Monica Knits

For the 4-color gloves, the finger decreases were modified from the method of thirds used in the Mohair Gloves. The main reason was that the Palette yarn was thicker than the mohair. The number of stitches decreased in each row is the same as the earlier method until 9 stitches remain on the dpns. From the photo you can see that this point is about 1 row above the fingertip. The yarn is cut, leaving a 10-12" tail which is then drawn through the 9 loops. The loops are pulled to the inside of the thumb or fingers and then the circle is drawn tight (from inside the glove) to create a "star" fingertip. Read more ... for details. Click on the thumbnail to view a larger image.

The following finger decreases are based on using three (3) 2.25 mm dpns and 1 working dpn. For solid colored gloves where there is no color or stitch pattern to preserve, 3 equally spaced decreases in each round can be used. Start on the round that represents the total number of sts on your needles. For a finger or thumb that has 20 sts, first decrease by 2st and then start on the round that applies to 18 sts in the chart below. You may switch to 1.75 mm dpns (shown in the photo) so that the last few rows and the final loops are of smaller diameter to give a neater appearance and greater durability. This is about 1/4" below the fingertip. The final loops can be drawn together when 6- 9 remain. The exact number depends on how bulky the yarn is.

Quality Tips

1. When trying the gloves on your fingers to establish the correct length, make sure that the bases of the fingers are fully seated. This will help ensure that enough length is knitted.
2. The final row sts sit just above the fingertip (see photo) so that they can be turned to the inside before the loops are drawn into a circle. In the earlier method, the rows do not extend beyond the the fingertip, since they are not drawn to the inside.
3. To increase durability, the fingers are knitted with 2.25 mm diameter dpns (rather than the 2.5 mm or 2-3/4 mm needles used for the glove body).
4. The fingertips are knitted with 1.75mm dpns so that the final loops will be tighter and the fingertip will have denser stitches to improve wear performance.
5. The yarn gauge, stitch pattern and stitch definition will determine the decrease pattern (by pairs, thirds, or other appropriate pattern).
6. Leave a 10-12" tail (in case more rounds are needed) and do not draw the loops tight until all the fingers have been knitted, in case adjustments to finger length are required. By leaving the loops loose on the yarn, the sts can be picked up easily and an extra row or two can be added or subtracted, if need be.

Related Posts
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Basic Glove - Thumb Opening
Basic Glove - Finger Decreases (by Thirds).