Pinwheel Stripes Fingerless Gloves

I made these gloves (and a matching hat) for my little sister's 13th birthday present.  They're quick and easy to make - not counting a couple of false starts, it took me two evenings to make them.

Gloves

The pattern is worked in a series of cluster stitches:

Stitches

9 st cluster:  *yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch, draw through first 2 loops on hook*, repeat * * 8 more times (10 loops on hook).  Yarn over, draw through all 10 loops, ch1.

5 st cluster: *yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch, draw through first 2 loops on hook*, repeat * * 4 more times (6 loops on hook).  Yarn over, draw through all 6 loops, ch1.

4 st cluster: *yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch, draw through first 2 loops on hook*, repeat * * 3 more times (5 loops on hook).  Yarn over, draw through all 5 loops, ch1.

If unfamiliar with making cluster stitches (which is basically like making a series of half-finished dc,  drawing a loop through them to join them together and closing with a ch st), you can find some good pictorial examples here and here, and a video here.

Pattern 

Using a 7 mm crochet hook and 8 ply yarn.

r1  33 Foundation sc in black. ch2, turn. (Note: I had to use extra turning crochet so that the edges of the piece did not end up too tight) 

r2  sc,  *skip next 3 st, 9 dc in next st, skip next 3 st, sc*, repeat * * to end. Change to blue. ch2, turn.

r3  4 st cluster, ch3, sc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * 2 more times, ch3, 5 st cluster. ch4, turn.

r4  4 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc. *9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * * 2 more times. 5 dc into central stitch of cluster.  Change to black. ch2, turn

r5  sc in last dc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * to end

r6  sc.  *9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * * to end.  Change to blue.  ch2, turn

r7-13  repeat r3-6.  Tie off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Sewing up

With wrong sides together, sew the edges of rows 1 and 13 together so that the centres of the clusters match up.  Sew halfway (two clusters), then tie off for the thumb hole.  From the other end, sew down one cluster length and tie off.  Tuck in ends both along the seam and along the edges.

As you will get a slightly different effect depending on whether it is row 2 or row 13 that is on the palm side of the thumb hole, it makes a difference which end of the glove you make the thumb hole on (At least, it does to perfectionists like me!).  Bear that in mind when it comes to sewing up, and you will need to do your sewing from opposite ends to make your gloves true enantiomers!

Edging and Thumb

Turn the piece the right side out. Tie on at the seam and work two lines of sc around both the top and bottom edges of the gloves.  I found that 23 st (5 across each of the half-clusters, 2 at the smaller black parts and 4 at the seam part) made a nice edging that wasn't too tight or too loose.

For the thumb, work 13 sc around the thumb hole starting a the bottom.  Join, ch3, 2 dc dec, 4 dc, 2 dc dec.  Join, ch1, sc around.  Join and tie off.  Tuck in ends

Pinwheel Stripes Hat

A few months ago I made a pair of gloves for a colleague to replace one she had lost.  I was left with a couple of half-used balls of a super soft merino wool, which I used to make this hat (which is available at my etsy store).  I also made a version with larger squares in blue and black for my little sister's 13th birthday (along with a pair of matching gloves).  Instructions for both are given below.

Hat

The main pattern below is for the purple and pink hat, which has smaller squares and more stripes.  The pattern in square brackets is for the blue and black hat.  The pattern is worked in a series of cluster stitches:

Stitches

9 st cluster:  *yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch, draw through first 2 loops on hook*, repeat * * 8 more times (10 loops on hook).  Yarn over, draw through all 10 loops, ch1.

5 st cluster: *yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch, draw through first 2 loops on hook*, repeat * * 4 more times (6 loops on hook).  Yarn over, draw through all 6 loops, ch1.

4 st cluster: *yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch, draw through first 2 loops on hook*, repeat * * 3 more times (5 loops on hook).  Yarn over, draw through all 5 loops, ch1.

cluster dec: 4 dc into centre of next cluster, tr into sc, 4 dc into centre of next cluster.

If unfamiliar with making cluster stitches (which is basically like making a series of half-finished dc,  drawing a loop through them to join them together and closing with a ch st), you can find some good pictorial examples here and here, and a video here.

