Machine Knit Gloves

This page has a pattern generator (aka program) to create a pattern to help you knit a gloves using a double bed knitting machine. Mine were knit on a Passap, but you can knit them on a Brother, Studio, or Artisan easily, provided you have a ribber. The hand knit version of the pattern, knit in the round will eventually be available here.

You can make your gloves in any nearly any yarn thin enough to permit 4 stitches around your pinkie. Just enter the gauge and head size in the program, and you'll get the pattern you need.

Main site, blog (read the latest), mitten collection, hat collection and poncho & cape collection.

You must set your browser to run javascript and to accept cookies to run this program. With some browsers, the address bar should also read "http://www.thedietdiary" at the beginning. If the www's aren't there, stick them in!

Characteristics of the mittens:

Knit from bottom up on a double bed machine.
Ribbed Hem.
You may vary size the to fit any hand.
You enter the stitch and row gauge for your yarn.
Knit stockinette. (You can knit these in a two color fair isle if your knitting machine knits two colors in one pass. Otherwise, you must multiply the row count by two in each region where you introduce a fair isle pattern.)

Remember: Like all patterns spit out by my generators, this is mostly shaping directions. The purpose of the generators is to let you be creative, while eliminating the need to do pesky calculations.

Lucia

Patterns are worth something. Custom patterns should be worth even more. This is sort of "shareware". If you knit one of these, please send me a $3 donation. (Pictures are welcome too!)

Enter Data for Your Gloves

You must modify the following data to match the gauge and shape you want! Just change the numbers; it recalculates automatically.

Replace My Gauge Swatch Information Your Gauge Swatch Information
Note your machine setting on your directions in pen. You must use the same machine setting when knitting the swatch and the mittens!
Enter tension for swatch and mittens:	You will be knitting the glove circular. However, knit a stockinette swatch flat, and enter the number of rows per inch. Child's X-small corresponds to 2-4 year olds. Child's medium is for 7 year olds. Child's X-large is for young teens. The children and adults size ranges overlap. "Adult's medium" fit my medium women's hands, although I'd pick "small" if I liked my gloves to fit snugly; adult large fits men's medium hands. I added the giant range at the request of a visitor. Giant x-small is the same as Adult xxx-large. If you want to be more certain, measure a pair off mittens that fit. Based on your input, my program will make the wrist warmers inches long (not counting the ribbing) and inches measured around the knuckles.
Stitches per inch:
Row count on machine per inch knit:
Size:

Knitting Instructions

Yarn: About 2-4 ounces for standard bed; 4-6 ounces for mid gauge. The exact amount depends on the glove size you select. Mine were knit with about 2 ounces of Jagger Spun 3/8 Mainline in Raspberry.

Mitten: Make 2. They are worked identically except step 6b!

Notes: You should read the directions completely before beginning. If necessary, read you manual to understand how to cast on the extra stitches required in steps 5e, 7a, b and c. (If I were required to raise only 1 needle on each bed, I would raise the needle, transfer a stitch, and fill the empty needle with with a bar from a previously knit stitch. If I were required to raise more than 1 needle, I would first raise every other needle required, knit 2 carriage passes, and then raise the rest of the needles and knit the next two carriage passes. This adds up to the four carriage passes required. Any method that works is fine, as long as you create those extra stitches between the fingers! ) Also, if necessary, review how to cast on for 1 x 1 ribbing for your machine. (I knit 1 zig-zag row, two rows circular, and then set I just begin knitting all stitches on both bed. These three rows count in the row count.)

You will need a double bed machine. Read the best method to cast on circular for your machine. The row counter will increase by 2 every round.
Begin: Begin COR (carriage on right) Set carriage tension to . Raise needles on both beds of your machine; lower every other needle (as required to knit ribbing on every other needle, aka 1x1, ribbing.). Cast on to knit 1 x 1 ribbing.
Rib Cuff:

Begin with carriage on right. (COR).
Knit to RC= . (Optional: carry along a thread of elastic yarn.)
Transfer stitches to main bed. take all needle on back bed out of work. Set carriage tension to ; knit 1 row in stockinette. (Carriage on Left)
Set machine for partial knitting on the front bed, put right half needles on hold leaving only left hand needles in work. (Hang weights if necessary.). Thread carriage with ravel cord. Make 1 carriage pass. Knit a few rows on left with waste yarn. Take hand stitches off needles. Raise needles on back bed, fold work. (There are now stitches on each bed.)
Set machine to knit circular.

