Thursday, December 23, 2010

Really Tweet Texting Mittens

With all the cell phones out in the fresh air these days, I am surprised I have not seen a pattern for these.... Mittens that will allow the user to text, tweet, twitter and well, make a phone call while keeping as many parts of the hands as possible under cover. Sure there are fingerless mittens, and hand warmers, but these expose just the essential tips of one finger and thumb on each hand! They are knit with sock yarn on small needles, and could be made in stripes with leftover sock yarns!

Yarn: standard sock yarn, about 75 grams.
Needles: 2.25mm (US 1) double pointed set of 4
Markers: one for start of row, and two different ones for thumb increases.
Stitch holders (you could use a darning needle and pass contrasting yarn through the stitches to hold them)
Gauge: 28 sts = 4 inches in 3 X 1 ribbing pattern.

3 X 1 ribbing pattern: [Knit 3, Purl1] repeat

Size: to fit ladies or teens hands. Watch length of open finger and thumb and adjust for shorter fingers... you want to leave exposed from the final knuckle.

Right Hand: Cast on 52. Divide onto 3 needles and join carefully, begin cuff pattern: [Knit2, Purl2]repeat. Place a marker to show start of row. Working in 2 x 2 ribbing, continue until 4 inches are done, moving start of row marker with each new row.

Change to 3 x 1 ribbing pattern, and work that for 1 inch.

At start of new row: work 2 stitches, place 2nd marker, knit in the front and back and front again in the next stitch, place 3rd marker, and continue in 3 x 1 ribbing as established for the rest of the row.

*for next 2 rows, knit the knits and purl the purls, making the stitches between the 2nd and 3rd markers (the thumb markers) all knit stitches.

Increase thumb row: knit 2, move marker, knit in front and back of next stitch, knit to last stitch before end of thumb marker and knit in front and back of that stitch, move marker, and work the rest of row as established.**

Repeat between * and ** until there are 13 stitches between the thumb markers.
Work 2 more rows as established.
Nest row: Knit 2, place next 13 stitches onto a holder, and remove the thumb markers, then cast one stitch on needle, and continue to work the 3 x 1 ribbing from the other side of the thumb, pulling the gap closed and letting the thumb stitches hold in front of your mitten.

Work the 3 x 1 ribbing for the rest of the hand for about 1.5 inches or until the palm of hand in completely covered (you can try it on as you go to check!).

You should still have a start of row marker that is moving up with you, so starting there make the index finger as follows: place next 7 stitches on a needle, place next 38 on a holder, and place last 7 stitches on a needle. (you have not knit any stitches while doing this)

At start of row: knit 7 from first needle, cast on two more and split these 9 more evenly onto two needles, then join the circle by knitting a third needle from the last 7 stitches. You have a small closed circle of 16 stitches. Work around this in all knit stitches for 1.75 inches or desired length for the index finger, then cast all off loosely. Leave a 5 inch end to weave in later.

Put the 38 stitches from a holder onto needles like this.... first 20 on the first needle, next 10 on second, then 8 on third needle. As you knit around these from the start, end with casting on 2 more stitches on the last needle, then join in a circle and knit the rest of the mitten top.

Work even for one inch. Decrease row: Knit 2 together at start AND end of needle 1, and knit 2 together at start only of needle 2 and end only of needle 3 (Decreases are on the outside edges of the mitten only - like a sock toe).... Now here is the tricky part. You will continue to decrease stitches at the end of needle 1 and start of needle 2 every other row (more tapered on the pinky finger side) BUT will only decrease every SIXTH row on the middle finger side.... you can do it, it's only for a couple of inches! When the whole mitten top is about 3 inches long and you have about 16 stitches left you can stop and use a weaving (kitchener stitch) to close the top like a sock...
Thumb: Place 13 stitches from holder onto 2 needles, attach yarn and knit across them both, then with a third needles, pick up 5 stitches evenly from the top side of the thumb hole. Join and work evenly for 1.5 inches for thumb, then bind of loosely all stitches.

Left Mitten: Cast on 52 and work the same as right, placing start of row marker, work until 1 inch of 3 x 1 ribbing is done.
Placement of thumb markers: Work around the mitten until 3 stitches remain BEFORE start of row marker: place thumb marker, knit in front and back and front again of next stitch, place second thumb marker.

Continue to work in the same manner as right mitten until 13 sts on the thumb, and place on holder as before. Cast one more on the needle over the thumb and continue to work the same way as the right mitten right through to the finish. Pick up and work the thumb the same.

7 comments:

My name WAS Female, I shit you not! said...

THX for writing out this pattern.
Much appreciated.
The color and pattern is very attractive.

Merry Christmas.

Amy said...

Hi Chris,
I love the texting mittens. I've been looking for a pattern for a pair of lined mittens for the longest time. I'm imagining a worsted main mitten and a liner layer knit in sock- or lace-weight woll, beginning by picking up a round just above the ribbing.
The problelm with knit mittens is that they are never really as warm as fleece mittens or those way too expensive tech fabric mittens because one layer of yarn still lets the cold in. Anyway, maybe you can whip up such an invention--:-)

yvonne delarye said...

I have a pattern for double mittens however it is a machine knitting pattern. I knit the first mitten,then without binding off knit the second mitten with a size smaller needle... it ends up one long mitten with two thumbs. When you get them finished you just tuck the smaller Mitt into the larger end and you have a very warm mitten. There must be hand knit pattern for these. If you like I can ask a friend of mine to convert the pattern to hand knitting for me and then get it to you. Let me know and I will do what I can. Yvonne.

hoofprints said...

i would not be the least bit surprised if one day I find a knitting book by you. your so talented & I just love to see your genius ideas turn into such great patterns. ive only been knitting a lil over 2 years & im pretty picky & impressed how often I pick a pattern & find out youve created it!! Go you!!! your a real inspiration!!

chris said...

That was one of the nicest comments I have ever had. I think my blog has such a HUGE impact for a new knitter because of the volume. I have been posting all my knitting (very gradually I assure you) since 2008, but it now seems like a LOT (well, I guess it is even to me now... LOL)
Cheers, Chris

Jac said...

Tks Chris. I am new in crochet and knitting.(Pensioner) I even find it difficult to read your patterns. I was looking for a pattern that all the fingers had their own hole up to the first knuckle. I had checked abount 50 mittens so far and could not find what I wanted. I had once bought a set years ago and could never find a pair again. Your pattern I think is going to work perfect, once I get to kitting.
Joyce, from Centurion, South Africa

Ellisen said...

Thanks for the Texting Mittens pattern and sharing it with us.