bethsco blog: February 2011

(UPDATE: Edited 5-5-2013 I've had some feedback and questions about this pattern so I've edited it to include a lot of images and descriptions. You can click on any picture for an enlarged view also. Hopefully this will all be very clear now. The written pattern by itself (for those that don't need the pictures, and for ease of reading) is at the very bottom of this post. I've also posted a video showing the most difficult parts (see below). I love that so many people have used this pattern and love it and come back to it. Thanks!)

At last I'm blogging one of my very favorite and most popular glove patterns! Thanks for your patience in waiting for this and enjoy! If you're interested in ordering a pair of these check out my store page at www.bethsco.com. I'm happy to do custom color requests!

Please only use my patterns for personal use or gifts. Please do not sell the finished products or copy or sell the pattern. Links to my blog or store are welcome. Thanks!

Twist Fingerless Gloves

For this pattern you'll want to be (or get) familiar with:
blo=back loop only
fpdc=front post double crochet

I used Caron Country Merino wool blend yarn and a size I and size J crochet hook for the dark grey pair. I reused a second hand yarn for the green pair but I'm guessing it was about a 2-ply sport weight yarn and I used a size G and size H crochet hook with it. You can use any weight yarn with a slightly large hook (and optionally the larger hook too for the top of the glove) for the yarn you’re using. The larger crochet hooks help keep it stretchy. Gauge isn’t important because you’ll make the gloves to fit.

You will need a few measurements or you can just measure the gloves against your hand and arm as you go. The second method actually works best for me... plus I try them on at each step. Then you can get the right tightness/stretchiness feel. Keep in mind these gloves are very stretchy so you can make them a little on the small side, just don't make them too big.

#1 Cuff measurement: from your wrist up your arm, as far as you want your cuff to be.

#2 Wrist measurement.

#3 Upper hand measurement.

#4 Wrist to thumb hole.

#5 Thumb hole to knuckles (or wherever you want the top of the gloves to end.)

Cuff- The cuff is a basic 1:1 ribbing.
Ch (with your smaller hook) until you reach the approx. length from measurement #1 plus 1 more chain. (I chained 19)
Row 1: sc blo in 2nd ch from hook and each ch accross, ch 1, turn (18 total sc, for me)

Row 2: sc blo in each, ch 1, turn

chained 1 and cuff turned, ready to work in the side...

Body-
Row 1: Working in the side of the ribbed cuff, sc across (see pic below). How many sc you need is determined by your measurements but it must be a factor of 5. You want it to fit nicely around your wrist (measurement #2) but be able to stretch over the top of your hand so you can get it on (measurement #3.) I had 25 sc total. Fold in half to begin working in the round and Join with sl st to first sc of this row (see 2nd pic below.)

working scs across side of cuff for row 1 of body

joining with sl st to begin working in the round

Row 2: ch 3, make beginning twist (dc in sc behind where you just joined-see pictures below), sk 1, 3dc in next (shell)

completed beginning twist for row 2

*Make twist (see picture below- sk 2, dc, dc in 2nd skipped stitch), sk 1, 3dc in next* Repeat around, (5 twists and 5 shells total)

Row 3: beginning twist stitch (see picture below- join with sl st to dc below, ch 3, fpdc around the ch 3 of below row),

shell into the space before the next shell (see pictures below)

insert hook into space between twist and shell below...

and work 3dc (shell)

*twist in next twist (keeping a tight tension, sk the shell and sk next dc, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around skipped dc- see pictures below) shell in space before next shell* repeat around, join with sl st around the post of the first dc. In other words, for this row and each row after, you will be twisting in each twist and working a shell in the space before each shell.

Row 4-? (row 6 for me): Repeat row 3 until you get to the row where you'd like to work your thumb hole. Use measurement #4 to help determine this. You may want to switch to your larger hook 1-2 rows before your thumb hole row.

Thumb hole row (row 7 for me): ch 3, fpdc around ch 3 of below row, dc in space before next shell, ch 6, sk the rest of that shell and the next twist, dc in space before next shell, *twist in next twist, shell in space before next shell* repeat around, join with sl st around the post of the first dc

Row after thumb hole row (row 8 for me): ch 3, fpdc around ch 3 of below row, shell in space before dc, sk 3, dc, dc in 2nd skipped ch, sk 1, shell in next ch, *twist in next twist, shell in next shell* repeat around, join with sl st around the post of the first dc

Next row and until top (Row 9-11 for me): Repeat row 3, finish off, and sew the cuff up. Oh, and don't forget to make another one for the other hand!

