Ritornello Gloves

Ritornello Gloves by Leah Prestamo

Project Overview

Ritornello Gloves is an intermediate-level knitting pattern designed by Leah Prestamo. This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for creating a fitted pair of gloves using fingering weight yarn and small circular needles, with options for alternative construction methods.

What is Being Made

The Ritornello Gloves are hand-knitted gloves featuring a structured cuff and fitted hand sections. The pattern offers two size options: Small and Large, allowing for customization based on hand measurements. The gloves include a semi-finger variation, providing flexibility in the finished design.

Garment Dimensions

• Size Small: Hand Circumference 6.5 inches (16.5cm), Cuff Length 2.5 inches (6.5cm), Hand Length from top of cuff to fingertips 5.25 inches (13.25cm)
• Size Large: Hand Circumference 7.25 inches (18.5cm), Cuff Length 3.25 inches (8.25cm), Hand Length from top of cuff to fingertips 6.25 inches (15.75cm)

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Ritornello Gloves employ knitting in the round as the primary construction method, which creates seamless gloves without the need for seaming. The pattern utilizes stitch markers to track pattern repeats and shaping points throughout the knitting process. A locking marker is used to secure stitches at key junctures; the pattern notes that a safety pin or yarn tail can serve as a substitute if a dedicated locking marker is unavailable.

The stitch pattern includes M1l (make one left) increases, which are incorporated into the shaping of the glove. The pattern requires careful attention to stitch placement, particularly when using double-pointed needles, as stitches must be reallocated over the needles on every alternate round to maintain the integrity of the stitch pattern.

Yarn and Needles

The Ritornello Gloves are worked in fingering weight yarn, which is a fine yarn weight ideal for creating fitted, detailed knitwear. The pattern calls for 240 yards (220 meters) for Size Small and slightly less yardage for Size Large. The designer recommends Lady Llama Shorty Fraternal Sock Sets as a yarn option, though any fingering weight yarn of suitable yardage will work.

Needles required include Size 1 (2.25mm) and Size 2 (2.75mm) small circular needles for the primary construction. The pattern specifies a gauge of 37 stitches by 48 rounds equaling 4 inches (10cm) in the hand pattern when worked on the larger needle. Additionally, a set of five double-pointed needles in Size 1 (2.25mm) is required only if working the semi-finger variation of the gloves.

Additional Notions

• 2 stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and construction points
• 1 locking marker (or substitute such as a safety pin)

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, the Ritornello Gloves pattern assumes knitters have foundational skills in circular knitting and are comfortable working stitch patterns while shaping. The requirement to reallocate stitches on double-pointed needles and manage a stitch pattern simultaneously makes this pattern suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic techniques.