Cabled Fingerless Gloves

© 2011 Luciana Boic. All rights reserved

This recipe has not been fully tested, so use it with caution – there may be mistakes.  Read all steps before starting.

These fingerless gloves are easy to make once you are familiar with the cable stitch pattern and the thumb opening method. They basically consist of a cabled tube with an expanded opening for the thumb.

We start at the palm, make the thumb opening, and then proceed to the wrist. This means that you can work it up to the any arm length that you wish, or until you run out of yarn. Speaking of yarn, you’ll need only 25 grams (less than one ounce) to make each glove as shown in the picture below.

The instructions for the thumb opening are detailed at the bottom of this page. This thumb opening method, you’ll give you a firm edge with reinforced stitches. If you’re familiar with the “one-row buttonhole” method, you’ll find it simple and you’ll be probably wondering why there is so much detail for you in the instructions. I prefer that you feel safe than sorry.

And that’s also why I provided instructions round by round. If you’re an experienced knitter, that may be too much information for you.

Yarn

Approximately 50 g (2 oz) worsted yarn. The yarn depicted here is Cascade 220 Heathers.

Gauge

16 stitches x 20 rows in stockinette stitch = 10cm x 10cm (4” x 4”)

Abbreviations

c3l: (cable slanting to the left) slip one stitch purlwise to an auxiliary (cable) needle and keep it in the front of the work; knit two stitches; knit the stitch on the cable needle

c3r: (cable slanting to the right) slip two stitches purlwise to an auxiliary (cable) needle and keep it in the back of the work; knit the next stitch; knit the two stitches on the cable needle

M1: make one stitch using your preferred method

k: knit ( kx = knit x stitches)

k2tog: (decrease slanting to the right) knit two stitches together

p: purl ( px = purl x stitches)

ssk: (decrease slanting to the left) slip one stitch knitwise, slip another stitch knitwise, knit both slipped stitches together

st / sts: stitch / stitches

Cable Stitch Pattern

The cable stitch pattern repeats every four rounds (one round = 42 stitches):

Rounds 1, 2, 3: repeat six times [k6, p1]

Round 4: repeat six times [c3l, c3r, p1]

Step 1: Set Up

Cast on 40 sts.

Join and place a marker to indicate the start of each round.

Purl 1 round.

For the second round, use your preferred method to increase stitches and distribute 2 increases (M1):
k6, p1, k6, p1, k6, M1, k6, p1, k6, p1, M1 (total stitches = 42 sts)

Step 2: Palm

Start the stitch pattern (rounds 1 to 7):

Round 1, 2, 3: repeat six times [k6, p1]

Round 4: repeat six times [c3l, c3r, p1]

Rounds 5, 6, 7: repeat six times [k6, p1]

Step 3: Thumb opening

Round 8: this is the tricky round. In this round you will make the thumb opening:

  1. work one time [c3l, c3r, p1] ;
  2. p1;
  3. make the thumb opening using the instructions below on this page;
  4. p1;
  5. repeat 4 times [c3l, c3r, p1] (total stitches in the round = 44 sts)

Round 9, 10, 11: k6, p1; k3, p2 (= two stitches that were increased for the thumb), k3, p1; repeat 4 times [k6, p1]

Round 12: one time [c3l, c3r, p1]; c3l, p2 (= two stitches that were increased for the thumb), c3r, p1 ; repeat 4 times [c3l, c3r, p1]

Round 13, 14, 15: like rounds 9, 10, 11

Round 16: like round 12

Round 17, 18, 19: like rounds 9, 10, 11

Round 20: like round 12

Round 21: k6, p1; k3, p2tog (= 1st thumb decrease), k3, p1 ; repeat 4 times [k6, p1]

Round 22, 23: k6, p1; k3, p1 (= decreasing thumb), k3, p1 ; repeat 4 times [k6, p1]

Round 24: one time [c3l, c3r, p1]; c3l, p1 (= decreasing thumb), c3r, p1 ; repeat 4 times [c3l, c3r, p1]

Round 25: [k6, p1]; k3, k2tog (= last thumb decrease, end of thumb), k2, p1; repeat 4 times [k6, p1]

Rounds 26, 27: repeat six times [k6, p1]

Round 28: repeat six times [c3l, c3r, p1]

Step 4: Wrist

Repeat stitch pattern three times (Rounds 29 to 40).

