Some other kind of thumb

When I was making my first pair of smockies I wrote a little bit on the afterthought thumb - how you work it and some of things I think are good and bad about it.

In that post I mentioned that I would probably do things a little bit differently on my second pair, and now I've finished with the first one of my next pair I thought I'd share some pics of how these thumbs are being worked.

(I don't know what you call this thumb?? Anybody?)

So, the smockie is knit as per the pattern just like when you're using the afterthought thumb.
Instead of knitting the thumbs stitches onto waste yarn, you just slip them onto a stitch holder (or, well, waste yarn) - see?



Then you just cast on the same number across the top (I use the backward loop cast on for that).

Once you've knit the main part of your smockie/mittens you just go back, slip your stitches back to a needle from your stitch holder, pick up the stitches from your cast on edge (remember, because of the shape of stitches, if you cast on 8 over the thumb gap you'll be picking up 9) and one from each side.
Then just knit out your thumb.

I prefer this method to the afterthought, because I like to have the thumb gap there - it makes it much easier to try on, which in turn makes judging the length easier.



As Amy (from Rhode Island) pointed out in the comments to my post on the afterthought, the problem with both of these methods is that there can be trouble with fit - since your hands probably aren't actually that shape.

This hasn't really been too much of a problem for me as far as the smockies are concerned - being all rib (and a relatively soft gauge) means that they're flexible enough to stretch and hug the shape of your hand.
On the other hand (hehe get it?) something with a firmer, less stretchy gauge wont be so forgiving.

And here ends today's thumby lesson.

****

Knitting time has been a little sparse chez Kuka this week - Other Life Stuff has been getting it the way. In a good way.
The Boy and I have some exciting stuff going on that I'm not keen to share just yet - not until it's certain for sure.
Oh, and it's not related to the recent stashing and interest in yarns and patterns for little guys, just in case anyone is suspicious - it's not that kind of Life Stuff!

BTW, the yellow is best represented (on my screen, at least) in the shot where I'm trying it on =) Kind of. But a bit more custard, a bit less lemon

Comments

  1. Instructional thoughts on the different thumb methods. Will keep them in mind. Am currently avoiding my first afterthought activity.

    ReplyDelete

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