Irish Hiking Wrist Warmers pattern

This is the first pattern I'm posting. I did my best to write it up accurately and clearly based on my notes, but I can't promise it's error-free. Please leave a comment if you have any questions, suggestions, corrections, etc.

These wrist warmers should fit most people, as the cables and ribs make them both clingy and stretchy. You can try them on as you go, and make them as long or as short as you want.

This pattern was inspired by the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern from Hello Yarn, and by the Uneven Cable pattern from Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns.


MATERIALS
- Less than 166 yards of worsted weight yarn (I used Bernat Satin)
- 5 double-pointed needles, size 8 US
- Cable needle

GAUGE
In stockinette, 18 sts and 25 rows = 4"

ABBREVIATIONS
C6B = Slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold to back of work. K4, then K the 2 sts off cable needle.
M1K = Make one knit stitch using the increase of your choice (I used lifted increases: first right-slant, then left-slant)
M1P = Make one purl stitch using the increase of your choice (I used lifted increases: first right-slant, then left-slant)

DIRECTIONS
Cast on 36 stitches and join for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker at beginning of round.

Stitch Pattern:
Rounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 6: * K2, P2, K6, P2, repeat from * to end of round
Round 3: * K2, P2, C6B, P2, repeat from * to end of round

Repeat these 6 rounds, continuing in pattern until the wrist warmer is about 3 1/2" from the cast-on (or where ever you want the thumb gusset to start).

On the next round: slip marker, M1K, K2, M1K, pM, then complete the round in pattern.

Knit a round even in pattern. (Starting with K4 now that there are 2 extra stitches)
Continue in pattern, increasing by M1P after the first marker and M1P before the second marker. (These added stitches will be purled in future rounds.)

Repeat these last 2 rounds. There should now be 42 stitches.

Continue in pattern until wrist warmer is 5 1/2" (or desired length) from cast-on.

Bind off the 8 stitches between the markers, remove the second marker, and complete the round in pattern.
At the beginning of the next round, slip marker, cast on 2 stitches using the backward loop cast on, and complete the round in pattern. (These new stitches will be knitted in future rounds.)

Continue in pattern until wrist warmer is 7 1/2" long, or desired length.
Bind off loosely in pattern.

Make another wrist warmer just like this one!

Irish hiking gifts

This Irish hiking scarf and matching wrist warmers are for my mother-in-law. The only modification I made to the Hello Yarn Irish hiking scarf pattern was to use "uneven cables" which I found in Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns. Instead of putting 3 stitches on a cable needle and knitting the next 3 before knitting the 3 from the cable needle, you put 2 stitches on the cable needle and knit the next 4. I like the way these cables turn out, and they're a bit easier to do. I went with a 6-row repeat, as opposed to the 8-row cables in the Hello Yarn pattern.

The finished scarf is about 60" long. The ends don't fan out much because I did the first cable row on row 3 (the Hello Yarn pattern has you do it at row 8). Likewise I ended the scarf 2 rows after the last cable row.


I improvised a matching wrist warmer pattern, after a botched attempt at modifying the wrist warmer pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. The wrist warmers I made are 36 stitches around (3 repeats of the 12-stitch cable pattern). I started at the arm, and after 22 rounds began increasing for the thumb gusset. I increased 2 stitches every other round until there were 42 stitches. In round 35 I bound off 8 stitches at the thumb, and in round 36 I cast on 2 stitches to complete the circle. After another 10 rounds, I bound off.

1/15/07 EDITED TO ADD: I have posted the complete pattern.


Irish hiking scarf
Started: Nov. 1(?)
Finished: Nov. 30(?)
Pattern: From Hello Yarn
Yarn: Bernat Satin, Sterling, 3 skeins (used very little of the 3rd skein)
Needles: US 8 Addi Turbos

Irish hiking wrist warmers
Started: Dec. 1(?)
Finished: Dec. 9
Pattern: My own
Yarn: Bernat Satin, less than 1 skein
Needles: US 8 dpns

FO: Mom's wrist warmers

So far I have nothing but good things to say about the Last Minute Knitted Gifts book. I have a recent edition in which most of the errors have been fixed, and I've been thoroughly enjoying the patterns. I even love just looking at the pictures in the book.

So one weekend I brought the book up to my parents' house and had Mom look through it to see if there was anything she liked. Although she had once declared that she wasn't interested in wearing any hand-knit items, when she got to the wrist warmers, she said "ooh!" Her hands get cold when she drives, especially since she's been parking the car outside all winter (the garage has no room for cars for the duration of major home improvements that are taking much longer than planned). She has gloves, but she doesn't like to wear them because they interfere with her grip on the steering wheel.

I couldn't find the Noro Cash Iroha that the pattern suggests, but I came across the loveliest skein of Classic Elite Inca Alpaca at School Products. I believe the color is called "Island of the Sun," and it's a heathered blend of royal blue and teal blue, two of Mom's favorite colors. The yarn is the right weight, and very soft.

The pattern calls for two 8-inch circular needles. I have no circs that short, and the Denise set doesn't even allow you to make circs that short (though I tried!) After reading the pattern I decided there was no reason I couldn't use double-pointeds instead, which I happened to have on hand in the right size. They worked out very well, especially for the thumb opening.

It seemed important for the second wrist warmer to be a mirror image, as opposed to a duplicate, of the first, but the pattern didn't mention how to achieve this. I briefly considered altering the pattern so the twisted ribs would go in the opposite direction for the second one. Then I realized I could knit the second wrist warmer according to the pattern, and just turn it inside out when it was done. It worked out splendidly. No blocking was necessary either.

I gave the wrist warmers to Mom for her birthday, and she loves them. She wore them yesterday and they kept her hands warm while allowing a solid grip on the steering wheel. Yay!

Mom's wrist warmers
Started: March 11
Finished: March 12
Pattern: From Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Classic Elite Inca Alpaca, 1 skein, Island of the Sun (1146)
Needles: US 6 bamboo dpns