Free Knitting Pattern: Lazy Rib Fingerless Mitts

On Tuesday night I was looking though old entries from when this blog was solely a knitting blog, and I stumbled upon a mention of a pattern for fingerless mitts I was writing from back in ’08. I went looking for it, and eventually found it on my laptop. It was written while at a writing retreat, but I’d came down with a severe flu and didn’t trust my addled brain’s ability to do math, and then never got around to test knitting it.

So on Tuesday night I dug out a single ball of yarn I’d bought because the yarn was luscious and interesting and tried my pattern out. The pattern only needed a single correction. I decided I wanted to use up most of the ball, so I made these mitts longer at the wrist, palm and thumb and added some additional numbers to the pattern to make that version.

Lazy Rib Fingerless Mitts
50 g ball/skein 8ply/dk (I used Woolganic Knitters Yarn for the long pair, and some mystery hand dyed 8ply for the shorter pair)
4mm dpns
Stitch holder
Darning needle

CUFF
Cast on 27 st and arrange 9 st on each of three dpns (Please note: I have thinner than average wrists and haven’t yet had time to test the mitts on someone of average size. If you suspect these will be too small simply cast on 33 st instead, and place 12 st on first needle, 9 st on second needle, and 12 st on third needle. The shaping all happens on the second needle, so the pattern will still work.)
Round 1: *k2, p1* rep to end
Round 2: knit
Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 seven (fourteen for longer mitt) times in total, then Round 1 once more

HAND
Continue in rib pattern on first and third needles, but whenever you get to the second needle:
Row 1: k3, m1, k2, m1, k4
Row 2: k2, p2, k2, p2, k2 p1
Row 3: k3, m1, k4, m1, k4
Row 4: k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1
Row 5: k3, m1, k6, m1, k4
Row 6: *k2, p1* to end

Row 7: k3, m1, k8, m1, k4
Row 8: k2, p2, *k2, p1* to last 4st, p1, k2, p1
Row 9: k3, m1, k10, m1, k4
Row 10: k2, p1, k1, p1, *k2, p1* to last 5 st, k1, p1, k2, p1
Row 11: k3, m1, k12, m1, k4
Row 12: *k2, p1* to end

Row 7: k3, m1, k14, m1, k4
Row 8: k2, p2, *k2, p1* to last 4st, p1, k2, p1
Row 9: k3, m1, k16, m1, k4
Row 10: k2, p1, k1, p1, *k2, p1* to last 5 st, k1, p1, k2, p1
Row 11: k3, m1, k18, m1, k4
Row 12: *k2, p1* to end

There should be 45 st (9 st on first needle, 27 st on second needle, and 9 st on third needle)

Next row (second needle): k6, move 15 st onto holder, co 3 st, k6 (33 st on needles – 9 (or 12) st on first needle, 15 st on second needle, and 9 (or 12) st on third needle)
Rep Round 1 & 2 three times in total (six for longer mitt), then Round 1 once
Cast off in rib

THUMB
Move st on holder to needles, arranged 6 st on first needle, 6 st on second needle, and 3 st on third needle
Knit to end, pick up 3 st onto third needle at base of thumb
Rep Round 1 & 2 two times in total (four for longer mitt), then Round 1 once
Cast off in rib

Sew in ends