PetiteKnit Penny gloves

made from scrap yarn

I’ve needed some fingerless gloves for years now. I have a good quality pair of Rab gloves, thick and warm for the coldest winter months, but I find when I’m wearing them I have them on and off multiple times. It’s hard to manipulate dog leads, my handbag, my phone, all the accoutrements of a trip out of the house, with full fingers clad in leather and thermal fabric. I wouldn’t trade them in for anything, they’re indispensable when I’m scraping the ice off the car windscreen, but for the majority of the year when it’s not sub-zero temperatures, I would like something I can use consistently. If I’m really honest, it’s about being able to whip out my phone with a moment’s notice to snap a picture, or load a podcast.

I’ve been patiently waiting for pay day to buy the yarn for my next project, so I shopped my stash for something small but useful to make in the meantime. Enter the Penny Gloves by PetiteKnit. These are a simple tubular fingerless mitten, with a shaped thumb hole. They’re easy to knit but the shaped thumb gives them a more elevated appearance than your classic rectangle-with-a-hole-in-the-side, which risk looking a bit Becky Homecky in my opinion.

I knit these in a combo of leftover tapestry yarn from my Heirloom Quilt cardigans plus leftover vintage Japanese silk from my Sophie Shawl, all held double with a scrap of Drops Alpaca Silk.

It took several attempts to get the colour combos right, I initially had a white band but it was giving Fab ice lolly vibes. The white was also thinner weight than the browns and blues, mean the gloves developed a waist, where the circumference of the tube became narrower over the white section. I ripped that back and tried pale blue instead, but ultimately settled on the darker blue. Held double with the burgundy alpaca, it gives a merlot colour rather than a blue, which coordinates nicely with the red band, the leftover Japanese silk.

I blocked them in wool wash, but the left glove needs a second blocking, the edges are curling over. It’s partly my impatience, not pinning them out and just leaving them to dry on the radiator, and partly lack of tension in binding off I think. It’s not a deal breaker, just something to bear in mind if you prefer your edges to lie flat.

This would be an excellent pattern for gifts, I’m already planning a pair for Mother Craft & Thrift. There’s only one size, so it’s not especially size inclusive, but it would be fairly straightforward to size up a couple of inches if needed I think, by casting on additional stitches. The gloves aren’t mirrored, they’re identical, so it doesn’t matter which hand you wear them on, which is another nice touch that makes them a straightforward knit. Let me know if you decide to try them!