Crocheters of Awesome: Freebie Friday

Welcome to my first "Freebie Friday", where I'll share an original pattern base on the most recent stitch tutorial.

Earlier this week, we learned how slip stitches are more versatile than joining and fastening off your work. (If you don't know how to make the six types of slip stitches, check out that page first.)

This pattern is a great way to turn stitch practice squares into fingerless mitts, this tube style is also known as wrist warmers. Once you know the basics, you can practice *any* stitch into a square and make them into mitts! (If you don't want mitts, use cotton yarn and use your practice square as a dishcloth.)

This pattern is available on Ravelry, where you can favorite, queue, download and print a .pdf of this pattern for free. You can also find a .pdf HERE.

For all of these patterns, I used:

Size J/6mm hook
About 125 yards soft worsted yarn per pair ( I used Caron Simply Soft)

You’ll also need a tapestry needle and a ruler or tape measure.

We're going to slip stitch into one loop only (which loop varies by pattern). This is what creates the stretch and texture! Please see the Appendix at the end for more on how to make sure you’re working into the correct loop.

Back Loop Only Slip Stitch Mitts - Step by step

Chain 26

Row 1. Slst into the back ridge/bump of the second chain from hook, and each remaining chain. If you aren’t sure how to do this, I have a video here. Ch 1, turn. 25 slst

Row 2. BLO (back loop only) Slst into each stitch, ch1, turn.
It can be difficult to see which loop is the appropriate back loop, so if you get lost, tilt the top edge towards you and look at the row below from that angle.

Here's the view from the front, and turned towards you – there’s that back loop!

Repeat Row 2 to length. My work is 7 inches wide, and I will work until it is also 7 inches tall. If you have small hands, you may want to stop at 6 inches in height.

To make fingerless mittens, I’ll seam it into a tube, leaving a space for a thumbhole.

They also make great "wrist warmers" by rotating the hole to the inside of your wrist. If you would prefer wrist warmers, just join the entire length without leaving the hole.

To Join:
BLO slst through both layers at the same time (through back loops of both layers at once) for 15 stitches, BLO slst the front edge only 5 stitches, and BLO slst through both layers for 5 stitches.

For the other hand, reverse the order of the joining row, 5 together, 5 separate, 15 together.

Inverse Back Loop Slip Stitch Mitts – Step by Step

Using FLO at the beginning and end of each row not only help maintain the shape of the square, but adds a nice ribbing!

Chain 31

Row 1. Slst into the back ridge/bump of the second chain from hook, and each remaining chain. If you aren’t sure how to do this, I have a video here. Ch1, 30slst

Row 2. FLO (front loop only) slst in first 3 stitches, iB (inverse back loop only) slst in next 24 stitches, FLO in last 3 stitches, ch1, turn.

Row 3. FLO slst across, ch1, turn.
Alternate Row 2 and Row 3 to length. My work is 7 inches long so I worked until it was also 7 inches tall, ending on an iB row.

Note how different the fabric looks on either side. You can see why they call it "flat stitch".

To make fingerless mittens, I’ll seam it into a tube, leaving a space for a thumbhole. If you would prefer wrist warmers, just join the entire length without leaving the hole.

To Join:
Join by slst through both layers together for 20 stitches, FLO slst the front piece only for 5 st, and then both layers together for the last 5 st. I think slst under both loops of the original chain, and the FLO of the last row worked together looks best.

For the other hand, reverse the order of the joining row, 5 together, 5 separate, 20 together. Now to decide which side I feel like wearing!

Wavy Slip Stitch Mitts – Step by Step (Intermediate)

We can create added texture like these waves by adding taller stitches in with our slip stitches. This pattern assumes you’ve got the basics down… and also know how to single, half double, and double crochet.

Ch 28

Set up: Slst into the back ridge/bump of the second chain from hook, and each remaining chain. If you aren’t sure how to do this, I have a video here. Ch1, turn. 27 slst

1.BLO Slst into first 2 st, (BLOsc, BLOhdc, BLOdc, BLOhdc, BLOsc, sl) 4 times, Slst into last st

2.BLO Slst in each st across

3.BLO Slst in first 5 st, (BLOsc, BLOhdc, BLOdc, BLOhdc, BLOsc, sl) 3 times, Slst into last 4 st Note: the dcs should line up over slst in the wavy row below, and the slst should line up over the dcs in the wavy row below.

4 -6. BLO Slst in each stitch across

Repeat Row 3

Repeat Row 2

Repeat Row 1

Repeat Rows 4-6

Repeat the whole sequence over again from Row 1

BLO Slst to 7 inches

To Join:
Slst first 15 st through both layers, next 6 front piece only, last 6 through both layers. For the other hand, reverse the order of the joining row, 6 together, 6 separate, 15 together.

Appendix

Back Loop Only

Here's how you find that back loop... when you are looking at your work, it's tempting to look at the "chain" of teardrop shaped loops facing you, but these aren’t the loops you're looking for. Tilt your work towards you and look down at the top... and you can more easily see the last row of stitches, and that elusive back loop.