Feb
Getting Started With Basic Fingerless Gloves
So I made my first pair of fingerless gloves in spring 2022 when I was working from home and my office was freezing but I still needed to type. Honestly just started with a rectangle and seamed it up the side, left a hole for the thumb. That’s it. You can literally make wearable hand warmers without knowing any fancy techniques.
You’re gonna need some yarn that’s not too thick or your fingers won’t move properly. I used Red Heart Super Saver in that grey heather color because it was cheap and I had like three skeins lying around from another project. The acrylic actually worked fine for this even though people get snobby about it. Kept my hands warm and it washed well.
The Rectangle Method Nobody Talks About
Chain enough to wrap around your hand at the knuckles. For me that was about 32 chains with a 5mm hook but everyone’s different so just measure. Then you just single crochet back and forth until the rectangle is long enough to cover from your wrist to about halfway up your fingers. Maybe 6-7 inches depending on your hands.
Here’s what annoyed me though – figuring out where to put the thumb hole. I kept holding it up to my hand while I was working and it was awkward and I’d lose my place. Eventually I just marked with a safety pin where my thumb sat and when I got to that spot in the rows, I chained like 6-8 stitches, skipped that many stitches on the previous row, and continued on. On the next row you just crochet into those chain stitches normally and boom, thumb hole.
Seaming The Sides
You fold the rectangle so the short ends meet and then slip stitch or whip stitch up the side. Leave the top open obviously because that’s where your fingers go. The bottom stays open too for your wrist or you can add ribbing if you’re feeling fancy but I never bother with that because…
Actually ribbing does help them stay up better. I tried making a pair without any ribbing and they kept sliding down while I was typing. Second pair I did some half double crochet in the back loop only for the cuff part and it made a huge difference.
When You Want Something Less Basic
I made another pair in summer 2024 for my sister who has terrible circulation and I tried doing them in the round instead of flat. Started with a foundation chain, joined it into a circle, and just worked rounds of HDC going up. Way fewer seams this way which looked cleaner.
For in-the-round you gotta actually plan the thumb placement better. I worked about 2 inches past the wrist, then did my thumb gusset. This sounds complicated but it’s just increasing a few stitches every other round in the same spot to make a triangular section. Maybe increase 2 stitches every other round for like 6 rounds total. Then you put those stitches on scrap yarn, chain across that gap to bridge it, and keep working the main hand part in rounds.
After you finish the hand part you go back to those held stitches and work them in rounds to make the actual thumb tube. My cat knocked over my coffee right in the middle of working on the second thumb and I had to restart that whole section.
Yarn Choices That Actually Matter
The Red Heart worked fine but when I made the pair for my sister I used Wool-Ease because it was on sale at Michaels. The wool blend was definitely warmer and had more stretch. Caron Simply Soft is another good option if you want something softer against your skin but I find it pills pretty fast with the friction from typing or writing.
Avoid anything too fuzzy or hairy for hand warmers. I tried making some with this Lion Brand Homespun stuff once and the texture made my hands itch plus you couldn’t see your stitches at all while working. Total nightmare.
Sizing Issues And Fixes
Here’s the thing about hands – they’re all different shapes and sizes so you really need to try on as you go. I make one glove completely first, try it on, adjust the pattern for the second one if needed. Yeah they might not match perfectly but who’s gonna notice.
If they’re too tight around the knuckles just add more chains to your foundation or increase your hook size. Too loose and they’ll fall off so go down a hook size or take out some chains. The thumb hole is harder to fix – if it’s too small you gotta frog back and make it bigger, too big and you can always sew it smaller after.
Length Variations
You can make them wrist-length, halfway up the fingers, or almost to your fingertips. I like them about 2 inches past my knuckles so they stay warm but I can still grip things easily. Some people make them really long almost like arm warmers which looks cool but seems impractical for actually using your hands.
For wrist length you want maybe 4-5 inches total. Fingerless style like I prefer is more like 7-8 inches from bottom of cuff to top edge. Just measure your own hand with a tape measure before you start.
Adding Details Without Getting Fussy
Stripes are easy – just change colors every few rows. I was watching The Bear while making a striped pair and got so distracted by that episode where everything goes wrong during the soft opening that I did like 8 rows of the same color by accident.
Ribbing at the cuff like I mentioned earlier just looks more polished. You can do it in rows going sideways then seam it and attach to the main glove part, or work it in rounds with front post and back post stitches. The sideways method is easier honestly.
Buttons are cute but completely unnecessary. I’ve seen people add little button tabs at the wrist or decorative buttons on the back of the hand but they just get in the way when you’re actually wearing these to do stuff.
The Thumb Gusset Explained Better
Okay so I didn’t explain this great before. When you’re working in the round and you get to where the thumb should be, you mark that spot. Let’s say stitch 15 out of 40 total stitches in the round. On the next round you increase once on each side of stitch 15 – so you’d work up to stitch 14, increase, work stitch 15, increase, continue the round.
Two rounds later do the same thing but now you’re increasing on either side of those 3 stitches (the original one plus the two increases). Keep doing this every other round until you have like 12-14 stitches in the gusset section. Then put all those on scrap yarn and chain across to keep going with the hand.
It makes the thumb area fit way better than just leaving a hole but it takes practice to get the placement right. My first attempt the thumb was like an inch too far toward my pinky and it was super uncomfortable.
Speed And Timing
A basic pair takes me maybe 3-4 hours total if I’m watching TV and not paying full attention. The in-the-round version with proper thumb gussets is more like 6 hours because there’s more fidgeting with the setup.
Single crochet is slower but makes a tighter fabric that’s warmer. Half double crochet works up faster and has nice drape but might not be as warm in really cold weather. Double crochet is too open and holey for hand warmers unless you’re just making them for like…I don’t know, mild fall weather or something.
What Gauge Even Means Here
Honestly I never check gauge for these. Just start with a medium hook and medium weight yarn and adjust if the fabric feels too tight or too loose. You want it firm enough to hold its shape and keep wind out but stretchy enough to get over your hand comfortably.
If you’re using a pattern someone else wrote then yeah check the gauge or your sizes will be off. But for basic hand warmers you can really just wing it and adjust as you go.
