Thumb Gusset Question

#1

I’m a relatively new knitter but the lady at the knitting store I go said I could make these gloves, they’re super simple, she’ll show me how, blah blah blah. The problem is, I don’t have time to go back there and have her show me how to make the tumb gusset and I’m stuck and I hate being stuck.

So here’s the pattern:
[I]Start thumb gusset. Continue working in pattern as established as you make the thumb gusset.
Next round: m1, place gusset marker, work as established to end.
Rounds 1 and 2: work 1 round as established (no increases)
Round 3: m1, work to gusset marker, m1, slip marker, work to end of round as established.[/I]

Okay. I understand how to m1 (“make 1” or “lifted increase”). But the phrasing on the first couple steps is weird – do I m1 on round 1 or do I wait until round 3? Shouldn’t it have just said, “Round 2: Work as established to end”? Also, just to verify, I knit all stitches between the gusset markers and work everything else in my established pattern, right?

Thanks, knitting community! I know you’ll be able to help. =)

#2

I like Kelly’s mitten knitting tutorial from Knitpicks. It’s like having your own personal knitting teacher.

http://www.knitpicks.com/tutorials/Kelley’s_Mitten_Class_-Thumb_Gusset_Set_Up(Part_1)__D201.html

http://knitting-yarn.knitpicks.com/search?w=kelly's%20mitten%20class

Kelly’s decreases for the top of the mitten are one way to do it. She uses a Kitchener stitch to close the top, but you can just cut the yarn and draw them through the loops with a tapestry needle. I do my mitten top decreases by knitting until the top covers my middle finger. The first round is k2, k2 together all around. Knit one row. K1, k2 together all around. Knit one row. k2 together all around. Another row of k2 together all around. Cut the yarn. Draw through the loops and fasten off. You can try both methods and see which one you like best. My decreases are about half an inch tall and give you a little wiggle room in the mitten.

#3

I knit a lot of mittens for people last winter. I learned proper measurements by trying them on people. Most adults wear a medium mitten unless they have very small or very large hands.
Cuff Length: 1-3 inches, your choice
Distance from top of cuff to vee between thumb and fingers: 2 1/2 inches
Distance from vee to top of the middle finger (before my decreases): 4 1/2 inches
Thumb Length from vee: 2 1/2 inches.
Total length of mitten from cast on to finished top with decreases: 8 1/2, 9 1/2 or 10 1/2 inches depending on cuff height you choose.

Here’s a handy mitten chart if you’re making mittens for others for gifts. The charts don’t say this, but the distance from the top of cuff to the opening for the thumb is going to be the same as the thumb length in these charts. If the thumb is 1 3/4 inches, the distance from the cuff to the thumb opening will be 1 3/4 inches, for example.

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/mittensize.htm

#4

I agree, the phasing seems a little clumsy. I think “next round” is round 1 where you make the first increase. Then round 2 is work even, or in pattern as established (yes, sounds like thumb in knit sts and the rest in pattern). Round 3 is m1 (presumably at the marker which is at the beginning of the round), work to the gusset marker and m1 again. You may well be continuing the set up of rows 2 and 3 for the gusset.

#5

They’re not mittens – they’re eyelet-pattern gloves which have half fingers (not quite fingerless, but the fingers only go to the knuckles). They’re quite lovely but this pattern is less than clear throughout.

My stitches didn’t end up working out to the right number because I didn’t do the math beforehand. But I figured out that I only m1 on round one for the FIRST round of the gusset. After that, I only increase on round 3. I repeat the three rounds that I posted 5 more times (for a total of 18 rounds from the beginning of the gusset), thereby working out to 13 stitches in the gusset total. So my right glove is a bit wonky, but my left glove is going to be perfect.

Thanks for the help everyone!

#6

Mittens, gloves, and fingerless gloves are all made the same way until you get to the fingers.