Spud & Chloe by Blue Sky Fibers Little Stripey Hands Pattern

Little Stripey Hands Knit Gloves by Spud & Chloe

What Is Being Made

Little Stripey Hands is a downloadable knitting pattern for a pair of gloves featuring colorwork stripes. The pattern includes instructions for creating fitted gloves with a thumb gusset and individual fingers, designed in two sizes with finished hand circumferences of 5¼ inches and 6 inches. The gloves are worked in the round using Fair Isle techniques to create decorative striped colorwork throughout the hand.

Techniques Used

This knitting pattern employs several intermediate techniques to construct the gloves:

• Circular knitting: The gloves are worked in the round using the circular method, which creates seamless fabric and is ideal for fitted garments like gloves
• Fair Isle colorwork: The pattern incorporates Fair Isle techniques, a traditional method of working multiple colors within a single round using a color chart to create striped and patterned designs
• Thumb gusset construction: The pattern includes a thumb gusset created by increasing stitches between markers, allowing the thumb to fit comfortably while maintaining the hand's overall shape
• Backwards loop cast-on: This method is used to cast on stitches for the thumb, providing a flexible edge that integrates smoothly with the existing fabric
• Ribbed cuff: The gloves feature ribbed pattern sections at the cuff and finger openings, which provide elasticity and help the gloves stay in place
• Finger shaping: Individual fingers are created by dividing stitches and working each finger separately, with decreases worked to shape the finger tips

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined to create texture and structure:

• Knit stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the pattern, forming the base fabric
• Stockinette stitch: Abbreviated as St st, this stitch creates the smooth main fabric of the gloves and is the foundation for the Fair Isle colorwork
• Ribbed pattern: A combination of knit and purl stitches worked in alternation to create the elastic cuff and finger band sections
• Knit 2 together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used to shape the finger tips and reduce stitches as needed
• Increases: The pattern uses increases to create the thumb gusset, allowing additional fabric where the thumb joins the hand

Materials Required

To complete the Little Stripey Hands gloves, knitters will need yarn in at least two colors (referenced as color A and color B in the pattern) to work the Fair Isle striped design. The pattern is worked on four needles for circular knitting, allowing stitches to be divided evenly across needles as the gloves are constructed in the round. Stitch markers are used to denote the beginning of rounds and to mark the thumb gusset increases. Stitch holders or waste yarn are recommended for temporarily holding stitches while working other sections of the gloves. The gauge is established at 38 stitches and 44 rounds per 4 inches when working in Fair Isle Stockinette Stitch, which helps ensure the finished gloves fit properly.