Knitty: little purls of wisdom
EarthFaire
Title
beauty shot

Tangy

Lots of people loved my Kingdom gloves. However I read a lot of comments from people all saying the same thing – that they were amazing but too fiddly, too detailed, and/or too complicated for people to knit, and wouldn’t it be nice if they were fingerless?

I understand the concern about how difficult those gloves are to knit. I figured there had to be a way to make the elegant cables more accessible. So after lots of playing around with ideas I present Kingdom’s companion – Queen City.  Larger needles, no cabling over short rows, fewer crosses, and no fingers all make these fingerless mitts more approachable.

spacer photos: Neil Herrick

SIZE
XS [S, M, L, XL] (shown in size M)

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FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Wrist circumference: 6[6.5, 7, 7.5, 8] inches
Knuckle circumference: 6[6.5, 7, 7.5, 8] inches
Note: For a good fit, choose the finished measurements closest to your hand and wrist measurements.

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MATERIALS
Yarn

spacer KnitPicks Gloss [70% merino wool, 30% silk; 220yd/201m per 50g skein]; color: Jade; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
spacer 1 set US #2/2.75 mm double-point needles

Notions
spacer Yarn needle
spacer Thin cable needle
spacer Stitch marker

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GAUGE
28 sts/42 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

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

chartC2B: Slip next st to cable needle and hold to back of work; k1 from left needle, k1 from cable needle.

C2F: Slip next st to cable needle and hold to front of work; k1 from left needle, k1 from cable needle.

C2BP: Slip next st to cable needle and hold to back of work; k1 from left needle, p1 from cable needle.

C2FP: Slip next st to cable needle and hold to front of work; p1 from left needle, k1 from cable needle.

C3B: Slip next st to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, k1 from cable needle.

C3F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; k1 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.

C1/2BP: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k1 from left needle, p2 from cable needle.

C1/2FP: Slip next st to cable needle and hold to front of work; p2 from left needle, k1 from cable needle.

C2/1BP: Slip next st to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, p1 from cable needle.

chartC2/1FP: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; p1 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.

C1/1/1BP: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k1 from left needle, slip p st from end of cable neede to left needle and p this st; k1 from cable needle.

C4B:
Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.

C4F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; k2 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.

C4BP: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, p2 from cable needle.

C4FP: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; p2 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.

C5BP: Slip next 3 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, slip p st from end of cable neede to left needle and p this st; k2 from cable needle.

3-st inc: 3 sts will be worked into 1 st; do not drop st from left needle until all 3 sts have been worked. Into next st, k into back loop, p into front loop, k into back loop again. Drop st from left needle; 1 st increased to 3 sts.

5-st inc: 5 sts will be worked into 1 st; do not drop st from left needle until all 5 sts have been worked. Into next st, k into front loop, k into back loop, p into front loop, k into back loop again, k into front loop again. Drop st from left needle; 1 st increased to 5 sts.

3-st dec: From right to left, next 3 sts on left needle are designated sts A, B and C. Slip sts A and B to right needle, pass st A over st B. Slip st B back to left needle, pass st C over; k remaining st (st B). 3 sts have been decreased to 1 st.

5-st dec: From right to left, next 5 sts on left needle are designated sts A, B, C, D and E. Slip sts A, B and C to right needle, pass st B over st C. Slip st C back to left needle, pass st D over. Slip st C to right needle, pass st A over. Slip st C back to left needle, pass st E over; k remaining st (st C). 5 sts have been decreased to 1 st.

Chart
The main chart for this pattern is very large and fits on a letter-sized page.
Click here and print the resulting page.

DIRECTIONS

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CUFF
CO 18 sts. Do not join; cuff is worked back and forth in rows.

Set-up Row [WS]: K8, p1, [k2, p1] twice, k3.
From this point, first st of each row is slipped.

When working Cuff Chart pattern as directed below, work as follows:
RS rows: Sl 1 purlwise, work chart row, k1, p8.
WS rows: Sl 1 knitwise, k7, p1, work chart row, k1.

Work Rows 1-12 of Cuff Chart 5[5, 6, 6, 7] times, then work 1[7, 0, 5, 0] more rows in pattern following Rows 13 and 14 of chart.

Cuff measures approx. 6[6.5, 7, 7.5, 8] inches.

BO all sts.

Break yarn, leaving a tail approx. 6 inches long. Use tail to sew CO edge to BO edge, lining up sts of cable. Lozenge shape formed by cable pattern at join may be longer than other lozenge shapes.

