We are now ready to make the thumb!
There is a slight error in the thumb part of the mitten
pattern.
"Thumb ... Pick up all sts on thumb holders...dig into the
mitten fabric above thumb opening and pick up 3 sts over
where you cast on the one st before starting the
hand...Join... 14 (16,18) sts."
When you look at the thumb opening, you will see "live
stitches" on your yarn holder, and then you will see the
sport where you added a stitch to work the hand in the round
after you separated the gusset stitches...... How you pick
up stitches will help you to make any gaps in the fabric
disappear so that your resulting mitten will be warm as
toast.
So........put your stitches that are being held on waste
yarn back on 2 needles.....1/2 on each for the moment. Join
your yarn in, at the LEFT (front side facing you) of the
last stitch you have just put on the needles, leaving a 6"
tail you will weave into the inside of the mitten later on.
Place a marker here..this is the beginning of the round for
the thumb. (safety pins work great...you can put them right
INTO the fabric and not on any needle)
Turn your work so that you are looking at the INSIDE of
those stitches just placed on 2 needles, and with a third
needle, dig into the fabric above the area where you made 1
stitch when you worked the hand part of the mitten, in this
manner:
*Poke your needle through the fabric...under the top edge of
the knitting, from front to back (outside through to the
inside)...wrap your yarn around the needle as if to knit,
and pull that loop of yarn through to the front of the
fabric and leave it on the needle. One stitch made.* Do this
2 more times so you have 3 sts on your right needle.
Pick up your fourth needle. You can redistribute your sts to
even them out better at this point if you'd like.
Continue working around the base of the thumb on those 14
(16,18) sts till you come to your marker.
Now, the directions say:
" Round1: knit around and decrease 2 sts by k2tog above two
spots where sts seem loose at "sides" of the thumb: 12 (14,
16) sts."
You will knit the first four sts of the round, decreasing 2
out, before continuing around. This closes any "gap" in the
knitting where you picked up sts.
"Knit around evenly on these sts until work clears thumb
nail. *k2 tog* repeating around until 6 sts remain. Close as
for top of mitten."
Clear enough? When you decrease the top of the thumb, you
can forget the marker and just keep knitting 2 together
until you have 6 sts left on your needles (it will be very
awkward). Then you cut your yarn and run it through those
sts, pulling the opening closed.
DARNING
I will take a minute and talk about finishing ends off. I
like to run my leftover yarn...at least 4" of it, through
the inside of the mitten, catching the yarn under the inside
half of the stitches(so it won't show through on the
outside). If you split the yarn in the knitted stitches with
the point of your needle, it stays put better. I run the
yarn in one direction for 2", and then in another direction
for 2". If you are hiding your beginning yarn, run it
through the inside of one of the knit ridges in your ribbing
back toward the cuff. I don't knot natural fibers (except
for cotton and superwash wools), as the resulting wearing
and washing will full the ends into the fabric. Besides, it
feels smoother on the inside that way.
Make 2nd Mitten.
WASHING
I find that handspun yarns have a wonderful tendency to
soften when washed. Soak your mittens in warmish soapy water
(I use leftover shampoos with good results) and soak/rinse
in the same temp. Roll in a towel and squeeze out excess
water. Dry flat. If your mittens are too long a tad too
wide, run them through the washing machine with a load of
sturdy clothes (jeans work great) and they will full/shrink
a bit. If your mittens are just too wide DON'T machine
wash....they will shorten considerably! Consider ripping out
the top back to the decrease rounds (or thereabouts) and add
a few even knit rounds before starting the decreasing for
the top.
Hope you are all enjoying this learning project. I use this
style knitting pattern in all of the original mitten
patterns I create and market at COUNTRYWOOL.
So, when you are feeling braver and want to try some fancy
stitch or color pattern, you can feel confident that you
know what my patterns are like.
I enjoyed sharing Cyberspace with you...ain't the Internet
grand?!?
This material ©1999 Claudia Krisniski
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