For almost as long as I've been a knitter, I've been fascinated by the history of knitting. I've especially enjoyed the mind-twisting process of working with the often obtuse and obfuscatory language of antique patterns. There's a thrill, I find, in watching a project emerge row by row and knowing that other knitters, long gone, followed the same path.

The process of decoding, testing and correcting isn't for everyone, though; and so in this column I hope to share the excitement of the journey by removing as many of the roadblocks as possible. You don't need to be a historian to come along -- just a knitter with a curious mind.

Down the Tubes

Now, this time I am giving you the pattern for a nineteenth-century glove and I don't want to hear any whining about it.

Knitty doesn't dictate what I may or may not write about for any given issue, but the nice editor lady suggested that for winter "something for the hands" would be well-received.

So, gloves. It was either that or mittens, right? "Something for the hands" does rather limit the scope. You have gloves, you have mittens, you have what we now call fingerless mitts but often used to be called (to my great amusement) "muffatees."

The search also turned up a few mid-Victorian patterns for muffs, but I am ignoring them on the highly professional grounds that they are all butt-ugly. If the nice editor lady should ask in the future for "something butt-ugly," you may well expect to see a Victorian knitted ermine-effect muff in this space. But for this issue, no.

(Spoiler alert: knitted ermine really doesn't look much like ermine. You are fooling nobody, you and your fake ermine.)

Anyhow, gloves. Yes.

No whining because of the fingers. We all know that fingers are the issue with gloves, because until you get to the fingers a glove is just an unfinished mitten. Does anybody whine about mittens? No. Mittens are safe. Mittens are cute. Safe and cute. "Mittens" rhymes with "kittens" for a reason.*

So what exactly is the problem with fingers?

There are only four of them, if the usual configuration is observed. Is four a frightening number? Why should it be? Many lovely things come in fours. Beatles, for one. Also seasons, elements, and points on a compass rose.

Also Horsemen of the Apocalypse; but let us set them aside for the moment.

So four...what? What are the fingers on a glove?

Tubes. That's all. Tubes.

Have you knit a tube before? I bet you have. A sock, a sleeve, the lower portion of a hat? If you have made any of these, most likely you know your way around a tube.

Fingers aren't even big tubes. Twenty-two stitches around? That's nothing.
Are you going to let four itsy-bitsy little tubes stand between you and the pleasure of making something handsome and warm? Certainly handsomer and warmer than a stupid fake-ermine muff.

And a muff is a tube, too! And when you finish it, all you have is a muff!

It's not even worth getting out of bed for that.

So try these gloves, okay?

If you get to the top of the hand and go all woozy and decide to stop and bind off and call them fingerless mitts, I promise I won't judge you.

Much.

*Or perhaps not, but this is my column and I'll write whatever I want.

Adapted by Franklin Habit from Weldon's Practical Knitter, 1st Series (1880s)

SIZE
Men's large (see Sizing Options, below)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Hand circumference, not including thumb gore, unstretched: 7.5 inches
Length from Cuff Opening to Tip of Longest Finger: 11.25 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight [100% Superwash merino; approx. 300 yd/329m per 4.5 oz/127g skein]; color: True Blood Red; 1 skein
Note: each glove uses approximately 2 oz of yarn

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #0/2mm double-point needles -- 4-6 needles required (see Pattern Notes)

Notions
yarn needle
2 stitch holders (optional, see Pattern Notes)
2 stitch markers

GAUGE

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

Stitch Pattern. After the cuff, the glove is worked throughout (except for very last rounds of the fingers and thumb) in a simple but effective texture pattern. Take special care at transition points in the glove (for example, when beginning each finger) to maintain the pattern.

Texture Pattern
Round 1-2: Knit.
Round 3: [K1, p1] around.

Needles. The original pattern calls for DPNs, and although gloves can be made using the Magic Loop or Two Circulars method, to preserve the original very sensible use of spare DPNs instead of holders -- see below -- we've kept the pattern true to that, complete with specific stitch arrangements. If you've worked gloves before, you'll see it can be fairly easily converted to another method of working if you prefer.

Spare Needles versus Stitch Holders. The original pattern uses spare DPNs to hold the live sts for the hand while the thumb and fingers are being worked. I tried this method and found that I like it very much. Note that if you choose this course of action, you will need six dpns–a standard set of five, plus one. If you are nervous about the stitches slipping off, you may of course use holders where indicated. For this project, I strongly recommend stiff metal or plastic stitch holders, particularly of the variety that can be loaded and unloaded from either end. I do not recommend using lengths of scrap yarn, which will be difficult to deal with when it's time to return the held stitches to the needles.

M1. To increase, use the "make one" increase here that uses the running yarn between two stitches. Historical note: The original pattern indicates that select increases in the thumb gore are purled, presumably to preserve the unity of the stitch pattern. However, it doesn't work and is a pain in the ass to do; so the sample uses only knitted increases.

Casting On for Thumb and Fingers. The sample used the simple Backwards Loop Cast On as described here.

Sizing Options. As usual, the sizing of the original pattern is extremely vague, giving two options: the man's size translated here; and the identical article knitted with finer (!) yarn and needles for a woman. Also as usual, no information is provided about tension. I have found that the hand as written nicely accomodates a range of hands from a woman's medium to a men's large. The only alteration needed for smaller hands is shorter fingers. If you'd like to give that a try, work each finger until you are about one-half inch shy of the desired length, ending with a knit/purl round; then decrease as written.

