I've been trying to get in as much knitting as I can... working to finish my sweater coat and fingerless gloves to match. I've been taking a break going back and forth from the gloves to the coat sweater, which is taking longer than I though it would. Truth be know, my butt has gotten a little bigger and the coat had to go up a bit larger. I am going to keep at it thought until it's completed. In the meantime I am also knitting the gloves to match. I didn't want to make them ivory and spend my time washing them constantly to keep them clean. So as you know I opted for this color. A taupe and ivory combination. This is the second one in the making.
As you know I found this pattern here, but did a bit of changes to suit my own needs. I am not fond of the fingerless glove, only because they have no option to cover my hand if I am walking in the cold. I've seen the mittens with the cover that folds back which doesn't appeal to me either. I don't like the big half top of the mitten it just seems bulky to me. So all day yesterday I worked to get the fingerless mitten option I wanted, and believe me, I did a lot of ripping out of stitches to make it work. The pattern I used called for knitting flat instead of in the round and finishing the side with a mattress stitch to close, leaving a space for your thumb was optional. As you can see I left it open and crocheted in a bit of covering for my thumb.
Then I added a long crocheted cuff making it a fingerless glove. But, is it really!
This is the other side to give you a better view of the cuff and thumb addition. I made them 9" long and used Vanna White Yarn I had left over from making my slippers last year.
This is a better view of the fingerless glove and cuff by itself. I can't tell you how cozy warm it feels. The magic of what I did is next and I love it!!
I continued crocheting the top in single crochets and finished off with a round of double crochets. Then I was so excited to get one completely done, I grabbed a button which I thought was a bit of a darker rustic green. Not the case... as you can see it's a bit brighter than what I wanted so I will change it later. You can also see how it looks more like a mitten. I like my thumb left out for doing things like signing a paper or for whatever else. It just seem to help and I like the look!
I made my fingerless glove that turns into a mitten so easily, without the bulky half flat, that I just don't like. Plus it all looks knitted! Okay well sorta, to the eye who doesn't knit or crochet they wouldn't know. So how did I do it?
I did several rows of single crochet and decreased as the rows continued. I kept notes and will put them together for you sometime this weekend, hopefully. Notice how the top is closed? I began a chain to as if to start a crochet project, made it as long as I needed, to weave in and out of the double crochet round. Then I took the long pieces at the end of each of the chain tied them together after weaving.
Here is how the glove works...after I tied the chain I took the long ends and weaved them in to the chain to hide them. When I weaved the chain into the dc row I did it on the palm side. When pulled to make the closed mitten the chain goes over the top to the backside and attaches to the button. When the cuff is down both the button and pull chain are hidden perfectly, only to be exposed for use as a mitten. Isn't it just the bees knees?
I can't wait to finish the other one and start wearing them!!
<3 Pamela
