why hello fellow yet more experienced knitters :happydance:
I’ve got a question perhaps maybe you could answer?
So I have gotten quite into knitting fingerless gloves… and I want to make a pair for my grandmother and a friend of mine for Valentines day. I have my friend covered because his wrists/hands and mine are about the same size but then my grandmother’s… hers are quite smaller… I’ve looked about gloves and women sizes average at about a 6’’ circumference. my mom was thinking hers is a 5 or a 5 1/2’’. I probably sound like the dumbest person ever, but I was curious if any of you stitch masters could give me an estimate of perhaps how many stitches I should cast on?
~going to be a *k2,p2 rib for the cuff and the very top edge. afterthought thumb. using size US 3 dpns. rather thin id say around size of fingering yarn. for really petite wrists. I know I sound ignorant but… help?! :knitting: 
I’m not a stitch master but will try to help anyway. It all depends on your gauge. Are you using a pattern or just winging it. Do a swatch with the yarn and needles you intend to use and determine your sts/in. At that point you can figure out the cast on for either the cuff or the hand. I’d figure out how many to fit the hand and then use needles a size or two smaller to do the cuff rib, switching to the larger when I’m done with the rib. Another option is to use fewer stitches for the cuff and then increase when you get to the hand part. HTH
Welocme to the forum!
A good question and thoughtful gifts. I think the best way to figure this out is to try a swatch in the stitch pattern that you’ll be using for the body of the mitt. That way you can translate sts/inch into a cast on number. The ribbing will pull in the kntting and make it stretchier.
As an estimate, with a fingering yarn at about 30sts per 4 inches, you’d need about 40sts for 5.5inches.