Friday, November 2, 2012

Ribbonberry Too - Suggestions for Crochet Mitts and Leg Warmers

Ribbonberry, my latest free pattern, is a versatile stitch based on Back Loop Slip Stitch. A simple 4-row repeat yields this ripply, textured fabric:


(If you missed the last post, click here for the pattern and a phototutorial of the Ribbonberry stitch used in a cowl.)

Each Ribbonberry row starts and ends with Back Loop Slip Stitch only (the pattern is formed by adding bobbly berries between the edge stitches on every other row). This gives a stretchy, ribbed edge which you can make as wide or narrow as you like by increasing or decreasing the number of back loop slip stitches. As promised in the previous post, here are some suggested stitch ratios for making Ribbonberry mitts or leg warmers.

Ribbonberry Leg Warmer

For a Ribbonberry project with equal ribbing at each end, your starting chain should be:
(Number of ribbing stitches x 2) + (multiple of 4 for berry/valley motifs) + 1 for turning.

My work-in-progress leg warmers have a 5-stitch ribbing at either side, with a 10 berry/valley motif repeat between them. So for my leg warmers, I chained 51 stitches: (5 ribbing + 5 ribbing) + (4 x 10 motifs) + 1 for turning.

The leg warmer in the photo above, worked in a medium-weight worsted yarn, is about 12" long. To make your leg warmers longer or shorter, simply increase or decrease the number of motifs between the ribbed edge stitches. You can also make the ribbed edge wider or narrower by increasing or decreasing the number of ribbing stitches. (3 is the suggested minimum.)

Note: Ribbonberry makes a stable, not "slouchy", fabric when worked up in medium weight yarn; for slouchier leg warmers I suggest using a larger hook, or a finer yarn (or a different stitch pattern). :)

Remember, you can make the ribbing any width you like - and it doesn't have to be the same size on both edges. To make the leg warmers, simply decide on the amount of ribbing and motifs you want, chain an appropriate amount, and repeat Pattern Rows 1-4 (click here for the pattern) until the leg warmer fits as desired, ending with Row 3. Seam ends together as instructed in the Ribbonberry post.

Here's another use for the Ribbonberry stitch pattern, this time featuring unequal amounts of ribbing:

Ribbonberry Mitt

For this mitt, worked in a medium-weight worsted yarn, I used a 10-stitch ribbing on one edge (to form the snug wrist cuff) and a 4-stitch ribbing on the other edge. Between is a 3 berry/valley motif repeat. My starting chain for this project was 27 chains (10 ribbing + 4 ribbing) + (4 x 3 motifs) + 1 for turning.

To make the mitts, chain your desired amount and work Rows 1-4 of pattern stitch (click here for pattern) until mitt will fit comfortably around your hand when slightly stretched; end with a Row 3. (Remember you can make that ribbing as wide or narrow as you like - for a longer cuff, make a longer starting chain; for more of the wavy pattern, add more multiples of 4 between the ribbing chains.)

To finish the mitt, begin seaming edges together as described in the Ribbonberry Pattern post. When you reach the spot where you'd like the thumb hole to be, stitch along one edge only until opening is large enough for your thumb, then bring edges together again and finish seaming. My final Row 3 ended at the top of the mitt (closest to the fingers), so, working downwards, I seamed 5 stitches down from the top edge. Then I slip stitched down one edge only for 5 stitches to make the thumb hole, then brought both edges together again and finished seaming the glove.

Making the Thumb Hole

You can make the thumb opening any size you like, and locate it anywhere on the seam. You can also slip stitch down either edge when making the opening; I chose to slip stitch down the starting chain edge so as to reinforce it a bit.

If you're feeling ambitious, you could even pick up stitches around the thumb hole and stitch a little thumb. :)

I've had a lot of fun with the Ribbonberry stitch, and I hope you will too! If you have any questions, please ask away using the comment box below, or contact me in Ravelry (I'm MrsMicawber there).

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

~

P.S. Check back tomorrow to hear about another free pattern of mine, available on a different website.

