This is a very straightforward pattern for ribbed armwarmers in fingering weight yarn. They're entirely fingerless, with a gussetted thumb, and the left and right are indentical.
Level: Advanced beginner. This is not a difficult pattern, but does assume existing familiarity with various concepts, such as working in the round, working in ribbing, working even, working through the right or left leg of a stitch, the KFB (knit front and back) and PFB (purl front and back) increases, casting on mid-row, and picking up stitches. This pattern also requires you to incorporate increased stitches into an existing pattern stitch; assistance in doing so may be found in this post.
Sizing: These are planned to fit a women's medium hand, with an upper palm circumference of 7 inches, but due to the ribbing should fit adequately on hands significantly smaller or larger, with adjustment of length as needed.
Gauge: 28st/4" worked over stockinette
Supplies: Fingering or sock weight yarn which will give the desired gauge, less than 1 50g skein; DPNs in the size required to obtain the desired gauge with this yarn (circular needles may be substituted, using the 2-circs or magic-loop methods for small-circumference knitting); one stitch marker; tapestry needle; short length of waste yarn for use as a stitch holder.
Special directions:
- mKFB -- "mirrored" version of the KFB increase. Worked by slipping one stitch knitwise, returning that stitch to the left needle with its left leg in front, knitting the stitch through the left leg, and letting the stitch slip from the left needle, and then picking up the stitch from in front of the new stitch with the left needle, and knitting into the right leg.
- mPFB -- "mirrored" version of the PFB increase. Worked by slipping one stitch knitwise, returning that stitch to the left needle with its left leg in front, purling the stitch through the left leg, and letting the stitch slip from the left needle, and then picking up the stitch from in front of the new stitch with the left needle, and purling into the right leg.
Directions:
Cast on 48 stitches and join for working in the round. Work even in k2p2 ribbing for 3 inches or to desired cuff length.
Next round: mKFB, KFB, place marker, p2, continue in k2p2 ribbing to end of round.
Work 2 rounds even.
On next and every following 3rd round, increase into the first stitch of the round (using mKFB or mPFB) and the last stitch before the marker (using KFB or PFB), until there are 18 stitches before the marker. Work even on intervening rounds, incorporating the new stitches into the ribbing pattern.
After the last increase round, work 2 rounds even.
Next round: Place the 18 sts before the marker on waste yarn. Cast on 2 stitches and work the remainder of the round.
Work even for 2 inches or to desired length of upper hand portion.
Bind off all hand stitches.
Return the 18 reserved stitches to the needles, and pick up 2 stitches from the location where 2 stitches were cast on mid-row. Work even in k2p2 ribbing for 1 inch or to desired length of thumb.
Bind off all thumb stitches.
Weave in ends.
Make two.
