Sunday, January 4, 2009

Celtic Cable Fingerless Gloves

I found this wonderful Malabrigo Sock yarn in Velvet Grape and decided it was time to knit a winter set for me. But in my normal true fashion, it's a warmer set, meaning wrist warmers (really its fingerless gloves), ear warmers, neck warmer, and possibly leg warmers. This is the pattern for the gloves. I've only made one so I will test the pattern when I make the other and take photos while I make it (maybe someone will beat me to it?).

This is pattern modified from Celtic Cable Scarf. I didn't make it for its heritage, merely for the intricate cable pattern which is 24 stitches for the knot itself on the back of the hand. FYI if you want it to be a true Celtic knot, the C4B should be changed to a C4F in rows 6 and 14. There should be NO C4Bs in these rows.

I basically purled all the way around my hand and for the fingers so the sizing is easy to modify. I suggest doing a 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4 ribbing around the wrists first to prevent curling and give you some more stretch. Or do seed stitch for a decorative border.

Materials
Malabrigo Sock Yarn
US2 DPNs
Cable needle (CN)
Stitch holder (or scrap yarn)
Stitch markers

Stitches:
C4F (Cable 4 Front) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in front of WIP, K2 from DPN, K2 from CN
C4B (Cable 4 Back) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in back of WIP, K2 from DPN, K2 from CN
T3B (Twist 3 Back) = slip 1 st onto CN and hold in back of WIP, K2 from DPN, P1 from CN
T3F (Twist 3 Front) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in front of WIP, P1 from DPN, K2 from CN
T4B (Twist 4 Back) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in back of WIP, K2 from DPN, P2 from CN
T4F (Twist 4 Front) = slip 2 sts onto CN and hold in front of WIP, P2 from DPN, K2 from CN

CO 57 stitches (I wear small gloves, the length around my knuckles is 7.5")
Arrange the stitches on 3 DPNs as follows: 14 (palm near the thumb), 24 (back of the hand with cabling), 19 (palm near the pinky)

if you start the pattern immediately...
R1: P15, K5, (P4, K4) x2, K1, P20
R2: P15, K1, C4B, (P4, C4B) x2, K1, P20
R3: knit the knits, purl the purls, and all odd rows
R4: P15, T3B, (T4F, T4B) x2, T3F, P20
R6: P14, T3B, P3, C4F, P4, C4B, P3, T3F, P19
R8: P14, K2, P3, T3B, T4F, T4B, T3F, P3, K2, P19
R10: P14, (K2, P3) x2, C4B, (P3, K2) x2, P19
R12: P14, K2, P3, T3F, T4B, T4F, T3B, P3, K2, P19
R14: P14, T3F, P3, C4F, P4, C4B, P3, T3B, P19
R16: P15, T3F, (T4B, T4F) x2, T3B, P20

I'd try this on at this point...
Repeat rows 1-16 twice (or the desired length). Continue through the pattern until you start the thumb gusset. I did it in R6.

Thumb Gusst (for the left hand):
R6: P6, PM, M1, P1, M1, PM, P6-->then R6 Celtic pattern
Continue in pattern adding two stitches in between the markers for each row that you cable (meaning only on even rows) until there are 19 stitches between the markers. For the odd rows, just purl across the thumb. Place stitches on holder until the rest of the hand is complete.

When you're ready for the thumb, pick up 5 stitches from the hand so that you have 24, divide evenly among 3 DPNs and purl 6-12 rows (or desired length; I have a very skinny thumb so I P2, P2tog around before I finished). BO.

Fingers:
Continue in pattern (note there are now 56 stitches around the hand) for desired length (I actually completed the cabling 3 x for a total of 64 rows--I had to start the pinky since my pinky's base is much lower than my other fingers).

R64: follow pattern until last 21 stitches, slip 14 sts onto stitch holder (pinky), then purl the last 7.
Purl more rows until desired length (I did 5 more).

Index finger:
P14, CO3, join these 17 sts and purl 6-12 rows (or desired length). BO.

Middle finger:
pick up 3 sts from index finger, P7 sts from the back of the hand, P the last 7 from the palm, join these 17 sts and purl 6-12 rows (or desired length). BO.

Ring finger:
pick up 3 sts from middle finger, P the remaining sts and join these 17 sts and purl 6-12 rows (or desired length). BO.

Weave in all the ends.

1 comment:

Benn said...

They're beautiful! I could never have figured out mitts like these on my own!