Mursten - cabled fingerless gloves

Mursten Cable Cross Fingerless Gloves

What Is Being Made

Mursten fingerless gloves are a pair of unisex hand coverings designed by Phuong Mai with a subtle masculine aesthetic. These gloves feature prominent cable cross motifs and are worked as mirror images to create a balanced, symmetrical design. The fingerless construction allows for dexterity while providing warmth to the hands and wrists, making them practical for cooler weather while maintaining hand mobility.

Design and Construction Details

The gloves showcase cable crosses laid against a full backdrop of reverse stockinette stitch, creating a distinctive stacked brick appearance rather than the typical look of cables inlaid against standard stockinette. This design choice gives the gloves a textured, dimensional quality. Both gloves are worked as mirror images, including the 2x2 ribbing and cable panel, ensuring a professional, matched pair.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques:

• Cable crosses: The primary decorative element, creating raised twisted stitches across the glove surface
• Reverse stockinette stitch: Forms the background fabric, providing contrast to the cable work
• 2x2 ribbing: Used for the cuff and worked as mirror images on each glove
• Magic loop method: The recommended technique for working small circumference pieces in the round
• Stitch markers: Used to track pattern repeats and construction points
• Cable needle: Essential for manipulating stitches to create the cable crosses

Materials and Yarn Specifications

Mursten fingerless gloves are designed for worsted weight yarn, requiring approximately 150 yards (140 meters) total. The suggested yarn is Madeline Tosh Vintage in the Leopard colorway, though any worsted weight yarn at the specified gauge will work. The project calls for a gauge of 18 stitches by 24 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch.

Needles and Notions

The pattern requires US 7 (4.5mm) circular needles in a 24-inch length for working the glove body using the magic loop technique. US 6 (4mm) double pointed needles or circular needles of the same length are needed for the ribbed cuff. The pattern specifically notes that working the glove body with double pointed needles is not recommended, as loose stitches adjacent to cables can become exaggerated with this needle type. Additional notions include two stitch markers, a cable needle, and three stitch holders or scrap yarn for holding stitches during construction.