight, about 10 WPI. I highly recommend the Road to China yarn, but it is pretty expensive unless you can find it on sale. Try to find a replacement yarn with alpaca, wool, and silk (difficult, but worth it!). Wool for elasticity, alpaca for warmth, halo and weight, and silk for the depth of color and softness that it brings. Knit Picks Andean Silk or Classic Elite Portland Tweed might be good substitutions.

 

Edit 11-27-08: The cuffs of these mittens are kind of loose, so if you like snug mitten cuff, try going down a needle size or two. You can also cast on fewer stitches, but then you have to add more increases to the hand. I kind of like the looser cuff for mittens (but my glove cuffs must be snug!) but Lowell likes them snugger. I just want to save you the pain of having to rip out a half-done mitten just to re-knit the cuff.

Edit 12-01-08: The thumb instructions had some issues, so I’ve changed the instructions in the brackets to fix the problem.  The stitches for the thumb should be the first stitches of the second half of the right mitten. (Did that make sense?)  Left mitten thumb is fine.  Also, the small size instructions actually include instructions now.  Oy.  Can’t explain what happened there.  Proof-reading fail.  Sorry!  Errata/fixes are in purple. 

 

 

Cruiser

Download the PDF: Cruiser

• Finished Size: Small (circumference 6.5”x length 5.5”) [Medium (7.5”x7”), Large (8.5”x7.75”)]
• Needles: Size 6 (4.00 mm) double-point needles
• Yarn: Road to China, Lapis; 2 [2, 3] skeins
• Yardage: 130 [140, 170] yards
• Extras: Cable needle, tapestry needle, 6″ piece of smooth scrap yarn or stitch holder
• Gauge: 24 sts/24 rows = 4″ in stockinette stitch

Special Stitches

1×1 Rib: K1, p1 to the end of the round.

C4F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold in front. K2, then k2 from cable needle.

C4B: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back. K2, then k2 from cable needle.

 

Cuff

CO 34 [40, 46] sts

Work 1×1 rib for 1.5 [1.75, 2.25] inches

Next round: k5 [5, 6], m1, *k8 [10, 11], m1* three times, k5 [5, 7]. 4 sts increased; 38 [44, 50] sts

 

Hand

Round 1: K2 [3, 5], [[C4F, k8, C4B, k2[3,5]], knit to the end of the round.

Round 2, 4, 6: Knit

Round 3: K4 [5,7], [[C4F, k4, C4B, k4[5,7]], knit to the end of the round.

Round 5: K6 [7,9], [[C4F, C4B, k6[7,9]], knit to the end of the round.

Repeat Round 1-6 until the mitten measures 2.25 [2.5, 2.75] inches from the cuff, ending on any round.

Right Mitten: Next round, continuing the pattern as established, work to the end of the double brackets [[ ]] then knit the next 4 [5, 6] sts with the scrap yarn; slide scrap yarn sts back to the left needle and knit them again with the working yarn.

Left Mitten: Next round, continuing the pattern as established, work to the last 4 [5,6] sts of the round, then knit the next 4 [5,6] sts with the scrap yarn; slide scrap yarn sts back to the left needle and knit them again with the working yarn.

Continue working Rounds 1-6 as established until mitten is about 1.5 [2, 2.25] inches short of desired length (about 4 [5, 5.5] inches) not including cuff, trying to end on Round 5. If not, continue working the instructions in the double brackets [[ ]] if possible during the decreases.

