Princess B - vintage gloves for girls

Princess B: Vintage Knitted Gloves for Girls

What is Being Made

Princess B is a pair of vintage-style knitted gloves designed for children, available in two size options to fit ages 5–7 years and 8–10 years. These gloves feature a classic, timeless aesthetic suited to young wearers who appreciate traditional knitwear design. The pattern produces fitted hand coverings with individual finger sections and a structured thumb, characteristic of quality vintage children's knitwear.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several essential glove-making techniques. The construction uses stocking stitch as the primary fabric, which creates a smooth, refined surface typical of vintage glove designs. The pattern incorporates double-pointed needle knitting, a fundamental method for creating seamless, tubular garments in the round. Specific techniques include managing stitches across multiple needles, shaping the hand and wrist sections, and the specialized process of knitting individual fingers from held stitches. The pattern also involves thumb gusset construction, where stitches are strategically increased and later placed on a stitch holder before being worked separately. This intermediate difficulty level assumes knitters have foundational skills in circular knitting and are ready to tackle the precision required for fitted children's garments.

Stitches and Construction Details

The gloves are worked primarily in stocking stitch (also called stockinette stitch), which is created by alternating knit and purl rows when working flat, or by knitting every round when working in the round. This stitch produces the smooth, polished appearance characteristic of vintage glove designs. The gauge for this pattern is 35 stitches and 47 rows per 10 centimeters (4 inches) in stocking stitch, which is essential for achieving the correct fit in children's sizes. Stitch management is critical throughout the project: stitches are held on stitch holders during thumb construction and again when transitioning between the hand and individual finger sections, allowing the knitter to work each component with precision.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The pattern calls for 1 skein of 50-gram yarn per pair of gloves. The recommended yarn is arwetta from Filcolana, a sock yarn blend containing 75% wool, which provides durability, elasticity, and warmth suitable for children's gloves. The pattern accommodates substitutions with other yarns, provided the knitting gauge matches the specified 35 stitches and 47 rows per 10 centimeters when worked on the recommended needle size. The 3-ply weight of the yarn creates a refined fabric appropriate for fitted garments.

Needles: The pattern requires double-pointed needles in 2.5 millimeters (US size 1.5) for working the gloves in the round. The designer recommends using shorter double-pointed needles—specifically 12-centimeter and 10-centimeter lengths—which provide better control and comfort, particularly when knitting the individual finger sections. For knitters new to glove construction, longer 15-centimeter needles are an acceptable alternative for the initial pair. Additionally, stitch holders are necessary: at minimum two stitch holders are required to hold stitches during thumb construction and when managing remaining stitches while knitting the fingers.

Pattern Notes

Gauge adjustment is important for achieving proper fit in children's sizes. If the initial gauge does not match the specified 35 stitches and 47 rows per 10 centimeters, knitters should experiment with smaller or larger needles until the correct gauge is achieved. The pattern design by Birgitte Petersen emphasizes the vintage aesthetic while maintaining practical functionality for active children.