*UPDATE 5-5-2013: Ok, ok, ok. I've had one too many requests for a video instruction for rows 2 and 3 of the body of the glove. Just so you know, making a video is not as easy as it would seem to be. That said, welcome to amateur hour with my camera's finicky focus and don't mind that I was still talking at the end of the video and forgive when I get off camera. Enjoy the sounds of happy kids in the background and feel free to skip through to the point you're looking for, because it's long. Hope this helps!*

Twist Fingerless Gloves

(written pattern without pictures for easier reading)

Row 2: sc blo in each, ch 1, turn

Row 3-?: Repeat row 2. How many rows you make will be determined by measurement #2 and #3. It should fit around your wrist without gapping but be able to stretch to around the top of your hand (so you can get it on.) I had 24 rows.
You will end up with a square/rectangle shaped piece. ch 1, turn. For the body you will be working along the side of the cuff.

Body-
Row 1: Working in the side of the ribbed cuff, sc across. How many sc you need is determined by your measurements but it must be a factor of 5. You want it to fit nicely around your wrist but be able to stretch over the top of your hand so you can get it on. I had 25 sc total. Fold in half to begin working in the round and Join with sl st to first sc of this row.

Row 2: ch 3, make beginning twist (dc in sc behind where you just joined-see pictures below), sk 1, 3dc in next (shell) *Make twist (sk 2, dc, dc in 2nd skipped stitch), sk 1, 3dc in next* Repeat around, (5 twists and 5 shells total)

Row 3: beginning twist stitch (join with sl st to dc below, ch 3, fpdc around the ch 3 of below row), *twist in next twist (keeping a tight tension, sk the shell and sk next dc, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around skipped dc- see pictures below) shell in space before next shell* repeat around, join with sl st around the post of the first dc. In other words, for this row and each row after, you will be twisting in each twist and working a shell in the space before each shell.

Row 4-? (row 6 for me): Repeat row 3 until you get to the row where you'd like to work your thumb hole. You may want to switch to your larger hook 1-2 rows before your thumb hole row.

Just over a week ago I was clueless about what was about to happen. It started when Android Central featured the Droid robot I designed and make. Within the next 24 hours I got more comments, likes, tweets, and orders than I ever expected. It was quickly picked up by 3 other blogs and Gizmodo.com. Suddenly my site traffic was through the roof, orders stacked up, and I had a waiting list as long as my arm. I mean, I always thought my Android bot was pretty great but it's been overwhelming to see the response of Android lovers everywhere. I feel like quoting...

(in deep commercial announcer voice)
Gizmoto raves: "Who knew the Android robot would be even cuter in crochet form?"
Android Central says: "...the little Android guy above is making me think I may need to take up a new hobby"
Slash Gear gushes: "DIY Android mascot crochet is cool!"

I mean it's cool. What can I say? Ok, I'm done now.

First batch before being shipped out

I did have to tease my husband, Andrew, that I made it onto Gizmodo.com before him. Because the reality is, that if anyone I know would be on Gizmodo, it would have been him! He's my inspiration for the Android AND the one that tipped off Android Central et al. He's the one that measured the pixels of the Android logo so that I could make my Droid bot anatomically correct. He's the gifted geek computer genius! You can check out some of his awesome work at www.emergingcms.com. Anyway, thanks, Andrew for all you do! (Did that sound like I was at the Emmys? Oops.)

A little army- batch 3 or so

In this last week I've gone international! Crocheted Androids have shipped (or will ship) to Sweden, Switzerland, France, Russia, Guatemala, Italy, and Germany. The pattern has been translated to French by a fellow blogger and amigurumi crocheter. Another person has asked to translate it to Spanish and I've given permission.

They haunt me... in a good way.

I've been so blessed by the response and so excited. I've been dreaming about Androids... when I'm sleeping and not making them. I see green constantly. My kids like my new job of making little armies of Droid bots. Though they want to keep all of them. The current wait list for a Droid is 2-3 weeks. (Which is particularly interesting considering I'm 3 weeks away from expecting a new baby!) In all, it's been a week to remember. Maybe we'll name the baby "Android." But prolly not!

Links to websites that featured my Android Robot:
http://gizmodo.com/#!5752696/a-crocheted-android-robot
http://www.androidcentral.com/so-you-want-crochet-your-own-android-figure
http://www.talkandroid.com/29186-knit-yourself-an-android/
http://www.slashgear.com/diy-android-mascot-crochet-figure-is-cool-07131275/, http://androidcommunity.com/crochet-your-own-android-robot-20110207/

Link to pattern in French:

http://olisushi.blogspot.com/2011/02/pattern-francais-officiel-droid-robot.html