WRIST
Turn cuff inside out, so that WS is facing out. Sts will be picked up along edge of cuff lining (the portion of the cuff that was worked in reverse stockinette st). Once mitten is completed, cabled portion of cuff will be folded up over cuff lining and sewn in place.

With WS (stockinette st side) facing and beginning at seam, pick up and k 43[45, 49, 53, 57] sts (approx. 2 sts for every 3 rows) evenly around edge of cuff lining. Round begins at cuff seam.
Divide sts between three needles so that there are 11[12, 14, 16, 18] sts on first and third needles of round (Needles 1 and 3), and 21 sts on second needle of round (Needle 2). Wrist will be worked in the round.

Work in stockinette st until work measures 1 inch from picked-up edge.

Next Round: K to end of Needle 1, work Row 1 of Hand Chart over sts on Needle 2,  to end of Needle 3.
From this point, work Hand Chart over sts on Needle 2.

Continue in pattern until you have completed Row 12 of Hand Chart.

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THUMB GUSSET
Set-up round for Thumb Gusset is worked differently for right and left hands. As you work thumb gusset, continue to work Hand Chart over sts on Needle 2, and work all other sts in stockinette st.

Left Hand:
Set-up Round: K8[8, 10, 12, 13], place marker, work in pattern to end of round.

Right Hand:
Set-up Round: Work in pattern to end of Needle 2, k first 2[3, 3, 3, 4] sts of Needle 3, place marker, k to end of round.

Both Hands:
Round 1: Work in pattern to marker, slip marker, m1, k1, m1, work in pattern to end of round.

Rounds 2-3: Work in pattern.

Round 4: Work in pattern to marker, slip marker, m1, k3, m1, work in pattern to end of round.

Rounds 5-6: Work in pattern.

Round 7: Work in pattern to marker, slip marker, m1, k5, m1, work in pattern to end of round.

Size XS Only:
Continue in pattern until Row 27 of Hand Chart has been completed. Proceed to Thumb opening.

Sizes S, M Only:
Rounds 8, 9: Work in pattern.
Round 10: Work in pattern to marker, slip marker, m1, k7, m1, work in pattern to end of round.
Continue in pattern until Row -[29, 31, -, -] of Hand Chart has been completed. Proceed to Thumb opening.

Sizes L, XL Only:
Rounds 8, 9: Work in pattern.
Round 10: Work in pattern to marker, slip marker, m1, k7, m1, work in pattern to end of round.
Rounds 11, 12: Work in pattern.
Round 13: Work in pattern.
Round 14: Work in pattern to marker, slip marker, m1, k9, m1, work in pattern to end of round.

Continue in pattern until Row -[-, -, 33, 38] of Hand Chart has been completed.

For size L, proceed to Thumb opening.
For size XL, k 1 more round, then proceed to Thumb opening.

THUMB OPENING
Note: Once all rows of Hand Chart have been completed, work sts on Needle 2 in stockinette st.
In the next round, sts will be bound off for thumb opening. BO these sts using this technique: Sl next 2 sts to right needle, pass first slipped st over second slipped st (1 st bound off), [sl next st to right needle, pass previous slipped st over next st] until required number of sts have been bound off; pass last slipped st back to left needle. This technique leaves working yarn attached to sts on right needle.

Left Hand:
Next Round: K to 3 sts before marker, BO 11[13, 13, 15, 15] sts as described above, CO 5 sts and rejoin to continue working in the round; work in pattern to end of round.

Right Hand:
Next Round: Work in pattern to 1 st before marker, BO 11[13, 13, 15, 15] sts as described above, CO 5 sts and rejoin to continue working in the round; k to end of round.

Both Hands:
Continue in pattern until mitten measures 6.25[6.25, 6.5, 6.75, 6.75] inches with cuff folded over lining. When all rounds of Hand Chart have been worked, there will be 43[45, 49, 53, 57] sts.

Next Round: P all sts to form turning ridge for upper hem facing.
K 5 rounds. Loosely BO all sts and break yarn, leaving a tail approx. 12 inches long.

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FINISHING
Fold upper hem facing to WS and sew in place using attached yarn tail. Fold cuff to RS and sew neatly over cuff lining. When sewing hem facing and cuff lining, take care not to sew too tightly; it is important to maintain the elasticity of the knitted fabric.

Weave in ends and block.

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ABOUT THE DESIGNER

designernamespacer Becky lives in Lamoille county in Vermont with her husband Neil, two cats and two dogs, and a growing number of farm animals. She knits and designs on the bus to her real job every day.

She can be found on Ravelry as ladysaphira and blogs here.

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