How to Determine Stitch Division for Knitting Gloves

When knitting on double-pointed needles, it's important to use enough needles to work comfortably.

Vintage patterns and those created by amateur knitters may omit details such as the number of knitting needles required for a project, as well as the number of stitches to work on each needle. If you use too few needles, you won't have enough room at the tips to work the stitches. If you use too many, the extra needles will just get in your way. Determining the number of needles, and stitches per needle, before you begin knitting will help keep your work neat and patterns well-defined.

Things You'll Need

• Knitting pattern
• Pencil
• Knitting needles
• Image of finished item (recommended)

Instructions

1. Read the knitting pattern. Note the number of stitches needed for the cast on and whether there are design elements like cables or lace, Fair Isle or intarsia color work.

2. Write in the number of stitches resulting from each increase or decrease on the pattern. For example, if you start with 40 stitches and increase four times, write the number 44 after the instruction to increase.

3. Determine the location and number of stitches needed for the design elements. For Fair Isle designs, count one repeat of the motif as a single design element. For cables, count all cabled stitches and any purled stitches used to frame them.

4. Divide the number of stitches for the cast on by three, if the number is less than 60 -- or by four, if greater than 60. Cast on this number of stitches onto three needles, if the cast on number is less than 60 -- or four needles, if more than 60.

5. Decide where the front, back and thumb for the glove will be located. If the placement of the stitches results in a design element being divided between two needles, slip the stitches so that the design element is completely on one needle.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on the number of increases, you may start with three needles and add a fourth later on.

• Most children's and women's gloves require only three needles. Larger men's gloves sometimes require a fourth.

• If you don't have enough needles in the right size, you can add one needle a single size up or down without seriously affecting your gauge. This is especially effective with wool.

References

• Free Vintage Knitting: Classic Gloves
• Stitch Diva: Knitting in the Round on Double Pointed Needles
• Knitting Help: Advanced Knitting Techniques
• Craft Yarn Council: How to Read a Knitting Pattern

Resources

• Knitting Daily: Perfect Knitted Gloves