DIRECTIONS

Work three full repeats of Texture pattern and then knit 2 rounds.

Thumb Gore
Rnd 1: K1, p1, place marker; m1, k1, m1; place marker, p1, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.

Rnds 2-3: Knit.

Rnd 4: K1, p1; sl marker, m1, p1, k1, p1, m1, slip marker; p1, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.

Rnds 5-6: Knit.

Rnd 7: [K1, p1] around.
Rnds 8, 9: Knit.

Rnd 10: K1, p1; sl marker, m1, [k1, p1] twice, k1, m1, slip marker; p1, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.

Rnds 11-12: Knit.

Rnd 13: K1, p1; sl marker, m1, p1, [k1, p1] three times, m1, slip marker; p1, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.

Rnds 14-15: Knit.

Rnd 16: K1, p1; sl marker, m1, k1, [p1, k1] four times, m1, slip marker; p1, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.

Rnds 17-18: Knit.

Rnd 19: K1, p1; sl marker, m1, p1, [k1, p1] five times, m1, slip marker; p1, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.

Rnds 20-21: Knit.

Rnd 22: K1, p1; sl marker, m1, k1, [p1, k1] 6 times, slip marker; p1, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.

Rnd 23-24: Knit.

Rnd 25: K1, p1; sl marker, m1, k1, [k1, p1] 7 times, m1, slip marker; p1, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.

You will have 73 sts arranged as follows: 35 sts on Ndl 1 (including the 17 sts of the gore, between the markers), and 19 sts each on Ndls 2 and 3.

Work 6 rounds even in Texture Pattern.

Arrange stitches before working the thumb as follows:
Knit first 2 sts from Ndl 1 to Ndl 3 (21 sts on Ndl 3), removing first thumb gore marker.
Sl last 16 sts from Ndl 1 to Ndl 2 (35 sts on Ndl 2), removing second thumb gore marker.
Sl last 7 sts from Ndl 2 to Ndl 3.
You will have the 17 sts of the thumb gore on Ndl 1, and 28 sts each on Ndls 2 and 3.

If using stitch holders, slide the sts from Ndls 2 and 3 onto holders, taking care to keep the sts divided on the holders (28 each) exactly as they were on the ndls.

If you choose not to use holders, leave Ndls 2 and 3 in place to hold the live sts. You will need two additional dpns to knit the thumb.

Thumb
K all sts on Ndl 1. CO 5 sts. Divide these 22 sts among 3 dpns and join to work in the rnd on these 3 ndls.

K 1 rnd.

Work thumb continuing the established stitch pattern (see Pattern Notes) for a total of 30 rnds, counting the rnd in which the 5 sts were CO as Rnd 1.

Dec rnd 1: [K2, k2tog] five times, k2. 17 sts.

Next rnd: K.

Dec rnd 2: [K1, k2tog] four times, k2. 12 sts.

Break working yarn and draw through rem sts. Pull tight, then take several sts over the top of the thumb to secure opening. Run the yarn to the WS and weave in end.

Upper Hand
If you used stitch holders to secure the sts of the hand, return these sts now to two dpns, taking care to keep the sts divided exactly as they were originally.

With an empty ndl, pu and k 4 sts along the base of the thumb, and knit 16 sts from the next ndl (Ndl 2). This is now Ndl 1, with 20 sts.

With free ndl, k remaining 12 sts on Ndl 2, then k 8 sts from Ndl 3. This is now Ndl 2, with 20 sts.
With free ndl, k 20 remaining sts on Ndl 3. 60 sts.

Starting with Rnd 2, work 29 more rounds in Stitch Pattern (see Pattern Notes), ending with a [K1, p1] rnd.

Slip sts of front and back of hand onto two free dpns, dividing evenly (30 each) beginning at the center of the 4 sts CO at the base of the thumb.

First Finger
K 9 sts from thumb end of one holding ndl, CO 4, then sl 9 sts from thumb end of other holding ndl to spare dpn and k. 22 sts.
Divide evenly on 3 dpns and work in Stitch Pattern (see Pattern Notes) for 33 rnds, counting initial rnd of finger as Rnd 1. Decrease and finish as for thumb.

Second Finger
Pu and k 4 sts from the CO edge of First Finger. K 7 sts from first holding ndl, CO 4, and k 7 sts from second holding ndl. 22 sts.
Divide evenly on 3 dpns and work in Stitch Pattern (see Pattern Notes) for 39 rnds, counting initial rnd of finger as Rnd 1. Decrease and finish as for thumb.

Third Finger
Pu and k 4 sts from the CO edge of Second Finger. K 7 sts from first holding ndl, CO 4, and k 7 sts from second holding ndl. 22 sts.
Divide evenly on 3 dpns and work in Stitch Pattern (see Pattern Notes) for 33 rnds, counting initial rnd of finger as Rnd 1. Decrease and finish as for thumb.

Fourth Finger
Pu and k 4 sts from the CO edge of Third Finger. K 7 sts from first holding ndl, CO 4, and k 7 sts from second holding ndl. Work in Stitch Pattern (see Pattern Notes) for 27 rnds, , counting initial rnd of finger as Rnd 1. Decrease and finish as for thumb.

FINISHING
Weave in remaining ends on WS. Where new yarn has been joined to begin thumb and fingers, take care to close any gaps by pulling the working yarn firmly before weaving. Wash and gently block. Allow to dry completely before wearing.