I'm ba-aaack :] and another free wristwarmer / mitten pattern

Dr Chris [ aka The Boy] has performed life saving surgery on the 'puter and she lives to try my patience another day. He and Nadie came up yesterday with Suki and Sumi and left around dinnertime tonight. Ms Sophie is still patrolling the house to make sure that the furry interlopers have actually gone home although she coped much better than usual and was on snuggling terms with Nadie almost immediately. Usually the 'I'm highly offended' act is good for at least a couple of days of growling and hissing.

I haven't been completely idle despite the absolutely stinking hot weather, so here's the latest of the current lot of totally-out-of-season wristwarmers. Nice, simple garter stitch but with a little bit of lace for interest. They are actually a much deeper jade than the photo shows... and just in case you are interested in how such things spring into being: the pattern is my take on one that has been used since time immemorial to make umpteen gazillion covered coathangers for every fete, fair and street stall that ever was. I see possibilities for wristwarmers in all sorts of places at the moment it seems, and when Maz sent me the pattern for the coathangers, after I'd cranked out a few, it just seemed logical to work out how to put that lace bit on both ends of a wider strip of garter stitching. The other thought that occurs is ... this pattern is basically reversible so it SHOULD make a neat scarf pattern. I'd probably cast on around half as many stitches and go up a couple of sizes on the needles to make the garter stitch a little lacier. If you try it, drop me a line and a photo, ok?
Wristwarmers / fingerless mittens



[1]50gram ball of Heirloom 5-ply pure wool [ any sockweight should work ]


1 pair 4mm / US size 5 /UK size 8 needles


gauge: 23 - 24 stitches to 4" over garter stitch



Cast on 48 stitches [ or about 38 for a shorter pair ]


Row1: k to last 4 stitches, YO, k2tog,YO,k2


Rows 2-7 * repeat row 1 a further 6 times



Row 8: cast off [ bind off] 4 stitches, k to last 4 stitches, YO, k2tog, YO, k2



Row 9: repeat row 8*






Repeat rows 2-9 until you have 9 points on each side of the garter stitch strip or number necessary to fit around wrist, ending with row 8.



Cast off remaining stitches.



Sew side seam from base of the point for about 1 3/8", leave 2" or a little less unseamed for the thumb hole, and sew remainder of seam to the base of the [other end] point. Of course you can make the short seam even shorter if you don't want the lacy bit to come so far up the fingers.




and of course:
this pattern is copyright 2007 S.Iacuone for personal and charity use only.
For any other use please contact me.
Ta.
Knew you'd do the right thing :]


Gratuitous cute cat photo: Suki[ko]