Fingerless Glove Cheaters - a free pattern(ish thing)

This cold weather business is getting serious now, and I'm past the point where I can knit on bus platforms or other outside-waiting-zones without handwarmers. To say nothing of the misery involved in typing at my chilly garretlike desk. Yeah, it warms up after I remember to close the kitchen window, but still.

Trouble is, I still don't have sufficient leisure to knit a pair of fingerless gloves!

Tsk tsk.

Fortunately, I benefited this weekend from somebody else's tragedy, and I'm happy to share my cheat with you. The secret to the time-savingness?

No knitting!

Step one: acquire a felted wool sweater, one with narrow sleeves.


In my case, this meant a ladies' size small lambswool cardi with the cutest pattern in front, found in the Salvation Army Thrift Store... already felted. I carved out a sympathetic moment from my greedy gloating - I myself have never thrown a wool sweater into the washer without meaning to, but it could still happen - and skipped home with it for scavenging.

Failing such luck, you can do-it-yourself felt a small sweater made from at least 90% wool, but make sure it's a softy!

Step two: cut off the sleeves from the bottom cuff, allowing a few inches for your wrist and then the length of your hand (I cut 9", but after I did the thumb I kinda wished I'd gone for 9.5".)


Step three: using a ripper or some scissors, open the side seam just enough for your thumb, around the place you expect your thumb would probably sit, no earlier than the spot where the seam begins to show increases. For my 9" long pair, I started my cut at 4" from the wrist end of the "glove", and snipped a 1.75" opening.

Now fold back the end to expose as much of your fingers as the weather and free movement allow. You can tack down the fold if you know you will only ever want this length; I've been folding mine up and down depending on what I'm doing, so I didn't.


Step five: Decorate the gloves if you feel like it. These sleeves were perfect for my needs just as they were... but I bet my next pair will have tons of buttons and needlefelting and embroidery all over the place.


There you have it: a pattern whose directions take longer to read than the project does to complete! And frees you up to knit in cold conditions. Or, you know, eat ice cream.