Whenever I design a new boot topper pattern, I release the pattern in several sizes from Child to Adult Large. And I usually get at least one message from a test knitter that mentions how great the smaller sizes would fit as fingerless mitts….except the boot toppers are not written with directions for a thumb hole.
So, here’s a quick post to walk you through my suggestions on how to take any properly sized knitted tube and turn it into a fingerless mitt.
Suggestion #1.
It is easy to add a simple slit-style thumb hole as you knit the tube. Try your project on your wrist and hand as you knit. Once you get to your desired length, you can work a simple slit-style thumb hole over two rounds. You’ll need to check the stitch gauge of your project to know how many stitches will measure about 1.25″ to 1.5″ from end to end. I’m sharing two examples here – Example A is written for fingering weight yarn in stockinette stitch at a gauge of 8 stitches per inch. Example B is written specifically for my Hot Chocolate Boot Cuffs in worsted weight.
Example A – simple slit-style thumb hole Adult S/M (Adult L) (fingering weight yarn in stockinette stitch)
Knit to your desired length. Then make the thumb hole as follows:
Next Round – Knit to the last 10 (12) stitches. Loosely cast off 10 (12) sts in knit. Knit to end of round as normal.
Next Round – Knit to cast-off stitches. Cast on 10 (12) stitches using the backwards loop method. Knit to end of round as normal.
Continue up the hand to about 1″ less than your desired final length on your fingers. Work knit 1, purl 1 ribbing for 10 rounds. Bind off loosely in knit.
Example B – how I would add a simple slit-style thumb hole in my Hot Chocolate Boot Cuffs (worsted weight yarn in the Hot Chocolate cable repeat)
Work as written or charted to your desired length ending on a Rnd 3 of the Hot Chocolate cable repeat. Then make the thumb hole as follows:
Hot Chocolate Rnd 4: P2, k3. Loosely cast off 8 stitches in knit. Work to end of round in pattern as normal.Hot Chocolate Rnd 5: P2, k3. Cast on 8 stitches using the backwards loop method. Work to end of round in pattern as normal.
Hot Chocolate Rnds 6 and beyond: Work in pattern as written or charted to your desired final length on your fingers. Follow pattern instructions for finishing.
Suggestion #2.
Let me start by saying this one feels a little more Wild West to me and you’ll want to be extra careful to corral your stitches. I’ll add that I absolutely trust Elizabeth Zimmermann and her knitting genius even when an idea or a process seems difficult to understand at first.
So, here is Suggestion #2 – Follow Elizabeth Zimmermann’s instructions for adding an Afterthought Thumb or for using the Thumb Trick. This will allow you to add a full thumb to your project instead of the slit-style thumb hole. The three main places I’ve read Elizabeth Zimmerman mention these processes are in her books Knitting Around, Knitting Without Tears, and Knitter’s Almanac. I’m sure they appear in other of her publications and patterns. But these books are some of my favorite knitting resources and I’d encourage everyone to buy copies so that you can refer to them over and over again as you grow your knitting. If adding books to your stash is not for you, most public libraries carry copies of these books.
In Knitting Around, she has you knit a full mitten and try it on to decide where exactly to place your thumb. Then she says, “draw a deep breath and snip into one stitch” (page 154). Then you “unravel about 3 or 4 stitches in each direction” (page 153), pick up the stitches on double-point needles, and knit up the thumb in rounds as you would any other thumb.
In Knitter’s Almanac and Knitting Without Tears, she offers a calmer version of this idea she calls the Thumb-Trick or a neat thumb trick. For the Thumb-Trick she has you knit 7 stitches in scrap wool in a contrasting color at the base of the thumb “and continue on as if nothing had happened” (page 145 of Knitter’s Almanac and page 106 of Knitting Without Tears). Then after the mitten is finished you go back to those 7 stitches and follow her directions and drawings to pull out the scrap yarn, pick up the stitches, and work the thumb.
So, there you have it. Some suggestions from me on how to add thumb holes to your knitting and three book suggestions I think every knitter will appreciate having in their home library. Happy knitting!