 

Top Decreases

Round 1: K1, ssk, k13 [16, 19], k2tog, k2, ssk, k13 [16, 19], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased; 34 [40, 46] sts

Round 2, 4, 6: Knit

Round 3: K1, ssk, k11 [14, 17], k2tog, k2, ssk, k11 [14, 17], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased; 30 [36, 42] sts

Round 5: K1, ssk, k9 [12, 15], k2tog, k2, ssk, k9 [12,15], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased; 26 [32, 38] sts

Round 7: K1, ssk, k7 [10, 13], k2tog, k2, ssk, k7 [10, 13], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased; 22 [28, 34] sts

Round 8: K1, ssk, k5 [8, 11], k2tog, k2, ssk, k5 [8, 11], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased; 18 [24, 30] sts

Round 9: K1, ssk, k3 [6, 9], k2tog, k2, ssk, k3 [6, 9], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased; 14 [20 ,26] sts

Size M and L: Round 10: K1, ssk, k4 [7], k2tog, k2, ssk, k4 [7], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased; 16 [22] sts

Size L only: K1, ssk, k5, k2tog, k2, ssk, k5, k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased; 20 sts

Cut working yarn, leaving an 8” long tail and graft the remaining stitches together using Kitchener Stitch.

 

Thumb

Carefully remove scrap yarn from the thumb stitches, placing live stitches on two needles. There will be 4 [5, 6] stitches below the hole and 3 [4,5] above.

Join yarn at the the thumb on back of the hand. K4 [5, 6], pick up 3 [3, 4] sts along the gap, k3 [4, 5], pick up 3 [3, 4] sts along the second gap. 13, [15, 19] sts

Join in the round and knit until thumb measures .75 inches shorter than desired length.

Size S and L only: K2tog, knit to the end of the round. 1 st decreased; 12 [18] sts

Round 1: *K3 [3, 4], k2tog* three times. 3 sts decreased; 9 [12, 15] sts

Round 2: *K1 [2, 3], k2tog* three times. 3 sts decreased; 6 [9, 12] sts

Size S only: *K2tog* three times. 3 sts decreased; 3 sts

Size M and L: *K1 [1, 2], k2tog* three times. 3 sts decreased; 6 [9] sts

Size M only: *K2tog* three times. 3 sts decreased; 3 sts

Size L only: *K1, k2tog* three times. 3 sts decreased; 6 sts

Cut working yarn, leaving a 6” tail. Thread the tail through the remaining stitches and fasten off.

Weave in ends.

 

 

Please Note: I post my patterns as soon as I’ve completed them because I’m excited to share them with you. They have not been fully tested, but they are free. I’ve made every effort to make sure that the instructions are clear and error-free. There may be typos or pattern mistakes and if you find them or have any questions, please let me know by posting a comment or emailing me, dailyskein at gmail.com.

 

This work by Cailyn Meyer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Unexpected Interweaving! November 22, 2008

I’ve been very busy for the last week.  I’m leaving town to visit my family for Thanksgiving and I won’t be home for a whole week!  Now, you’d think this wouldn’t take up so much of my time.  Wrap some presents, clean the house a little, trick a friend into checking in on the cats, and bing-bang-boom I’m done.  Well, as fellow knitters and crafters, you understand why this is not the case.

 

I have two five-hour plane flights there and back.  That, in and of itself, is prime knitting time!  Let’s not even mention the hours sitting around the house chatting with people or the inevitable downtime while waiting for so-and-so.  But I’m going to be separated from my stash and needles.  And, more importantly for me since I could technically sneak out to a LYS, I’ll be without my knitting books.  I love designing my own knits, but this occasionally leads to traveling problems.  I’m not the kind of designer that can sketch out a design and know exactly how it will knit up.  Usually I have to be knitting to figure out the design.  I don’t sketch on paper, I doodle with yarn.  At home this isn’t an issue because I have my seven thousand stitch libraries (ok, not that many) to look at.  If I don’t like how something is looking or the yarn isn’t behaving right, I just frog and start over.  That’s nearly impossible on the road!  Which is part of the reason I posted the links to the online stitch dictionaries; now I can find them when I’m out of town.

