JenJoycg's Pin-Striped Fingerless Mits
You will need 2 balls of Merino Superwash wool, in DK weight, and size #3 (or #4) needles. It makes a sturdy pair of mits to fit average women's hands. Of course, you can successfully substitute sport or worsted weight yarn, in any fiber content, and needles accordingly, for slightly bigger or slightly smaller pair Of mits. Note: You will use less than 5Og each color, but start with a full 5Og ball for each color. Choose two colors which play well off one another, such as dark & light or dull & vivid, or just anything you love to match up. this I found is the detail which is the most fun! I have written this pattern to designate a main color and an accent color, the main color being the color you begin the 9 rows of rib with, and the accent color being the one you add to create the single-row ‘pin-stripes‘ as then a little vertical line which happens at the thumb gusset increases in the accent color which is most pleasing !
Note: you will not cut either color yarn while knitting from beginning to end, but to take up the previous color and switch out each row. Begin by casting on 44 stitches on to either a set of double-pointed needles or a pair of circular needles, place row-end marker, and being careful not to twist knitting, join together and work a rib in a Knit 1- Purl 1 pattern for 9 rows in main color. Row 10 ～ Switch to accent color and knit 1 row, then at the row marker, drop and switch back to the main color, giving a delicate little ‘tug' on the new color each time you pick it up at the beginning of the row. Note: With the first row being an exception, continue by giving the new color a teeny tiny little tug at the switch, it tightens up the knitting at the row-end and the pin-stripes continue around very nicely, without a noticeable jog. Repeat these alternating colors knitting in the round for 19 accent pin-stripes, or37rows. Note: These mits are long, aprox. 9 inches in length from cuff-to-cuff, and if you'd like them shorter, simply begin the next step after fewer rows. Row 38 \~ Knitting the main color, just after the 19th accent stripe, you will place markers for the thumb gusset as follows: Knit 21 stitches, place marker, knit 2, place marker, knit 21 stitches back to row-end marker. Row 39 \~ In the accent color, knit up to first thumb gusset marker, slip marker, and increase 2 stitches as follows : Lift the stitch beneath the next stitch to the left (it will be an accent color) on to the needle, knit into it (creating a right-leaning increase) then knit the next stitch (it will be main color) and then up to second gusset marker. Now lift the stitch to the right, from the same previous row as you did the first increased stitch (in accent color, it will appear two rows down as you've just knit one on top of it), lift on to the needle, and increase 1 more stitch by knitting into it (creating a left-leaning increase) ～ slip marker and continue the round. You have just completed an increase row. Continue knitting the round, increasing every other row inside of gusset markers, on the accent color. This will create a vertical line of the accent color on each edge of the thumb gusset! Continue until you have 16 gusset stitches inside of the two gusset markers. Now continue to knit without increasing inside of the gusset markers for 5 more rows, ending having just knit in the main color. On the next accent color row, knit around up to the first gusset marker, remove marker, and place all 16 of the thumb gusset stitches on to a piece of waste yarn or a holder, then remove second gusset marker, and then proceed as follows : With accent color, cast on two stitches with backward loop on to working needle thereby adding 2 stitches to bridge across hand totaling 44 stitches for hand section and continue around to end of row. You will proceed, alternating colors in the usual manner, for 11 more rows, ending at the end of a main color row. Continue in main color to rib with Knit 1-Purl 1 for 6 rows, then bind off. Now you must rib the thumb section. With your needles, transfer stitches from the holder (they will be in main color), and pick up two loops from knitted bridge across the hand (you can fudge this, trying for main color, but any picked up stitch loop will work) , creating 2 more stitches for a total of 18 thumb stitches. In main color rib K1-P1 for 6 rows, bind off. Weave in loose ends. Make another. Give a nice gentle sudzy soak & rinse, and dry flat. At last, slip on your pin-striped mits and be toasty warm and ready for many compliments !
