The Sportswoman Gloves

The Sportswoman Gloves by Keya Kuhn

Project Overview

The Sportswoman Gloves is an intermediate-level knitting pattern designed by independent designer Keya Kuhn. This downloadable PDF provides instructions for creating a pair of fitted gloves in three sizes: small, medium, and large. The pattern is ideal for knitters seeking a structured, wearable accessory project that combines classic knitting techniques with practical construction methods.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pair of knitted gloves with a fitted wrist and hand construction. The gloves are designed to fit snugly around the wrist and hand, with the small size accommodating wrists up to 7.25 inches in circumference. The pattern includes sizing guidance for medium and large hands, making it accessible to a range of wearers. The gloves feature individual finger shaping, creating a tailored fit for active wear.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Circular knitting: The pattern employs circular needles to construct the gloves in the round, eliminating the need for seaming and creating seamless, tubular fabric.
• Two-at-a-time knitting option: Knitters may choose to work both gloves simultaneously using a longer cable needle, a technique that ensures matching gauge and identical sizing between the left and right gloves.
• Increases and decreases: Strategic shaping is achieved through M1L (make one left) and M1R (make one right) increases, as well as SSK (slip, slip, knit) and K2tog (knit two together) decreases to contour the glove around the hand and fingers.
• Stitch markers: The pattern uses four stitch markers to track pattern repeats and construction sections, aiding in accurate shaping throughout the project.
• Cast-on and bind-off methods: The pattern specifies a long-tail cast-on method for the wrist opening and recommends a stretchy bind-off method to ensure comfortable cuff edges that maintain elasticity with wear.

Stitches and Stitch Abbreviations

The Sportswoman Gloves employs fundamental knitting stitches and shaping techniques:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P): Basic stitches that form the primary fabric structure.
• M1L and M1R: Make-one increases that add stitches by picking up the bar between stitches and knitting through the back or front loop, creating invisible increases ideal for seamless shaping.
• Kftb (knit through front and back): An alternative increase method that creates a visible texture when used decoratively.
• SSK and K2tog: Left-leaning and right-leaning decreases that shape the glove and create balanced visual decreases on either side of pattern sections.
• Slip marker (SM) and place marker (PM): Techniques for tracking pattern sections and maintaining stitch counts across rounds.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The Sportswoman Gloves is designed to work with fingering weight wool yarn, classified as US yarn weight category 1–3. Yarn requirements vary by size:

• Small gloves: 135 yards of fingering weight yarn
• Medium gloves: 200 yards of fingering weight yarn
• Large gloves: 240 yards of fingering weight yarn

Fingering weight yarn is a thin, durable yarn choice ideal for gloves, as it produces a dense, warm fabric that resists pilling and maintains its shape through frequent wear and washing. The yardage requirements are modest, making this an excellent pattern for using yarn from a stash or purchasing small quantities.

Needles and Notions

Needles: The pattern calls for US 2 (2.75mm) circular needles. Knitters have flexibility in cable length based on their preferred technique: a 24-inch cable for traditional magic loop or two-at-a-time knitting, a 42-inch cable for two-at-a-time knitting on a single pair of needles, or an optional 12-inch cable for working individual fingers. This flexibility accommodates different knitting styles and preferences.

Additional notions: The pattern requires a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, four stitch markers for tracking sections, and waste yarn for holding stitches (such as when transitioning from the hand to