Friday, October 14, 2011

Free Pattern: Team Captain Fingerless Mittens

It's cold out, but you need to be able to use your fingers. What are you supposed to do? Fingerless mittens, of course! I made some very basic fingerless mittens, and here's the pattern.

 This pattern is the one I used. I have rather skinny hands and very thin fingers. So this may not fit your own hands. Throughout the pattern, I will offer advice on how to adjust the pattern for your own fingers. The pattern is worked in continuous rounds, so you may want to mark your first or last stitch in the round.

The pattern is in American terms. If you are unsure of what an abbreviation means, if you are confused about something, or if you find an error, don't hesitate to leave a comment or send me a private message on Ravelry. I'd love to hear from you!

Time to begin! Make the thumb piece first. Don't worry, there won't be too much sewing.
Chain 10. Wrap the chain around your knuckle. There should be a small amount of wiggle room, so if you need more chains add them. Slip stitch into the first chain, but be careful not to twist it.
Round 1: Sc in the same ch you sl st'ed into, and in each ch around.
Round 2-4: Sc in each st around. Slip the tube these rounds form all the way down on your thumb. It should reach your knuckle.
Row 5- Sc into all but the last 3 sts. If your hand/thumb is thicker than the opening these sts make, you may want to do less scs. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 6- Sc into the sts you worked in the last row.
Finish off. Leave about a foot or longer tail.

Now it's time for the hand part. Chain 30. Wrap the chain around the widest part of your hand above your thumb. It should fit slightly loosely, so add more chains if necessary. Slip stitch into the first chain, but be careful not to twist it.
Round 1: Sc in the same chain where you sl st'ed, and in each ch around
Round 2-10: Sc in each st around. Slip the tube you've created onto your hand, down to your thumb. The tube should go up to your knuckles, in the middle of your fingers.
Row 11: Sc in all but the last 3 sts, or however many you left unworked in the thumb piece.
Row 12: Sc in the sts you worked in the last row.
Round 13: Start this round off by sc in the last row of the thumb part. Then sc around until you are back where you started. You will now treat the thumb part and the hand part as one single piece.
Round 14-16: Sc around. Now is a good time to sew the thumb part to the hand part. Slip the mitten onto your hand. The bottom of the glove should hit your hand right before your hand starts to become skinny. Add more rows if necessary.
Round 17: (Sc 5, dec) around. If this does not work out perfectly, such as if you get to the end and there is not enough stitches remaining to sc 5 before decreasing, sc in each stitch except the last two, and then dec across these two stitches.
Round 18: (Sc 4, dec) around. Once again, this may not work out, so follow my advice in Round 17. Slip the mitten on to make sure it is not too tight. Unfortunately, if it is, you will have to frog Rounds 17 and 18. Then rework with (Sc 6, dec) for Round 17 and (Sc 5, dec) for Round 18.
Round 19-23: Sc around. Slip on the mitten and make sure the mitten completely covers your hand.
Rounds 24-25: Ch 3, then sc around. Sl st in the 3rd ch. These rows can be completely personalize-able. You can use whatever stitch you want to finish the edge. Finish off, then weave in the ends. Sew the thumb part to the hand part if you haven't yet. You're done!

Here are some pictures to reference. More pictures are on Ravelry. Good luck, and have fun! I'd love to see your finished projects. Don't forget, comments, questions, and corrections are welcome.