:)

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24 comments:

  1. Wow I love this stitch. Fantastic and very versatile too. Thanks for the pattern.

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    1. You're most welcome! Hope autumn is treating you well on the Emerald Isle. :)

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  2. This is awesome!!.I can not come up with my own patterns even if I tried. I really love this...I even noticed the blanket..it's beautiful. going now to check out the pattern post I missed. thanks for sharing, Shari

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    1. Thanks so much, Shari. Have a wonderful weekend! :)

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  3. Those fingerless gloves look really warm for cold days and the pattern is so unusual and clever. I know that these 'mitts' are very popular these days, but don't the fingers get terribly cold?
    I remember when I was a child, bus conductors used to wear them because they needed to have their fingers free to hand out tickets and take our money and give change from their leather shoulder bags.

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    1. I've found the mitts to be very cosy for indoor wear. They keep the pulse points (at the wrists) warm, which in turn helps keep the fingers warm. And if they work for me, they'd work for anyone - I have VERY cold fingers! :)

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    2. Thank you for explaining! I would never had thought of keeping the pulse points warm. I didn't know that these gloves were worn inside, I do know that a lot of young women are wearing them as a fashion item and often take pictures of themselves holding hot mugs of steaming coffee. I get cold fingers too, but maybe they would be just the thing when I go out on my photographic outings!

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    3. Give them a try - I wore some on our walk yesterday, instead of regular mittens, and they seemed to work pretty well. (Of course there was no wind to speak of.) As for wearing them inside: we keep our thermostat very low in cool weather, so my hands are often cold, and the mitts come in very handy. :)

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  4. I love this stitch, looks like it is knitted rather than crocheted. My attention span is very short the older I get. My project now is easy peasy granny squares that I will connect with blue for a baby boy. Have a great weekend. Tammy

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    1. I'm hoping that crochet will help stave off Alzheimer's....

      Hope your weekend is wonderful too - and reasonably cool. :)

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  5. I love the look of this stitch and have just bought myself the yarn to make myself a cowl for my new winter coat but don't feel that my crochet expertise is good enough yet to try this. Perhaps I'll put it on my list to make hand warders! I love the colour you've used as well....yet another incentive! Thanks. Joan

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    1. You're welcome, Joan. I don't think you need a fancy stitch for cowls - the important thing is that they're warm. :)

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  6. Ya' know, my Dear, if I keep seeing all these great things, which you crochet, I just might (might!) ask my daughter to give me some instruction. She's an expert at knitting and all this stuff, even spins some of her own yarn.

    Leg warmers. Love 'em. Only have black, from Vermont Country Store. IF I did em myself, I could every color of the rainbow!!!!! :-))))))))))))

    "Auntie"

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    1. Ooh, think what fun if you became a crocheter (or knitter)! More things to post about! :)

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  7. Sue, I am so fascinated with this stitch because it really looks so much like knitting. It amazes me that you can do this, it is beautiful.
    Hugs and enjoy the smell of that beautiful air,
    Meredith

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    1. Thanks, Meredith, I will. Hope your weekend is wonderful! :)

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  8. That's lovely - I like when the lines are blurred between methods of construction and that has such a look of knittiness about! Clever :-).

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  9. Thanks, Ginny! This is about as close to knitting as crochet can get, in terms of stitch construction.

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  10. I, too, am struck by how much this looks like knitting. I knit, so I haven't heavily used crochet stitches that mock knitting. But this one is just so darned appealing, I do really have to give it a try. And I do intend to make a snowflake with it. And yes, I have the PERFECT name. :)

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    1. Can't wait to see it ... and just for the record I'm not really trying to copy knitting but to explore the possibilities of crochet. (I know you know that.) I too can knit - but I love crochet, and respect it as its own form of fibre artistry. I could go on, but would probably end up writing a reply long enough to be a post of its own.... :)

      As always, thanks!

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  11. Hi Sue
    The pattern is great I liked the pattern very much I want to make leg Warmers for my Mom this winters so it will be great if u can give a detailed pattern for the same as I m a beginner to this art your help will be appreciated .

    Regards
    Neha

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    1. Thank you, Neha. The pattern is in the previous post. Here's the link:

      http://mrsmicawber.blogspot.com/2012/10/ribbonberry-crochet-tutorial-versatile.html

      A quick note - if you are new to crochet, you might also be interested in a more standard crochet pattern. Slip Stitch crochet takes longer than regular crochet because the stitches are so small. If you'd like to see some other leg warmer patterns, here is a good link:

      http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/legwarmers.php

      Have fun making your leg warmers!

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  13. Thank you so much for this lovely stitch! I was looking for wrist warmers and the picture of your gloves stopped me in my tracks. It's beautiful.

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