by Mari Chiba

This pattern started because of a prompt, "knit gloves with SilverSpun and a Fibre Company yarn". I chose to knit with two different weights, to create textural difference. Knitting the body of the gloves with a heavier weight yarn gives it a little more warmth, and makes them faster to knit. I wanted to create a pattern that would highlight the beauty of Canopy Worsted and the conductive quality of SilverSpun. I wanted a glove that was functionally useful and aesthetically logical. An old school glove with SilverSpun on the tips seemed banal.

So, I thought about what I wear on the 3 days a year it gets cold here in North Carolina. When I'm out walking around the lake I wear my hand knit gloves and my favorite hoodie with thumb holes and I pull the sleeves over my gloves for a double layer of warmth. And the Connectivity Gloves were born! A glove that's also a mitten! My fingertips are the first part of my body to get cold, so you can flip down the mitten portion to give an extra layer of warmth to your fingers or fold it up and use your favorite touch screen device. It looks like a glove AND a fingerless mitten, but you don't get too much bulk on the palm of your hand.

I really recommend using SilverSpun for this pattern because it is a truly magical yarn. Pure silver is spun into the yarn, which makes these gloves conductive, and since the silver is spun into the yarn instead of being applied after the fact it can't wash out! Combined with the oh-so-soft Canopy Worsted, I'm looking forward to wearing these gloves on cold days this winter.

SIZE
Adult M[L] to fit 7.25-8[8-8.75] inch hand circumference
Medium shown in Sumac (above), Large shown in Obsidian (below)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Hand Circumference: 6.5[7] inches unstretched
Length: 9.75[11.5] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
[MC] The Fibre Company Canopy Worsted[50% baby alpaca, 30% merino wool, 20% bamboo; 200 yd per 100g skein]; 1 skein; color: Sumac or Obsidian
Note: See SIZE section above for note on color use

[CC] Feel Good Yarn Company SilverSpun[87% combed cotton, 11% silver, 2% lycra; 173 yd per 50g skein]; color: Natural; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #2/2.75mm needles for working in the round
US #5/3.75mm needles for working in the round

Notions
yarn needle
waste yarn in a smooth thin fiber. Crochet cotton is ideal. Dental floss works in a pinch.
stitch markers

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

These gloves can be customized according to your personal preferences. The fingers are meant to be worn with about .25 inch of negative ease so that you can accurately text your best friends and look at knitty on your electronic devices while wearing the gloves. However, if you'd like a little more wiggle room in your fingers you can pick up extra stitches between the fingers. You can also adjust the finger length according to your own (or the recipient's) hands. Knit the finger to the exact length of your finger before working decreases for the finger tips.

Depending on your climate you may or may not want the fold-over flap on your fingertips. The Medium gloves pictured have the longer fold-over mitten top and the Large gloves are shorter without the fold-over mitten top. Instructions for both options are included for both sizes.

DIRECTIONS
Cuff
With MC and larger needles CO 36[40] sts. Distribute sts across needles as you prefer and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

Ribbing round: [K2, p2] around.

Work ribbing as set until work measures 2.25[2.75] inches from cast on edge.

Knit 5[6] rnds.

Thumb Gusset:
Inc Setup Rnd: M1R, k2, M1L, pm, knit to end. 2 sts increased; 4 sts between the start of the round and the marker for the thumb gusset.

Inc Rnd:M1R, knit to m, M1L, sm, knit to end. 

Next Rnd: Knit.

Repeat last 2 rnds 4[6] more times. 14[18] sts between the start of round and the marker. 48[56] sts.

Knit 10[12] rnds.

Next round, separate thumb sts: CO 2 sts using the backwards loop method, slip next 14[18] sts to waste yarn, remove marker, knit to end. 36[40] sts.

Knit 1 rnd.

Fold-Over Top:
Thread needle with waste yarn and pull through all the stitches on the needle as if placing a lifeline. This waste yarn will be used later to pick up stitches for the fingers of the glove.

Ribbing: [K2, p2] around.

Work ribbing as set for 1.25[1.25] inches for short flap or 4[4.75] inches for long flap.

BO in pattern.

Fingers
Using smaller needles, pick up 36[40] sts from waste yarn from the inside of the mitten cuff.

Join CC.

Increase round, size M ONLY: K3, M1R, [k3, M1R, k2, M1R] 6 times, k3, M1R. 50 sts.

Increase round, size L ONLY: [K2, M1R, k3, M1R] to end. 56 sts.

Both sizes:
Knit 4 rounds.

Ring Finger
Return 39[43] sts to needles, rejoining yarn at the start, and knit across; pick up and knit 3[4] sts from inside of pinky. 42[47] sts. Join for working in the round.

Knit 3[4] rnds.

Setup for ring finger: K5, slip next 28[32] sts to waste yarn or spare needle, CO 3[4], k9[10]. 17[19] sts. Join for working in the round.
Knit until ring finger measures 2.5[3.25] inches or desired length to top of finger.
Next Rnd: K2tog to last st, k1. 9[10] sts.
Next Rnd: K1[0], k2tog to end. 5[5] sts.
Break yarn and pull through remaining stitches.

Middle Finger
Setup for middle finger: Return first 6 sts from waste yarn to needle, rejoin yarn at start and knit across them; CO 3[4], slip 6[7] sts from other side of hand onto needle and knit across them, pick up and knit 3[4] sts from inside of ring finger. Join for working in the round. 18[21] sts.
Knit in stockinette stitch until middle finger measures 2.75[3.75] inches or to desired length to top of finger.
Next Rnd: K0[1], k2tog to end. 9[11] sts.
Next Rnd: K2tog to last st, k1. 5[6] sts.
Break yarn and pull through remaining stitches.

Outer Thumb
Return 14[18] thumb sts to larger needles. Rejoin MC at start.

Rnd 1: K2tog, k1, [p2, k2] to last 3 sts, p1, p2tog. 12[16] sts.

Rib Rnd: [K2, p2] around.

Work Rib Rnd 3[4] more times.

Thread needle with waste yarn and pull through all the stitches on the needle as if placing a lifeline. This waste yarn will be used to pick up stitches for the rest of the thumb.

BO all sts.

Inner Thumb
Pick up 12[16] from waste yarn on inside of thumb, and place on smaller needles. Rejoin CC at start.

Rnd 1: [K2[8], M1R] 5[2] times, k2[0]. 17[18] sts.

Knit until thumb measures 1.75[2.25] inches or to desired length to top of thumb.

Next Rnd: K1[0], k2tog to end. 9[9] sts.
Next Rnd: K2tog to last st, k1. 5[5] sts.
Break yarn and pull through remaining stitches.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and trim. Sew up holes next to the fingers. Wash and block lightly.

Mari re-learned to knit in the Peace Corps in Armenia, started designing while teaching English in China, and now designs from the desk in her dining room in Raleigh, NC. She spends every waking moment working with yarn and fiber in one way or another.

Learn more about Mari, her designs, and what her husband calls a 'quirky' sense of humor here.