Rounds 29, 30, 31: repeat six times [k6, p1]

Round 32: repeat six times [c3l, c3r, p1]

Rounds 33, 34, 35: repeat six times [k6, p1]

Round 36: repeat six times [c3l, c3r, p1]

Rounds 37, 38, 39: repeat six times [k6, p1]

Round 40: repeat six times [c3l, c3r, p1]

When you finish round 40 you’ll have a short glove and you can finish it right there if that pleases you. For longer gloves, keep repeating the four-round stitch pattern until your desired length. The gloves depicted here were finished by round 52 (three more stitch pattern repeats).

Step 5: Finishing

For the last couple of rounds, change to smaller needles to get a tighter finish.  Work these rounds continuing the stitch pattern but do not make any cables (just repeat six times [k6, p1]).

Cast off purlwise using smaller needles.

Using a tapestry needle, weave in lose yarn tails.

Block and enjoy!

Thumb Opening

This technique is the same used to make reinforced one-row buttonholes. In a nutshell, the thumb opening consists of 6 stitches bound off and 8 stitches cast on. The two extra stitches will allow more room for the thumb. This is all happening in one single round.

Step 1: Reinforce the first stitch by wrapping the yarn around it

1) Work up the point where you want the thumb opening to be.
2) Bring the yarn to the front of the work.
3) Slip one stitch purlwise from the left needle to the right.
4) Return the yarn to the back of the work. This will cause the yarn to wrap this stitch and reinforce it. This wrapped stitch will be the first stitch that you’ll bind off for the thumb opening.
5) Drop the working yarn and leave it where it is at the back of your work.

Step 2: Create the bottom edge of the thumb opening

In this step you will create the bottom edge of the thumb opening by binding off six (6) stitches. The bind off method used here is simply passing each stitch over each other. You won’t need to touch the working yarn.
1) To start, slip a second stitch purlwise from the left needle to the right needle (the first stitch you’ll bind off is the stitch you wrapped in step 1; this stitch should be on the right needle).
2) Using the tip of the left needle, pass the first slipped stitch over the second slipped stitch. This will cause the first wrapped stitch to be bound off.
3) Repeat slipping one stitch purlwise from the left to the right needle and passing the previously slipped stitch over it until you have bound off six (6) stitches.
4) Slip the last (seventh) stitch back to left needle.
5) Check your work: you should see the bottom edge of the thumb opening between the needles, and the working yarn should be at the back of the work on the right needle.
Summarizing steps 1 and 2, to make the bottom edge of the thumb opening:

  • slip and wrap the 1st stitch
  • slip the 2nd stitch and pass the 1st stitch over it (1 stitch bound off)
  • slip the 3rd stitch and pass the 2nd stitch over it (2 stitches bound off)
  • slip the 4th stitch and pass the 3rd stitch over it (3 stitches bound off)
  • slip the 5th stitch and pass the 4th stitch over it (4 stitches bound off)
  • slip the 6th stitch and pass the 5th stitch over it (5 stitches bound off)
  • slip the 7th stitch and pass the 6th stitch over it (6 stitches bound off)
  • slip the 7th stitch back to the left needle.

Step 3: Create the top edge of the thumb opening

In this step, you’ll create the top edge of the thumb opening by casting on eight (8) stitches. The top edge (8 stitches) is longer than the bound-off bottom edge (6 stitches) to allow for room for the thumb.
1) Turn your work so that you get the working yarn on the left needle.
2) Bring the yarn to the back of your work.
3) Using the cable cast-on method, cast on eight (8) stitches. This method provides a firm edge.

To cast on using the cable cast-on method, make each new stitch this way: insert the right needle between the first and second stitches on the left needle, draw up the yarn through the space between these stitches to form a loop, and place the loop on the left needle. Repeat to form the next stitch.
Do not to pull too tight when casting on the new stitches. The tension should be as close as possible to your bind off edge on the bottom of the thumb opening.

Step 4: Join bottom and top edges to finish the thumb opening

1) Turn your work so that you get the working yarn on the right needle and keep the yarn at the back.
2) Slip the first stitch from the left needle to right needle.
3) Pass the last stitch cast on in the previous step over the slipped stitch. This will join the bottom and the top edges and finish the thumb opening.
4) Resume working the stitch pattern.

 

Last updated: April 8, 2011