Free Pattern: Houndstooth Handwarmers

Hello 2012! Let’s start you off right: With a free knitting pattern!

These are some lovely little fingerless mitts I am very pleased with. They’re knitted in DK yarn which makes them both warm and super-quick to make. The yarn is Sirdar Balmoral (which is selling for a song over at Black Sheep Wools) but really, any lovely woolly DK yarn will do.

The handwarmers have a proper thumb gusset so as to keep the pattern going over the entire main body. I’m also pleased with the resulting little faux-seam that forms where the increases are made. Plus, though it may not be immediately obvious, the handwarmers are mirror images of each other! As a maths nerd, I pretty much insist on symmetry and pattern continuity. Does anyone else feel the same? Do off-kilter number sequences make you feel a bit uncomfortable? Like some natural order has been put out of balance? No? Well then you may be less of a nerd that me (highly probable).

I’ve also used some fancy cast-on/offs here. Regular readers might have started to suspect that the tubular ribbing cast-on/offs are my favourite methods for finishing ribbing. They absolutely are! Of course it’s not essential to the pattern that you use them too, but if you fancy levelling up your knitting there are some excellent tutorials here and here.

As a bit of an experiment with pattern distribution, you can download the .pdf pattern for these handwarmers from two places:

This blog –

 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PATTERN

Or if you’re a Raveller, try this link:

 

Houndstooth Handwarmers Pattern Information:

Size: To fit an average women’s size hand (7.5” around the knuckles).

Needles: One set of 4mm dpns

Yarn: 135yds in main colour, 70yds in contrasting colour.

Gauge: 28st/29 rws to 4in (10cm) in Houndstooth pattern.

Also Required: 2 stitch markers, stitch holder/ waste yarn.

Happy knitting!