Knitty: little purls of wisdom
Title
beauty shot Tangy

When I put my very first knitting design to paper, a good friend pointed out an interesting shape in the corner of the scarf: a tiny cable that barely had space for one twist before it was swallowed by a series of knit-two-togethers.

Like a moth (Nachtfalter in German) that strayed into one's home and refused to leave even after all the windows and doors have been thrown wide open, this little cable rattled around the corners of my brain until I featured it in its own design.

In these fingerless mitts, this moth-like cable flutters out of thick garter fabric to perch across the knuckles of the wearer, hovering above classic daisy eyelet motifs. The mitts are knit flat and grafted, using short rows to create the thumb gusset. The project is quick to complete and uses less than 75 grams of yarn. Instructions for two sizes are provided.

 

spacer model: You-Shan Feng
spacer photos: You-Shan Feng & Martin Jackisch
 

SIZE
Women's Small[Large]
To fit palm circumference up to 7.5[8.5] inches
shown in size small (green) and large (pink)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Palm circumference: 6[7] inches unstretched
Length: 9.25[10] inches

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MATERIALS
Yarn

Green Mitts
spacer Schachenmayr select Extra Soft Merino Alpaca [80% Merino, 20% Alpaca; 142yd/130m per 50g skein]; 06067: Dark Green; 2 skeins

Pink Mitts
spacer Schachenmayr SMC Extra Merino [100% Virgin Wool; 142yd/130m per 50g skein]; 00035: Lipstick Pink; 2 skeins
Note: Both versions used only 1.5 skeins of yarn per pair.


Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
spacer US #6/4mm needles for working flat
Note: if you're using a circular needle, you will need a spare needle for the grafted closure

Notions
spacer cable needle
spacer 4 stitch markers
spacer waste yarn for cast on
spacer yarn needle

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GAUGE

22 sts/30 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
22 sts/48 rows (24 ridges) = 4 inches in garter stitch
 

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

chartC6B: Sl 3 sts onto cable needle and hold to back of work, k3 from left needle, k3 from cable needle

Any provisional cast on method works for this project. Instructions for one method is provided here.

Kitchener Stitch:
Instructions for grafting can be found here

Selvage edge stitch: To create smooth edges for the mitts, the pattern features a slipped selvage stitch at the beginning of every row and the WS rows of the thumb gusset.

To work a wrap and turn (w&t) in garter, k to the point indicated in pattern, bring yarn to front of work between the needles, sl the next stitch from left to right needle purlwise, bring yarn to back of work between the needles (wrapping the stitch) and sl the stitch back to the left needle. Turn work and bring yarn to the back of the work between the needles. You don't need to pick up any wraps in this project.

DIRECTIONS
RIGHT MITT
Using the provisional cast on of your choice, CO 51[55] sts.

Garter row: Sl1p wyif, k to end.
Work 2 more rows as set.

Thumb Gusset:
Row 1 [RS]: Sl1p wyif, k39[42], turn work (without wrapping).

Row 2 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k3, w&t.

Row 3 [RS]: K4, turn work.

Row 4 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k5, w&t.

Row 5 [RS]: K6, turn work.

Row 6 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k7, w&t.

Row 7 [RS]: K8, turn work.

Row 8 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k9, w&t.

Row 9 [RS]: K10, turn work.

Row 10 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k11, w&t.

Row 11 [RS]: K12, turn work.

Row 12 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k13, w&t.

Row 13 [RS]: K14, turn work.

Row 14 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k11, w&t.

Row 15 [RS]: K12, turn work.

Row 16 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k9, w&t.

Row 17 [RS]: K10, turn work.

Row 18 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k7, w&t.

Row 19 [RS]: K8, turn work.

Row 20 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k5, w&t.

Row 21 [RS]: K6, turn work.

Row 22 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k3, w&t.

Row 23 [RS]: K to end of row.

Work 5[7] more rows in garter st.

Moth and Daisies Motif:
Row 1 [RS]: Sl1p wyif, k36[39], pm, work row 1 of Chart A across next 9 sts, pm, k to end.

Row 2 [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k to m, work row 2 of Chart A, k to end.

Work as set until Row 12 of Chart A is complete.

Next row [RS]: Sl1p wyif, k3[4], pm, work row 1 of Chart B 3 times, pm, k to next m, slip m, work next row of Chart A, k to end.
Following row [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k to m, work Chart A, k to next m, work Chart B 3 times, k to end.

Work as set until Chart B is complete, and row 22 of Chart A is complete.

Next row [RS]: Sl1p wyif, k to the third m, removing the first two as you pass them, work row 27 of Chart A, k to end.
Next row [WS]: Sl1p wyif, k to m, work next row of Chart A, k to end.

Work as set until Chart A is complete. Remove markers when working the final row.

Work 28[38] more rows in garter st ending with a WS row.

Break yarn, leaving an approximately 20-inch tail.

Undo the provisional cast on and place the stitches onto another needle. Thread long yarn tail onto a yarn needle and with RS facing, graft the two edges together.

LEFT MITT
Provisionally CO 51[55] sts.
Garter row: Sl1p wyif, k to end.
Work 28[38] more rows in garter as set.

Next, work the 34 rows of the Moth and Daises motif as for the Right mitt.

Work 4[6] rows in garter st.

Work the 23 rows of the Thumb Gusset as for the Right mitt.

Work 3 more rows in garter st ending with a WS row.

Break yarn, leaving an approximately 20 inch tail.

Undo the provisional cast on and place the stitches onto another needle. Thread the long yarn tail onto a yarn needle and with RS facing, graft the two edges together.

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FINISHING
Block and weave in ends.

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ABOUT THE DESIGNER

You-Shan lives, works and plays in Greifswald, Germany, where her yarn stash will soon consume the Baltic Sea like The Blob.

You can find her on Ravelry here.

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