Thanks for all your encouragement in getting this pattern up. I'm really happy that so many of you e-mailed and commented that you were looking forward to the pattern. And THANK YOU for making it your favorite on Ravelry! So here it is!
*Please let me know if you find errors in this pattern by e-mailing me at allison@simplysockyarn.com . I'll post corrections, if there are any, in red text.
I designed these gloves out of necessity- to keep my hands and lower arms warm as I type, which I spend much of the day doing. I left off fingers to that I could type effectively, and chose a pattern with no cables or thick ribbing so that the surface was smooth and wouldn't impede my typing. But after wearing them outdoors as well, I realize that having the fingers free makes them good for driving, manipulating a toddler's car seat buckle, sipping a cup of coffee, and even knitting.
The name of this pattern is an homage to my college days at IU, when my favorite prof was an avid entomologist who somehow made the world of bugs interesting to a girl who previously dismissed them as icky. The stitch pattern of these mitts reminds me of the veins of a butterfly's wings, and the butterfly is part of the order Lepidoptera. It just so happens that the color of yarn I used in this pattern is named Butterfly too. The stitch pattern is a variation of one from Nicky Epstein's, Knitting on the Edge: Ribs, Ruffles, Lace, Fringes, Floral, Points & Picots: The Essential Collection of 350 Decorative Borders
. A beautiful book that was gifted to me by Joe several years ago, and that I have looked to countless times for inspiration.
Materials: Yarn pictured is Dream in Color's Knitosophy sock yarn in the Butterfly color, The skein is 100 grams and 450 yards, but I used less than 1/2 that for both mitts. You can use any fingering weight yarn- I think Simply Sock Yarn would be good for solids (just one skein) and Casbah would be nice for a luxuriously soft mitt. The solid red mitt shown is Tilli Tomas Milan in American Beauty- and you would just need one skein for shorter mitts. You'll need 5 double point needles in your choice of size(US 1 or 2); you'll knit with 4 and use the 5th for holding the thumb stitches. You'll also need a needle for weaving in ends, and two stitch markers.
Size: I knit these for myself, and I have somewhat large hands and thick wrists. I used size US 2 needles. You might consider going down to a US 1.5 or US 1 if you have smaller hands/wrists.
Instructions
Cast on 48 stitches. Distribute as follows: 24 sts on needle 1, 12 sts on needle 2, 12 sts on needle 3. Join into a round.
Cuff:K1 tbl, p1* repeat around. Repeat this rib for another 5 rounds.
Arm:Complete the above stitch pattern 4 times for the mid-length mitt pictured. For a shorter mitt, decrease to three or even two pattern repeats. I chose a longer arm b/c I want to keep my lower arm warm when my coat sleeve edges up as I carry a toddler.
Thumb gusset: After completing your desired number of pattern repeats for the arm, you'll start increasing to allow for a thumb.
Row 1: Knit pattern through first 12 stitches, PM, M1, PM. Knit the rest of the round, keeping in the stitch pattern. You have added one stitch between the markers.
Row 2: Knit in pattern first 12 stitches (to 1st marker), SM, M1, K1, M1, SM, continue rest of round in pattern. You have 3 stitches between the markers
Row 3: Knit in pattern to first marker. SM, K1, M1, K1 tbl, M1, K1, SM, continue rest of round in pattern. You have 5 sts b/t the markers.
Row 4: Knit in pattern to first marker. SM, K1, M1, P1, K1 tbl, P1, M1, K1, SM, continue rest of round in pattern. You have 7 sts. b/t the markers.
Row 5: KNit in pattern to first marker. SM, K1, M1, K1 tbl, P1, K1 tbl, P1, K1 tbl, M1, K1, SM, continue rest of round in pattern. You have 9 sts b/t the markers.
Continue increasing by making two stitches per row between the markers until you have made 15 stitches, set up like this: k1, *k1tbl, p1* 6 times, k1tbl, k1.
Knit each round 7 more times, and keep the k1tbl, p1 pattern in the thumb gusset stitches.
Slip the 15 thumb gusset stitches to the 5th spare needle to be held there while you knit the hand. You will come back and complete the thumb after you finish the hand.
Setup stitches as follows for the hand: 24 sts on needle 1, 12 sts on needle 2, 12 sts on needle 3.
Now you'll knit the hand, keeping with the stitch pattern, for 12-14 rounds.
Finally, finish the hand by knitting 6 rounds of a* k1 tbl, p1* rib. Cast off. You'll want the finished mitt to come below your middle knuckles, as pictured.
Now you'll knit the thumb. Join yarn, then knit the 15 held stitches as p1, k1 tbl rib. Pick up 7 stitches along the thumb gusset and continue p1, k1 tbl. KNit this rib for 7 rounds, then cast off.
Weave in all ends.
* * * * *
PM = place marker
SM = slip marker
SSK = slip first stitch as if you knit, slip second stitch as if you purl, knit those stitches together
K2tog = knit two together
K1 tbl = knit through back loop