Apparently, I’m a big fan of running before I can walk. After finishing one side of my little bag, rather than casting on for the other side to complete it, I decided I wanted to make a pair of fingerless mittens, with a lace cuff. I don’t have any DPNs for knitting in the round and don’t know how to shape thumbs but I didn’t let that stop me. Having an idea of my gauge from the previous knit, I merrily cast on and tried the simplest lace stitch in my book. It only involves purling two stitches together and yarn-overs, I thought, how hard can it be? Several hours later, I realised my folly. However, I finally managed to construct a cuff of 5 repeats of Ridged Feather stitch without any glaring errors (there’s at least one yarn-over that I dropped and picked up wrongly but I’d already started again twice by this point so I decided it would do) and then proceded to make the main body in stocking stitch with a little cuff of purled stitches at the top. The result was this (apologies for the dodgy colour, there was no daylight left up here by the time I finished!):
Lace cuff cheat's mitt
The lace is really hard to photograph, I managed this picture but I’m not sure it makes it any clearer. Now I just need to knit the other one!
Click to enlarge
If anyone is interested, the pattern for a 7 inch diameter mitt on 4mm needles with 4 ply (sport weight) yarn is as follows (the lace pattern requires multiples of 11 stitches, 55 stitches would be 8 3/4 inches in my gauge of approx. 6 stitches and 8 rows per square inch):
Cast on 44 stitches.
Row 1 (RS) Knit
Row 2 Purl
Row 3 *(P2tog twice), (yo k1) 3 times, yo, (P2tog) twice. Repeat from * to end (44 stitches will need 4 pattern repeats)
Row 4 Purl
Repeat these rows 5 times
Work required mitt length minus approx 1 inch in stocking stitch starting (RS) with a knit row (I did 35 rows as I wanted long mitts and have narrow forearms).
Work border so on RS you have 3 purled rows with 2 knitted rows in between (beginning on (WS) knit 2 rows, purl 3 rows, knit 2 rows)
(RS) Bind off as knit row
Sew up leaving thumb hole from just below purled top border
I hope that makes sense, I’ve struggled for ages trying to work out the individual rows for the final border bit, it’s so much easier to just describe it from the right side!
Check out what other people have been making on Natalie’s Making Monday post.
That’s lovely! I see you already have the classic knitters disease, best known as Second Sock Syndrome, but which also applies to other items where you only knit half before moving onto the next thing.
You’re doing really well – I was still on scarves when I’d been knitting as long as you
Aside from the lace cuff, this wasn’t really any different to doing a scarf (aside from being much shorter of course) – I’m not a big scarf wearer, being more of a pash or shawl person, so I wanted something I might actually wear. I was living in the fingerless mitts thebirdwoman made me back when it was a mild winter, so I figured a second pair would probably get some wear, especially as the colours are very different.
That is a very impressive first FO!
I too made some “cheats mitts” for my first project, though mine just had a ribbed cuff, which I found difficult enough, and the only yarn-overs were where I tried to add some shaping (then wondered where all the holes came from). There’s also a line across the middle of one of them where I purled on the wrong side! So, nowhere near as good as yours.
I do think small projects are the way to go for beginners, though – scarves are so long and boring, especially before you get up some speed. You’ll learn more techniques and gain confidence faster by making a few small things, particularly if they are over-ambitious
Thanks Cat
I did wonder at the wisdom of starting with a lace cuff when I had to rip it back from the last lace row and start again for the third time! Hopefully the second one will go more smoothly.
Those are fantastic! If you block the lace (soak the mitts then stretch them over something flat, a piece of cardboard wrapped in clingfilm would do) the lace will look less scrunched and more lacy.
Thanks
I managed to cuff on the second one in 3 1/2 hours last night without having to redo any of it so I’m feeling pleased with myself today!
I wasn’t sure if blocking would do much with acrylic yarn but I shall have a go when the other one is finished.