Mitten & Fingerless Mitts Cast-On

How this works

Mittens and fingerless mitts both start with the same cuff: cast on in the round at the wrist, knit ribbing, then switch to the main stitch and knit until you reach the thumb. The cast-on count depends on hand circumference, gauge, and a small amount of negative ease so the cuff stays put. 5% is standard — bump to 10% for stretchy yarn or a tighter fit.

The thumb-gusset marker goes halfway around the cuff. Knit to that marker, work the gusset increases, then continue around to finish the round. After the gusset is wide enough for your thumb, put those stitches on hold (you'll come back to knit the thumb last) and join the round again at the gap.

Mitten vs fingerless — what's different

The cast-on, cuff, and thumb gusset are identical. The difference is what you do at the top:

• Mitten — knit past the thumb to about 4 inches of mitten body, then decrease evenly down to a small number of stitches (8–10) and Kitchener the top closed or pull the working yarn through and cinch.
• Fingerless — knit past the thumb to your preferred length (mid-knuckle for "knuckle mitts," past the second joint for "fingerless gloves") and bind off in pattern. Often the bind-off is the same rib pattern as the cuff for visual balance.

Tips

• Swatch in the round. Mitts are knit in the round and in-the-round gauge often differs from flat gauge by a stitch or two.
• Measure across the knuckles (without including the thumb). Standard adult: 7.5–8 inches medium, 8–8.5 inches large.
• For child sizing: 5.5–6 inches (toddler), 6.5–7 inches (child).
• If you're knitting a pair, use the same stitch count for both hands. Right and left mitts are mirror images but the cast-on is identical.
• For full gloves (separate finger tubes), the cast-on and cuff are the same as a mitten, but each finger needs its own circumference measurement. Finger sizing is its own calculation — we'll add that as a separate calc when demand surfaces.