 

Why don’t I just knit someone else’s pattern while I’m traveling, you ask?  Well, right now there’s nothing really speaking to me.  I know that sounds silly, but it’s true.  I keep looking for an opportunity to knit some Cookie A. socks (she’s my hero!) but I never cast on for them.  I think the timing’s not quite right.  Plus, I get so much out of designing my own knits; it’s so much fun for me.  It’s a dilemma, it truly is.

 

So, I’ve been very busy winding balls of yarn, swatching, digging through my dictionaries and stash, and generally trying to do as much pre-designing as I can.  I’m hoping that with an unprecedented amount of swatching, I can write up a pattern and basically follow it without having to make changes on the road.  I’ve swatched for 2 pairs of socks, this weekend will be dedicated to doing a hat design, and I am bringing some Christmas items to knit that I don’t have to design. 

 

I’ve carefully plotted my projects to cover the whole spectrum.  I’ve got the very detailed, involved project for the plane rides. (As well as some new knitting podcasts!)  I’ve got the less complicated projects (other socks, Xmas items, hat) for downtime when I only want to refer to a chart occasionally.  Then there’s a pure stockinette pair of socks for knitting while I’m talking with people.  More on that last project later, the yarn is special.

 

So, yeah, busy.  My swift has started to make funny noises. I’m not kidding.  I’ve got to lubricate it, I think, but I’ve got to be careful to do it in a way that silicon lube won’t touch my pretty yarns when I’m done.  The swift I’ve got is this one, from Japan.  It’s served me well, I guess, but I lust after one of those beautiful wooden ones.  So pretty, so expensive.

 

Wait, where was I going with this?  Oh, right, I’ve been so busy that I forgot that the next issue of Interweave Knits is out!  I got the mail today and was haphazardly sorting through it and was floored to see Interweave Knits in the pile.  I squealed, I think.  I try to avoid looking at the preview on their website; I like to be surprised.  Which I was.  I haven’t opened it just yet, the anticipation is fun.  Hmm, maybe there’s something in there that I want to knit while I’m away…

 

And the mitten pattern is all written up, but I’ve had bad luck with the pictures.  Lowell and I are going on a photo shoot tomorrow morning, so check back and see if we got any good ones!

Soft Yarn, Must Pet November 18, 2008

Ok, I have found the single most luscious yarn in existence.  I was yarn shopping with my friend Kady the other day and as soon as I saw this yarn, I knew I had to have it. It’s one of those yarns that as soon as you pick it up, you’re lost.  You can’t put it down.  The color is perfect and the feel is divine.  This particular yarn is 65% baby alpaca, 15% silk, 10% camel, and 10% cashmere.  Yeah, it’s made out of the softest materials on Earth.  Spun into one beautiful, deadly skein.  Called the Road to China, the yarns are all dyed in jewel tones.  Each fiber in the yarn takes up the dye differently, so the color in incredibly rich and interesting.  The skein that I bought, Lapis, is mostly dusky blue with hints of green and purple.  But not “hints” like a variegated yarn, more like… this is hard to describe and the pictures don’t do it justice!

  

 

Needless to say, this is not a cheap yarn.  It’s about $20 for 80 yards, which is way more per yarn than I’d normally pay.  But this was so special.  I thought I would make a hat out of it at first.  I got partway through the hat, too.  But you know, you don’t really feel a hat since it’s over your hair.  And this yarn needs to be felt. (Not to be confused with felted. I wouldn’t want to felt these!)  “Mittens!” I thought (or rather, exclaimed as Lowell was making us a snack).  This is the perfect yarn for mittens.  (I admit that I wasn’t thinking straight when I somehow got the idea that I could make the pair with one skein.  I blame it on the massive amount of popcorn I ate when we saw the new James Bond movie.)  Anyway, these are just about the perfect winter mittens.  Soft as anything, fairly lightweight because of the alpaca, and extremely warm because of the aforementioned alpaca and cashmere, and gorgeous to boot.

