Handwarmers with a twist at the wrist.

These were designed especially for my swap partner in the I Shall Wear Midnight swap, based on the book by the same title written by Terry Pratchett. I used KnitPicks Stroll Sport in Midnight Heather. The cable pattern is half of a combination found in Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Two: Cables. My gauge on US 2 needles was 5.5 stitches / inch over the ribbing, unstretched, and the handwarmers should fit an average woman comfortably. The cable twist pulls the fabric in rather tightly and blocking may be necessary, or you may feel you need to go up a needle size. I knitted the handwarmers on a 9 circular needle, dividing the stitches and using a second one to knit the smaller circumference of the thumb. Chart created with KnitChart: http://jacquie.typepad.com/Charts/knitChart.htm 8 stitch Left Cable / 8LC: slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold to front, K3, P2, then knit 3 from cable needle. 8 stitch Right Cable / 8RC: Slip 5 stitches to cable needle and hold to back, K3, then P2 and K3 from cable needle. CO cast on. Kfb Knit into the front and back of the stitch; one stitch increased. M1 Use a lifted increase method by lifting the strand between the stitches from front to back with the left needle and knit into the back of lifted strand. PM place marker SM slip marker Right Hand: CO 48, placing one marker to mark beginning of round and another after 24 stitches. Begin chart on first 24 stitches; continue ribbing as established on next 24 stitches (palm side).

Begin gusset after row 25 of chart. After second marker, K1, P2, K1 PM. M1 using lifted increase, K1, M1, PM, continue in rib as established. Thereafter, every 4th row: SM, Kfb, K to 2nd stitch from marker, Kfb, K1, SM, continue in rib as established. When there are 17 stitches between the gusset markers, slip those 17 stitches onto waste yarn and continue knitting around in ribbing. On the next round, CO one stitch using backward loop across the gap. Knit 10 rows and bind off using Jenys Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off or other stretchy method. Thumb: Pick up the three stockinette stitches opposite the held stitches (one on each side of the stitch you cast on with backward loop, in addition to that stitch) for a total of 20 stitches. Knit two rows, decrease one stitch on each side of the thumb (I decreased at each end of what had been the 17 held stitches). Knit two more rows and begin K1 P1 ribbing. Knit four rows, bind off. Left Hand: Work the chart as for right hand, but mirror the 8LC by using 8RC. The gusset will start after the second marker: K1, P2, (K3, P2) x 3, P2, K1 place a marker. M1 using lifted increase, K1, M1, place marker, continue in rib as established. Thereafter, every 4th row: slip marker, Kfb, K to 2nd stitch from marker, Kfb, K1, slip marker.
September 5, 2010 Ferol Max RedAunt on Ravelry v 1.1 9/6/2010