1370 Opal - Gloves Knitting Pattern for Men and Women in Valley Yarns Amherst

Pattern #1370 Opal – Fingerless Mitts Knitting Pattern by Susan Baron for Valley Yarns Amherst

What You'll Be Making

Pattern #1370 Opal, designed by Susan Baron and published by Valley Yarns, is a knitting pattern for a pair of fingerless mitts — sometimes called fingerless gloves — sized to fit most adult hands in a single, versatile size. Fingerless mitts are a practical and stylish accessory: they keep the palms and wrists warm while leaving the fingers completely free for typing, writing, texting, or any other task that requires dexterity. The finished mitts measure 7 inches in circumference (unstretched) and 7½ inches in length, making them a comfortable, snug fit for a wide range of hand sizes when worked in the recommended stretchy knit fabric. They make an excellent handmade gift as well as a satisfying project for your own wardrobe.

Design Details and Style

What sets the Opal mitts apart from a plain stockinette accessory is their decorative surface texture. Each mitt features a twisted stitch zigzag design that travels across the fabric, giving the finished piece a dynamic, eye-catching look. This kind of twisted-stitch detailing is created by working stitches through the back loop or by crossing stitches over one another in a cable-like manner, producing a raised, sculptural line against the background fabric. The result is a mitt that is polished enough to wear as a style statement while remaining straightforward enough for knitters who are building their skills. The Light Gray colorway specified in the pattern allows the stitch texture to show up beautifully, though the design would translate well in any solid or semi-solid yarn.

Techniques Used

• Worked in the round (seamless): Each mitt is knitted in the round from the cuff upward toward the finger opening, eliminating the need for any seaming. This produces a smooth, comfortable interior with no rough edges against the skin.
• Bottom-up construction: The mitts begin at the cuff edge and progress upward, a logical and intuitive construction method that makes it easy to try the mitt on as you go and adjust length if desired.
• Cables and twisted stitches: The zigzag pattern is worked using cable techniques, requiring a cable needle to hold stitches temporarily while others are worked. This crossing of stitches is the foundation of traditional cable knitting and creates the raised, rope-like or diagonal lines characteristic of the design.
• Thumb gusset: As is standard for well-fitted fingerless mitts and gloves, the pattern incorporates shaping for the thumb, with stitches placed on a stitch holder or waste yarn to be worked separately, ensuring a comfortable and anatomically correct fit around the base of the thumb.
• Stitch markers: Two stitch markers are used to keep track of pattern repeats and shaping sections as the work progresses in the round.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch – the primary background fabric, worked in the round as all knit stitches, producing a smooth, classic surface
• Twisted stitches – stitches worked through the back loop or crossed using a cable needle to create the signature zigzag motif
• Ribbing – typically used at the cuff of fingerless mitts to provide elasticity and a neat, finished edge that grips the wrist
• Cable crossings – the mechanism behind the decorative traveling stitch design

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for 2 balls of Valley Yarns Amherst, a 100% Merino Wool yarn that comes in 50 g / 109-yard skeins. Merino wool is prized for its exceptional softness, warmth, and slight natural stretch, making it an ideal fiber for accessories worn close to the skin. The worsted weight of Amherst means the mitts knit up quickly and have a satisfying, substantial feel without being overly bulky. The recommended needle size is US size 8 (5.0 mm) double-pointed needles (dpns), or the size needed to achieve a gauge of 18 stitches and 21 rounds over 4 inches in stockin