 

   

 

I also love mittens because they’re so quick to make.  This Road to China yarn is a thick worsted weight and I used size 6 needles.  I knit the first one in a few hours.  I had to go back to the yarn store to buy another skein, which I wound today and I’m going to finish up the mittens tonight.  Lowell loves the pattern too and asked me to make him a pair.  Knitting with this yarn is such a joy, I think I can make these mittens forever and still be happy. (I won’t, but I could.)  Lowell’s mittens will be in Jade.  I ordered that and some Sandstone from Now and Zen Yarns.  They had a few skeins on sale (half off!!) so I had to buy a few extra.  This yarn isn’t too easy to track down online, but it can be done.  Head over to Now and Zen and see if they have any skeins left on sale!

 

I’ll have the pattern for the mittens up, in three sizes, when I finish the second mitten here.  Can’t think of a name for them except World’s Softest Mittens.

WRX November 14, 2008

Remember, a few months back, I said I was knitting on some secret projects?  Well, one of them was a project that I submitted to Knitty for the winter edition.  My pattern made it to the final cut… and just didn’t quite make it past that.  Oh well, next time maybe; I’ve got a few ideas.  I’m thrilled that the pattern got so far in the process, really.  This just means that I get to show the project to you now instead of having to wait until mid-December.  It’s been killing me not to show these off!  (And I still have the other designs I submitted to the Knitting-Pattern-a-Day Calendar that I can’t tell you about, oy.)

 

Lowell came to me one day and said that he’d really like fancy driving gloves to match his new WRX. Not one to back down from a challenge- er request, we scoured local yarn shops and the Internet for just the perfect shade of yarn in “Impreza blue” to match the car. He wanted something shiny and, in his words, “fast.” The yarns we decided on were not only an almost perfect color match; they’re also soft and luxurious. I love the natural shine of the silk and silk/wool blend. These gloves are knit with only a few rows of ribbing and then a mesh back adds some sportiness to the gloves. The first glove works across the back of the hand and then the palm; the left glove works across the palm and then the back of the hand. These gloves work up to the color work band shockingly fast. The larger size fits an average man’s hand. The smaller size is about a women’s medium.  They’re pretty stretchy, but be careful to keep the floats loose during the color work. Personally, I think these gloves would look stunning in black and Ferrari red.  (For more information about knitting glove fingers, check out Knitting In Color’s technique posts.)

 

      

WRX

Download the PDF: WRX

• Finished Size: Women’s medium/Men’s medium, circumference 7 1/2″, length 5″; Men’s large, circumference 8 1/2″, length 6″
• Needles: Size 2 (2.75mm) double-point needles
• Yarn: MC – Argosy Luxury Fibers Hanna Sport, Blue Mills (1 [1] skein) CC: Alchemy Yarns Silk Purse, 36F Lantern (1 [1] skein)
• Extras: Tapestry needle, two stitch markers, 3 6″ pieces of smooth scrap yarn or stitch holders
• Gauge: 30 sts/42 rows = 4″ in stockinette stitch

Special Stitches

M1R: Insert left needle tip into the strand between stitches from back to front and knit into the front of the loop.

M1L: Insert left needle tip into the strand between stitches from front to back and knit into the back of the loop.

Mesh Pattern: Round 1: K1, *YO, ssk* over next 18 [20] sts, k1.  Round 2: Knit

 

Right Glove

Using the Twisted German Cast On or the Long Tail Cast On, CO 40 [44] sts. Distribute evenly between the needles.

Join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.

Round 1: *K1, p1* to end.

Repeat Round 1 2 more times.

Round 4: In CC, knit 1 round. (This keeps the “purl dots” of the other color from showing and makes the stripe look smoother).

Round 5: *K1, p1* to end. Break CC.

Round 6: In MC, knit 1 round.

Round 7: *K1, p1* to end.

 

Hand and Thumb Gusset

Round 8: K20 [22], k1, M1L, k10, M1L, k1 to 1 st before the end of the round, M1L, k 1. 3 sts increased. 43 [47] sts.