Set row counter to RC= 2, knit to RC= .
Begin Thumb Gusset: (The thumb will be formed on the left hand side of the needle bed.)

Set row counter to RC=0;
When carriage is on right, increase one stitch on the left hand side of both beds; make 4 carriage passes ending COR. (I transfer 3 stitches to the left using my 3 prong tool, then I fill the empty needle with a stitch taken from the side of the stitch one row below and toward the center of the bed. This looks pretty and doesn't leave a hole. )
Repeat "b" until RC= .
Remove the thumb stitches on the far left hand needles of both beds placing them on waste yarn.
On each bed, take all but of the needles that held the thumb stitches out of work. Cast on to fill the empty needles. (You now have needles in work on each bed).
You will work the hand and fingers over the remaining needles.

Upper Palm:

Set row counter to RC=0; knit to RC= . (This measures inches from the point where you took stitches off for the thumb.)
Starting from the right: Put stitches from the front bed plus from the back bed on a string. These are the pinkie stitches which you will rehang to knit the pinkie.
Continuing from the right: Remove the stitches on the next needles on both front and back bed place them on strings or stitch holders. (Ring.)
Remove the stitches on the next stitches on both beds, place on two strings or stitch holders. (Middle.)
You are going to leave the remaining stitches on the machine. Shift a stitches from one bed to the other so there are on both beds. Take all other needles out of work for now. (Index.)

Knit fingers:

Row count
finger	thumb	index	middle	ring	pinkie
row count

How to shape fingers tips. After knitting the required number of rows, transfer every other stitch to the adjacent needle. Then, shift all the doubled up stitches so they are next to each other; take the extra needles out of work. Work 4 carriage passes. Repeat transferring stitches to reduce stitches by 1/2 again; work 2 carriage passes. Break yarn, and thread through stitches to remove work from machine. Pull tight.
Index finger: Set row counter to RC=0. Raise a total of needles to the right of the index finger stitches, raising nearly equal numbers on both beds. (These extra needles are between the index finger and the middle finger. ) Cast on to these needles using an appropriate method. (Consult manual about casting on. See note above.) Rack to keep needles as close together as possible. (When there is an extra needle on one bed, I rack so needles are off-set. If the two beds hold the same number of stitches, I rack so the needles are aligned.) Knit the number of rows indicated in the row count table above. Shape finger tip.
Middle finger: Set row counter to RC=0. Hang half middle fingers stitches on front and half on back bed with the thumb pointing to the left. Raise a total of needles to the right; cast on these stitches. To the left, raise needles and fill by picking up stitches from the base of the extra stitches you cast on for the index finger. Place half of these on the front and half on the back bed. (Note: if the previous box says zero or 1, you should hang the a bar from the bottom of the central stitch of the index finger on an a raised filled needle. This seams the fingers together without incresing a stitch.) Work number of rows indicated in table. Shape finger tip.
Ring finger: Set row counter to RC=0. Work exactly as for middle finger, except use row count indicated for ring finger.
Pinkie: Set row counter to RC=0. Work as for other fingers, but use pinkie row count and do not pick up any stitches to the right (which is the edge of the glove.) Do pick up stitches to the left from the base of the extra stitches you cast on for the ring finger.

Knit thumb:

Set row counter to RC=0.
Hang the thumb stitches plus stitches picked up from the base of the cast on stitches at the hand edge.
Knit to RC= .
Shape as for a finger tip. Break yarn, take off stitches on this yarn end, and pull tight.
The thumb will measure inches.

Finish:

Tidy loose ends, steam or block as appropriate for you yarn. Wear.

Knit a second glove: This time, reverse the shaping when you do 6b. When making the second glove, take the larger number of stitches for the pinkie off the front bed, and the smaller number off the back bed. (If you prefer, you can also reverse shaping by working the thumb on the right, etc.)