Striped fingerless gloves w/ button flap

 

 I think I kinda wrote a pattern. I've done it once or twice, but never shared it. So here goes.

Materials:

• DK weight wool (what's the point of knitting a warm-weather garment if it's not going to keep you warm?) in two colors. I used Patons Classic Wool Superwash DK in black and mallard teal. Black is my main color, and teal is my contrast. I used less than half a ball of the blue and about 2/3 of a ball of the black. I'm betting you could just use one ball of one color if you liked.
• size 4US knitting needles; either double points, two circulars or a long circular for Magic Loop, whatever your preference is.
• 2 stitch markers
• darning needle
• two 1/2-inch buttons (optional--do yourself a favor, and if you buy superwash yarn, make sure your buttons are machine washable too. I know this from experience.)
• waste yarn or stitch holders for thumbs

Instructions:

1. Using A, or MC, or black (whichever you want to call it,) cast on 36 stitches using the long tail cast on. Being careful not to twist, join in the round and knit 2x2 rib for 15 rounds. (That's k2,p2.) 
2. Knit one row plain. From here on out, you will be alternating the teal and black, knitting two stripes of each color, until the end ribbing. 
3. Switching every other row between teal and black, knit 7 stripes. Remember to twist at each round, and pull the yarn fairly tightly. The "seam" is going to visible, but you want it to be less noticeable. This piece isn't meant to stretch a lot lengthwise, so pulling too tightly isn't too much of an issue as long as you don't get crazy. Your last stripe should be teal.
4. Knit one row in black.
   
   Important: the gloves are knit indentically up until the thumb gusset. Then, the left and right thumbs are worked differently, so as to place the "seam" under the thumb/on the palm side so it's not as visible.  
   Right:
   
   1. K1, pm, kfb, k1, kfb, pm, k to end of round.
   2. Knit two rows plain, remembering to alternate colors every two rows.
   3. Repeat the last 3 rows until you have 13 sts between your markers. 
   4. Knit one more row plain. 
   5. K1, rm, slip 13 sts to waste yarn. Cast on 3 stitches using backward loop, rm, and knit to the end of the round. (36 sts.)
   Left:
   
   1. Knit to the last 4 sts, pm, kfb, k1, kfb, pm, k1.
   2. Knit two rows plain, remembering your stripes.
   3. Repeat the last 3 rows until you have 13 sts between your markers. 
   4. Knit one more plain row. 
   5. K to marker, rm, slip 13 sts to waste yarn. Cast on 3 stitches using backward loop, rm, k1. (36 sts.)
      
   The gloves are knit the same again from this point on.
   
   
   1. Knit 5 more stripes, ending with teal. 
   2. Knit one plain row in black.
   3. Knit 5 rows 2x2 ribbing.
   4. *K2, P2, K2, P2tog,* repeat between *, end with k2, p2.
   5. *K2, P2, K2, P1,* repeat between * end with k2, p1.
   6. Use Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off in pattern.
   
   Thumbs:
   
   1. Transfer held stitches to your needles and, using black pick up 3 (or a couple more) stitches from the backward loop cast on. When I pick up stitches here, I like to pick up one or two extras, to minimize the holes. Then I decrease as needed on the following row. I picked up 5 st, then decreased two on the following row for 16 thumb stitches.
   2. Work one row black, two rows teal, and one more row black. 
   3. Knit 2x2 rib for 3 rounds.
   4. Bind off, not using Jeny's, but not too tightly either. It's not unheard of for me to have to undo my cast on till I get the right tension. 
   
   Here, you'll weave in your ends and wear, or move on to add the wrist strap and button. Your choice. I think they're cute either way. (I'd still go ahead and weave in the ends before picking up stitches for the strap.)
   
   For each glove, you'll turn it over so the palm side is up, and pick up stitches directly below the thumb, and on the "inside" of the stripe-change "seam." You should pick them up so the flap comes out from the side of the seam closest to the palm. Leave a long-ish tail to sew the strap down with later. You'll be picking up 6 stitches, starting at the bottom of the black stripe directly below the thumb, and spanning the next 3 stripes down. You should have 4 stripes below the "strap." Remember, you are picking up stitches perpendicular to the stripes, so your strap will be running parallel to them.
   
   
   
   
   •  Knit in stockinette for 3.5 inches. 
   • K1, k2tog, ssk, k1.
   • Purl.
   • Knit.
   • Purl.
   • Bind off. (If you pay close attention, you'll see that I decreased again, but I didn't like how that ended up looking, so your strap end won't be so pointy.) Leave a good 6+ inches of tail for sewing down.
     
     
     
    Wet block the gloves. You don't want to stretch them (although they'll likely grow just a bit,) but you want to use as many pins as necessary to flatten out the strap and eliminate the curl.
   

   

   See how curly?

   
   

   
   

   

   I know it seems like a ridiculous amount of pins but you don't want scallops.

   
   

   
   

   Once they are all dry, just sew the flap down (using those crazy tails) and attach a button near the end of the flap! 



Voila!

 

5. I hope this is written okay; if you have any (constructive) feedback, please let me know! I've never posted a pattern I sort of came up with before, so be kind. I say "sort of" because really, is any pattern truly original? It's all just combinations of stuff other people have done before. To that end, use this pattern however you want to. If you feel like giving me credit, I thank you. Happy knitting!

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