Round 9: Work Round 1 of Mesh Pattern, then knit to the end of the round.

Round 10: Work Round 2 of Mesh Pattern, then knit to the end of the round.

Repeat Rounds 9-10 1 [2] more times.

Next round: Work next round of Mesh Pattern, place marker, M1R, k1, M1L, place marker, knit to the end of the round.

Work 2 rounds even, working the Mesh Pattern as established.

*Thumb increase round: Work Mesh Pattern to marker, slip marker, M1R, knit to next marker, M1L, slip marker, knit to the end of the round. 2 sts increased.

Work 2 rounds even, working the Mesh Pattern as established.*

Repeat from * to * until there are 15 [19] sts between the markers, ending after the second “work even” round.

Next round: K1, M1L, k18 [20], M1L, k1. Place all sts between the markers on scrap yarn or a stitch holder (markers can be removed now). CO 3 sts, rejoin round, and knit to the end of the round. 15 [19] sts removed, 5 sts increased. 48 [52] sts.

Knit 24 [27], k1, M1L, knit to 1 before the end of the round, M1l, k1. 2 sts increased. 50 [54] sts.

Size L only: Work 1 round even.

 

Swirl Color Work Band (click on the chart to enlarge)

Size S: K13, M1L, k26, M1L, k13, M1L. 2 sts increased. 52 sts. 

Size L: K13, M1L, k13, M1L, k13, M1L, k13, M1L, k to end of round. 4 sts increased. 58 sts.

Both sizes: Join CC and work Right Swirl Chart for 15 rounds. The chart within the red lines repeats 3 times.  Work the first 3[5] sts once, then the next 16 sts 3 times, then the last 3[5] sts once.

Next round: K1, k2tog, k20 [23], k2tog, k2, k2tog, k20 [23], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased. 48 [54] sts.

Next round: K38 [48]. Place next 10 [12] sts (the last 5 [6] and the first5 [6] of the round) on scrap yarn or a stitch holder for the pinky. CO 2 sts at the end of the round and rejoin in the round. 10 [12] sts removed, 2 sts increased. 40 [48] sts.

Knit 2 rounds.

 

Ring Finger

K6, place the next 28 [31] sts on scrap yarn or a stitch holder, CO 2 [3] sts, k8 [8]. 16 [17] sts.

Work 8 [10] rounds even.

Next round, S: *k1, p1* to the end.

Next round, L: *k1, p1* until 1 st before the end of the round, k1. (This will keep the edge from curling.)

Bind off sts using EZ’s Sewn Bind Off.

Middle Finger

Return 7 [7] sts from the back of the hand and 7 [7] sts from the palm on the needles.

Join yarn at the back of the hand and k7, CO 3 [2] sts, k7, pick up and knit 4 sts along the cast on edge of the ring finger. 21 [21] sts.

Next round: K1, k2tog, k11, k2tog, k4. 2 sts decreased. 19 sts.

Work 8 [10] rounds even.

Next round: *k1, p1* until 1 st before the end, k1.

Bind off sts using EZ’s Sewn Bind Off.

Index Finger

Return remaining sts to needles.

Join yarn at the back of the hand and k12 [15], pick up and knit 4 sts along the cast on edge of the middle finger. 18 [19] sts.

Next round: K1, k2tog, k8 [9], k2tog, k4. 2 sts decreased. 16 [17] sts.

Work 7 [9] rounds even.

Next round, S: *k1, p1* to the end.

Next round, L: *k1, p1* until 1 st before the end, k1.

Bind off sts using EZ’s Sewn Bind Off.

Pinky

Return pinky sts to needles.

Join yarn at the palm side, k10 [12], pick up and knit 4 sts along the cast on edge of the ring finger. 14 [17] sts.

Next round: K1, k2tog, k4 [7], k2tog, k4. 2 sts decreased. 12 [15] sts.