Pattern 

Using a 5.5 [7] mm crochet hook and 8 ply yarn.

r1  119 [95] Foundation sc in purple [black], sl st to join bottom of last stitch with the bottom of the first stitch to close the ring, sc, join at top of first st. ch1, don't turn

r2  sc,  *skip next 3 st, 9 dc in next st, skip next 3 st, sc*, repeat * * to end. Change to dark pink [blue]. Join with a sl st, ch2, turn. 15 [12] clusters 

r3  4 st cluster, ch3, sc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * 13 [10] more times, ch3, 5 st cluster. Join with a sl st, ch3, turn.  15 [12] clusters

r4  4 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc. *9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * * 13 [10] more times. 5 dc into central stitch of joining cluster.  Change to light pink [black]. Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  15 [12] clusters

r5  sc in last dc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * to end.  Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  15 [12] clusters 

r6  sc.  *9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * * to end.  Change to white [blue].  

Join with a sl st, ch2, turn.  15 [12] clusters

r7  4 st cluster, ch3, sc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * 13 [10] more times, ch3, 5 st cluster. Join with a sl st, ch3, turn.  15 [12] clusters

r8  4 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc. *9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * * 13 [10] more times. 5 dc into central stitch of joining cluster.  Change to purple [black]. Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  15 [12] clusters

Decreasing

 These instructions are for the pink and purple hat only.

r9  sc in last dc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * to end.  Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  15 clusters

r10  sc.  *9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * * 4 more times, cluster dec, sc. *9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * * 4 more times, cluster dec, sc. Change to dark pink.  

Join with a sl st, ch2, turn.  12 clusters

r11  4 st cluster, ch3, sc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * 10 more times, ch3, 5 st cluster. Join with a sl st, ch3, turn.  12 clusters

r12  4 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc. *9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc, 

 cluster dec, sc into sc, 9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * *. 9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc, cluster dec, 5 dc into central stitch of joining cluster. Change to light pink. Join with a sl st, ch1, turn. 9 clusters

r13  sc in last dc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * to end.  Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  9 clusters

r14  *sc into sc, 9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc, cluster dec*, repeat * * 2 more times. Change to white. Join with a sl st, ch2, turn.  6 clusters

r15  4 st cluster, ch3, sc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * 4 more times, ch3, 5 st cluster. Join with a sl st, ch3, turn.  6 clusters

r16 4 dc into central stich of cluster, sc into sc, cluster dec, sc into sc, 9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc, cluster dec, 5 dc into central stitch of joining cluster.  Change to purple. Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  4 clusters

r17  sc in last dc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * to end.  Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  4 clusters

r18  *sc into sc, cluster dec*, repeat.  Join with a sl st. 2 clusters.  Tie off, leaving a long tail.  Thread the tail of yarn through the top loops of all of the stitches of the last row.  Pull tight to close the hole.  Tuck in threads from colour changes.

 These instructions are for the blue and black hat only.

r9  sc in last dc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * to end.  Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  [12] clusters

r10  *sc into sc, 9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc, 9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc, cluster dec*, repeat * * [2] more times.  Change to [blue].  Join with a sl st, ch2, turn. [9] clusters

r11  4 st cluster, ch3, sc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * [7] more times, ch3, 5 st cluster. Join with a sl st, ch3, turn.  [9] clusters

r12  4 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc. *cluster dec, sc into sc, 9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc*, repeat * *.  cluster dec, 5 dc into central stitch of joining cluster.  Change to [black]. Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  [6] clusters

r13  sc in last dc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * to end.  Join with a sl st, ch1, turn.  [6] clusters

r14  *sc into sc, 9 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc, cluster dec*, repeat * *. Change to [blue]. Join with a sl st, ch2, turn. [4] clusters

r15  4 st cluster, ch3, sc.  *ch3, 9 st cluster, ch3, sc*, repeat * * [2] more times, ch3, 5 st cluster. Join with a sl st, ch3, turn.  [2] clusters

r16  4 dc into central stitch of cluster, sc into sc, cluster dec, sc into sc, 4 dc into central stitch of next cluster, tr in sc.  Join with a sl st.  [2] clusters.  Tie off, leaving a long tail.  Thread the tail of yarn through the top loops of all of the stitches of the last row.  Pull tight to close the hole.  Tuck in threads from colour changes.Tie off, leaving a long tail.  Thread the tail of yarn through the top loops of all of the stitches of the last row.  Pull tight to close the hole.  Tuck in threads from colour changes.