Thumb for Fingerless Mittens

RIGHT GLOVE
…. Cont to inc 2 sts every 4th row as set until there are 42 sts.
St st 3 rows
THUMB
NEXT ROW (RS) K29 sts, turn.
(WS) K1, p9, turn, cast on 3 sts.
*** Work 11 rows on these 13 sts.
Cast off.

Hi all,
Wonder if anyone can help from the THUMB instructions onwards. Im totally lost. Q1: do you cast on 3 sts on the left or right needle ? Q2: for the second row (out of the 11 rows that needs to be done) , is it on the RS now (because on the 1st row of the WS you have already “turn”)? Q3: to work the 11 rows, do you just repeat “K1,p9, turn, cast on 3 sts”?

Would appreciate any help ! Thank you

Hi Anne78 & welcome.
That “WS” instruction row is a setup row.
You work the 10 stitches on the WS and turn. You are now on the RS. Cast on 3 stitches to the left needle. You now have 13 stitches on your left needle. You’re now set up to begin working 11 rows of those 13 stitches. So row 1 (of 11) would be the RS and the first 3 stitches you work would be the newly cast on stitches.
As to how you work the stitches, it’s in whatever pattern you’re working the gloves. What’s the name of the pattern?

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RIGHT GLOVE
Using 4mm needles, cast on 32 sts.
Work 10 rows in St st.
Change to 4.50mm needles. Cont working in St st until length measures 17cm, ending on a WS row.**
(RS) K16, inc 1 st,k1,inc 1 st, k13 (34 sts)
st st 3 rows
(RS) K16, inc 1 st,k3, inc 1 st, k13 (36 sts)
st st 3 rows
cont to inc 2 sts every 4th row as set until there are 42 sts.
St st 3 rows
THUMB
NEXT ROW (RS) K29 sts, turn.
(WS) K1, p9, turn, cast on 3 sts.
*** Work 11 rows on these 13 sts.
Cast off.
With RS facing, rejoin yarn and pickup and knit 3 sts from cast on sts at base of thumb, k to end (35 sts).
Work a further 5 cm in St st ending on a WS row.
Cast off.

Hi @rcubed thank you very much for your reply. Please be a bit more patient with me. I’m very new in knitting.

the thing i cannot work out is: from the last instruction (…“until there are 42 sts, st st 3 rows”), I have 42 stitches on my needle. So when continue to knit on the RS 29 stitches, i will have 29 stitches on my right needle and the remaining 13 stitches on my left needle (42-29=13). Then i turn. now facing the WS, i knit the 10 stitches, which put 10 stitches back onto my right needle, making 23 stitches on my right needle (13+10=23). and my left needle will now have 19 stitches (29-10=19).
so now no matter on which side i cast on the 3 extra new stitches, i cannot get the magic number 13. so that’s why i’m stuck.

The name of the pattern : there is not really a pattern for this glove. its a simple stockinette stitches only. i borrowed this book from the library " Knitting at Home, 60 classics from Ella Rae Designs by Leanne Prouse", and is on page 74.
the left glove instructions is pretty much the same as the right glove above. would you like me to type the left glove instructions too?

Hi,

Ok, the instructions aren’t spelled out clearly. Basically what you’re doing is this:
Once you’ve got 42 stites and done 3 rows across them, then you’re going to use only a small portion of them to make the thumb. So you’ve done the setup row, turned and cast on the additional 3 stitches. Now you’re going to work back and forth across only these 13 stitches, ignoring the other 29. Once you’ve done 11 rows you bind off those 13 stitches. Then you reattach your yarn at the base of the thumb as per instructions and continue working those (ignored) 29 stitches to wok the portion of the glove that goes up the back of your hand. Make sense?

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Btw, I don’t have access to that book and my library doesn’t carry it. It doesn’t sound like the pattern is knit in the round. Does it have you knit front and back flat and then seam them? Because if you’re not working on circular needles, then you’ll need to put those 29 st (that you ignore while working thumb) onto scrap yarn or a stitch holder. Then once done with thumb, you’ll transfer them back to your needle. If you have circular needles, you can use the magic loop method (or half loop) and leave them on the cable.

Hi @rcubed,
Yes i think you are right. If i just focus on these 13 stitches and ignore the rest. And i will go knit on the RS and purl on the WS, until i have a total of 11 short rows.

Hi @rcubed,
Yes you are right again. It’s done on front and back and then seam. I haven’t gotten to the part where it says “ With RS facing, rejoin yarn and pickup and knit 3 sts from cast on sts at base of thumb, k to end (35 sts).”.

Hopefully by the time I do, it will all make sense. Because it seems like i have to cut off the yarn after i have cast off the short 11 rows of 13 stitches. And then find somewhere to rejoin it ! Omg ! So tricky !