Work 6 [8] rounds even.

Next round: *k1, p1* until 1 st before the end, k1.

Bind off sts using EZ’s Sewn Bind Off.

Thumb

Return thumb sts to the needles.

Join yarn and k15 [19], pick up and knit 5 sts along the cast on edge of the hand. 20 [24] sts.

Next round: K2, *k2tog, k3 [4],* three times, k2tog, k1 [2]. 4 sts decreased. 16 [20 sts.]

Work 8 [10] rounds even.

Next round: *k1, p1* to the end.

Bind off sts using EZ’s Sewn Bind Off.

 

Left Glove

Work Cuff as for Right Glove.

 

Hand and Thumb Gusset

Round 8: K20 [22], k1, M1L, k10, M1L, k1 to 1 st before the end of the round, M1L, k 1. 3 sts increased. 43 [47] sts.

Round 8: K1, M1L, k8 [10], M1L, k8 [10] M1L, k26 [26]. 3 sts increased. 43 [47] sts.

Round 9: K 22 [25], then work Round 1 of Mesh Pattern.

Round 10: K22 [25], then work Round 2 of Mesh Pattern.

Repeat Rounds 9-10 2 more times.

Next round: k21 [24], place marker, M1R, k1, M1L, place marker, work next round of Mesh Pattern.

Work 2 rounds even, working the Mesh Pattern as established.

*Thumb increase round: Work Mesh Pattern to marker, slip marker, M1R, knit to next marker, M1L, slip marker, knit to the end of the round.

Work 2 rounds even, working the Mesh Pattern as established.*

Repeat from * to * until there are 15 [19] sts between the markers, ending after the second “work even” round.

Next round: K1, M1L, k18 [20], M1L, k1. Place all sts between the markers on scrap yarn or a stitch holder (markers can be removed now). CO 3 sts, rejoin round, and knit to the end of the round. 15 [19] sts removed, 5 sts increased. 48 [52] sts.

Size L only: Work 1 round even.

 

Swirl Color Work Band (click on the chart to enlarge)

Size S: K13, M1L, k26, M1L, k13, M1L. 2 sts increased. 52 sts.

Size L: K13, M1L, k13, M1L, k13, M1L, k13, M1L, k to end of round. 4 sts increased. 58 sts.

Both sizes: Join CC and work Left Swirl Chart for 15 rounds.  The chart within the red lines repeats 3 times.  Work the first 3[5] sts once, then the next 16 sts 3 times, then the last 3[5] sts once.

Next round: K1, k2tog, k20 [23], k2tog, k2, k2tog, k20 [23], k2tog, k1. 4 sts decreased. 48 [54] sts.

Next round: K38 [48]. Place next 10 [12] sts (the last 5 [6] and the first5 [6] of the round) on scrap yarn or a stitch holder for the pinky. CO 2 sts at the end of the round and rejoin in the round. 10 [12] sts removed, 2 sts increased. 40 [48] sts.

Knit 2 rounds.

Next round: K38 [48]. Place next 10 [12] sts (the last 5 [6] and the first5 [6] of the round) on scrap yarn or a stitch holder for the pinky. CO 2 sts at the end of the round and rejoin in the round. 10 [12] sts removed, 2 sts increased. 40 [48] sts.

Knit 2 rounds.

Work the fingers and thumb for the left glove the same as for the right glove.

 

Finishing

Weave in all ends. Use tails and/or left over yarn to conceal any holes around the base of the fingers.  Lightly steam block if desired.

 

 

Please Note: I post my patterns as soon as I’ve completed them because I’m excited to share them with you. They have not been fully tested, but they are free. I’ve made every effort to make sure that the instructions are clear and error-free. There may be typos or pattern mistakes and if you find them or have any questions, please let me know by posting a comment or emailing me, dailyskein at gmail.com.

 

This work by Cailyn Meyer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.