Fingerless gloves keep your wrists and palms warm while leaving your fingers free for typing, holding a coffee, or doing more crochet. The pair in this tutorial is about as simple as a wearable project gets: one row, repeated, then folded and sewn up the side.
If you already know how to make a single crochet and can work a foundation chain, you have everything you need. The pattern is back-loop single crochet for 32 rows - that creates the ribbed texture that hugs your wrist. Then you fasten off, fold, seam the side with a gap for your thumb, and weave in the ends.
Diving Ducks Crochet works through it slowly enough for a brand new crocheter. You finish one mitt in the video and make the second the same way.
What you need
- About 50-100g of worsted weight (medium 4) yarn
- A 4mm (G) hook, or 4.5mm if you crochet tight
- A tapestry needle, scissors and a tape measure
Picking the yarn
These sit against your skin all day, so softness matters more than anything else. A wool blend or a soft merino-acrylic mix is warm and keeps its stretch. Plain cotton feels nice but has no bounce, so the ribbing sags after a few wears. Avoid scratchy budget wool unless you know your skin tolerates it.
Sizing them to your hand
The rectangle is built sideways. The foundation chain runs from your wrist toward your knuckles, so it sets the length of the glove. The rows stack up around your hand, so the row count sets the circumference.
- Longer or shorter: add or remove chains. 36 is a standard adult length; 32 is shorter.
- Looser or snugger: add or remove rows in pairs. Wrap the piece around the widest part of your palm before you seam. It should meet with a little stretch, not with a gap.
Why back loop only gives stretch
Working into the back loop leaves the front loop sitting on the surface as a ridge. Those ridges fold like an accordion, which is why the fabric stretches across the hand and springs back. It looks a lot like knit ribbing, without any of the needle work.
Where to leave the thumb hole
The video seams about 11cm up from the wrist and then leaves the gap. Hold the folded piece against your hand and mark where the base of your thumb sits. Seam to just below that point, leave a gap of about 4-5cm, then close the top for a centimeter. Too low and the glove slides down; too high and the thumb pinches.
Variations
- Arm warmers: chain 50-60 instead of 36 and seam the extra length.
- A contrast cuff: work the first and last 4 rows in a second colour.
- Full coverage: for a closed version, try crochet mittens.
Prefer needles? There is a knitted fingerless gloves pattern with a proper thumb gusset.
Common mistakes
- Losing a stitch at the row ends, so the rectangle narrows into a trapezoid. Count every few rows.
- Seaming with the wrong side out. Pick your public side before you sew.
- Pulling the seam yarn tight, which puckers the rib.
- Mitts that do not match. Write down your chain and row counts on the first one.
A pair takes an evening, which makes them an easy December gift. Fold them together and tie with yarn from the same ball.
