Leaf-Bug-Root: A fun and lacy glove pattern.This glove knits up quickly and the lace pattern is engaging yet easy to work and memorize. My favorite part: it does not use a k2tog!
Yarn: Fingering weight.
Needles: DPNs or 40-47" circulars sizes US 3 and 4.
Gauge: 6 sts/in on larger needles in st st.
Abbreviations:
CO: Cast on
PM: Place marker on needle
M1: Make one (insert left needle-tip from front to back under float between sts; k into the back of this loop)
SKP: slip 1 st purlwise, k1, pass slipped st over knitted st
YO: Yarn over
TBL: work through the back loop of the st
KFB: knit into the front and then the back of the st (increases one st to two.)
Shell Pattern (from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks) (multiple of 8 sts):
Row 1: *p1, yo, k1, p1, skp, k3, rep from * to end of round.
Row 2: *p1, yo, k2, p1, skp, k2, rep from * to end of round.
Row 3: *p1, yo, k3, p1, skp, k1, rep from * to end of round.
Row 4: *p1, yo, k4, p1, skp, rep from * to end of round.
Row 5: *p1, k5, p1, k1, rep from * to end of round.
Row 6: *p1, skp, k3, p1, yo, k1, rep from * to end of round.
Row 7: *p1, skp, k2, p1, yo, k2, rep from * to end of round.
Row 8: *p1, skp, k1, p1, yo, k3, rep from * to end of round.
Row 9: *p1, skp, p1, yo, k4, rep from * to end of round.
Row 10: *p1, k1, p1, k5, rep from * to end of round.
Right Glove:
Using smaller needles, CO 44 sts.
Join in the round.
If you are doing both gloves at a time using Magic Loop, divide the sts as foll: 26 sts on first half of the needle, 18 sts on the other.
Work in K1 tbl, P1 rib for an inch.
Still working in rib, dec. as foll:
Round 1: *K2tog tbl, work 20 sts in rib, rep from * to end.
Round 2: *work 20 sts in rib, k2togtbl, rep from * to end. (40 sts.)
Using larger needles, begin working in Shell Pattern, placing markers between repeats if desired.
Work in Shell Pattern for 10 rounds, stopping 4 sts before the end of last rnd.
Inc. rnd.: kfb 4th- and 3rd-to-last sts. Transfer last 2 sts to next needle.
Next round: (p1, yo, k1) into next st. (p1, slip) next st. (k1, psso, ktbl) next st. (kfb) next st. PM if you are separating the repeats with markers. (p1, yo, k1) into next st. (p1, slip) next st. (k1, psso) next st. k3. Work rest of round in patt as est. Sorry about this!
Work 1st 32 sts in Shell Pattern (back of hand), last 16 sts in st st (palm of hand) for 5 more rounds.
Continuing in Shell Pattern and st st as established, begin thumb gusset* as foll:
Thumb set-up round:
Round 1: k1, place marker on needle, M1, place second marker on needle, work patt. as est. to end of round
Next round: work even slipping markers as you come to them
Thumb gusset increases:
Rnd 1: k1, slip marker, M1, K1, M1, slip marker (3 sts between markers), work patt. as est. to end of round
Rnd 2: work even slipping markers as you come to them.
Repeat rnds 1-2 until there are 15 sts between markers.
Next round: work even slipping markers as you come to them.
Next round: Remove marker, slip 11 thumb sts onto stitch holder or waste yarn, cast on 2 sts, remove second marker, work patt. as est. to end of round.
Work patt. as est. until knitting reaches base of pinky finger.
Finger Set-Up:
Put 8 patterned pinky sts plus 3 adjacent palm pinky sts on waste yarn (11 sts).
Continue working in the round over the remaining 39 sts until knitting reaches top of palm. Place sts on holder or waste yarn.
A note about working the rest of the glove: you can work the fingers in any order you like, following the instructions given for each finger. I like to start with the thumb because with the thumb done you can pull the glove on and really know where it will fit on the hand so you can make the fingers the right length.
Thumb
Transfer thumb sts onto larger DPNs or circular needle. Attach yarn and pick up and knit 8 sts along inside of thumb. 23 sts. Join in the round.
First round: Work in st st, knitting2tog 4 times along the 8 picked up stitches. 19 sts.
Work in st st until thumb measures 2-2.25 in. (Or, better yet, work until you are about one row's distance from the end of the thumb, measured by putting the glove on.)
Decrease round: k2tog around.
Break yarn, leaving a 6" tail. Using a tapestry needle, weave tail through remaining sts and pull top of thumb closed.
Fingers
Pinky Finger: Place 11 sts onto larger needle. Pick up and knit 4 sts between pinky and ring finger. 15 sts. Join in the round. Work in patt. over the 8 sts on the back of the pinky, and in st st on the palm side of the pinky, knitting2tog twice when you first come to your picked-up sts. (13 sts.)
Work as est. until the work is one row's distance from the end of the pinky (measured by putting the glove on.)
Next round: k2tog around.
Break yarn, leaving a 6" tail. Using a tapestry needle, weave tail through remaining sts and pull top of pinky closed.
Ring Finger: Work as for pinky finger, except: place 5 sts adjacent to pinky from palm side of the holder and 8 sts adjacent to pinky from back of the hand onto needle. 14 sts. Pick up and knit 2 sts between pinky and ring finger and 2 sts between ring and middle finger. 18 sts. Work in patt. as est., but when you get to your picked-up sts, (k2tog twice) over the first 4 AND last 4 sts of the st st section of the ring finger. (14 sts.)
Middle Finger: Work as for ring finger, except: pick up and knit 2 sts in between ring and middle finger and 2 sts between pointer and middle finger. 18 sts. Work in patt. as est., but when you get to your picked-up sts, (k2tog twice) over the first 4 and k2tog over the last 2 sts of the st st section of the ring finger. (15 sts.)
Pointer Finger: Work as for middle finger, except: pick up and knit 2 sts in between pointer and middle finger (16 sts). Work in patt. as est., but when you get to your picked-up sts, k2tog over the 2 picked-up sts. (15 sts.)
Weave in remaining tails.
Left Glove:
Work as for right glove, but work thumb as foll.:
Thumb set-up round:
Round 1: k15, PM, M1, PM, work patt. as est. to end of round
Next round: work even slipping markers as you come to them
Thumb gusset increases:
Rnd 1: k15, slip marker, M1, k1, M1, slip marker (3 sts between markers), work patt. as est. to end of round
Rnd 2: work even slipping markers as you come to them.
Repeat rnds 1-2 until there are 15 sts between markers.
Next round: work even slipping markers as you come to them.
Next round: Remove marker, slip 11 thumb sts onto stitch holder or waste yarn, cast on 2 sts, remove second marker, work patt. as est. to end of round.
Or, even better: make both of them at the same time, using the magic loop technique. For more information about working two gloves in the round at once, see my pattern for Beginner Socks: Magic Loop Variation, on this blog.
