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Mary Jane Mucklestone

Hand Knitting Blog & Knitting Patterns

All Thumbs

January 16, 2012 by Mary Jane 24 Comments

Ah the beautiful Afterthought Thumb on my Muckle Mitts! Technically this isn’t an afterthought, since we did think about it by knitting waste yarn into the spot where we’ll make the thumb later, See my  last post “Waste Yarn, What Yarn?”. When I learned this thumb, I found picking up the stitches around the waste yarn confusing.

So let’s go through it step by step.

[Above] Here we see the 8 stitches of waste yarn knit in between Rnd 11 and Rnd 12 of the chart.

Using one of  my smaller needles I’ve picked up four stitches  above the waste yarn, picking up the Right Hand leg of each  stitch. Picking up the Right Hand leg of the stitch will mount the stitch correctly on the needle, handy when we get around to knitting it.

[Above] Here’s a close up, see the outlines of the Right Hand leg of the stitch…now of course the point of the needle is obscuring the next stitch that we need to pick up…the difficult thing about still photos..but the turquoise outlines indicate the Right Hand leg of the stitches we will pick up.

Note: It is not the end of the world if you don’t get the correct leg of the stitch, you’ll be able to compensate when you knit it later. The worst thing that can happen is that the stitch will be twisted, which won’t really matter in the great scheme of life.

[Above] Now  I’ve got all 8 stitches positioned on the needle.

Picking up stitches below waste yarn on afterthought thumb

[Above] I’ll leave that needle in place and pick up 8 stitches from below the waste yarn. Again, I’m picking up the Right Hand leg of each stitch, so they will all be positioned correctly for knitting. I’ve got 3 stitches on the needle and I’m just picking up the 4th stitch with the tip of the needle.

Afterthought Thumb with all stitches picked up

[Above] Ok – 8 stitches each on both needles. Next we”ll remove the waste yarn

Afterthought thumb removing waste yarn

[Above] To remove the waste yarn un-pick the orange stitches….sort of slide the orange yarn out. I use another needle to kind of yank it gently out. Like chimpanzees use a stick to get ants from an anthill…a little like that anyway

Afterthought thumb with waste yarn removed

[Above] Here we go, the waste yarn is all the way out, leaving a gaping hole, but hello, all the stitches are safe and secure…even those wonky looking chartreuse ones. As frightening as they look they are fine, we’ll deal with them later.

stitches on needle with waste yarn removed closeup

[Above] Here are those scary stitches up close. The reason the chartreuse ones look so weird, is because the yarn we see at this point is both the stitch and the float. Don’t think about it too much or your head will ache, just trust me – when we knit them everything will be perfect.

[Above] Now we need to put the lower stitches on two needles so we can begin knitting. We’ll name our needles: Needle #1 Lower Right, Needle #2 Lower Left, Needle #3 Up Top. Time to knit!

[Above Left] Using my Main Color yarn, in this case Natural White, I’ve knit across Needle #1 and just finished knitting across Needle #2.

Needle #2 is in such a crazy perpendicular arrangement to facilitate the next step…

At the corner here, between Needle #2 and Needle #3  we’ll pick up a stitch. Insert the tip of your working needle under a stitch or two of the body of the mitt, in the corner between Needle #2 and Needle #3 – knit a stitch onto Needle #2. Sometimes I find it easier to use a spare needle  as shown, to knit this “picked up stitch, and then place the stitch back on needle #2.

[Above Right] We now have 5 stitches on Needle #2.

Afterthought thumb picking knitting first round

[Above] Time to knit Needle #3. We’ve turned the work,  Needle #3 is on the bottom of the picture now. I’ve knit the first stitch..but…Horrors! The next stitch to knit looks so messy!

picking up wonky looking stitches on afterthought thumb

[Above] Not to fear,  just knit that wonky Contrast Color stitch. See the new stitch on the Right Hand Needle? It’s fine and dandy.

[Above] I’ve knit all the way across Needle #3. See? Not wonky. Pretty pretty!

[Above] Now, pick up the corner stitch between Needle#3 and Needle #1,  just like you did before. If you’re using an auxiliary needle, make sure the stitch goes back onto needle #3.

We have 4 stitches on Needle #1, 5 stitches on Needle #2 and 9 stitches on Needle #3 for a total of 18 stitches.

afterthought thumb first round completed

[Above] Okey Dokey! I’ve knit all the way around the thumb opening once. We’re looking at our thumb right side up again, with Needle #3 at the top.

  • Beginning ribbing of afterthought thumb
  • afterthought thumb finished

[ Above Left] Now it is time to begin ribbing. We’ll work a K1 P1 rib for 5 rounds and then cast off in the rib pattern.

[ Above Right] Done – Ta da!

That wasn’t so hard now was it? Just knit it is my suggestion, don’t think about it too much before hand and you’ll be fine. Too much thinking and worrying is paralyzing and damn it – your hands are getting cold!

Muckle Mitts

Want a tutorial for eliminating holes in the corners of your afterthought thumb? Read:

Holes! Horrors!!!

Filed Under: Knitting Tagged With: afterthought thumb, knitting, technique

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sallie says

    January 17, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    Thank you, Mary Jane, for this wonderful tutorial. It really gives a clear lesson on how to do the after-thought thumb. Now I have a reference for when I get to that part of the pattern.

    Reply
  2. Jennifer says

    January 20, 2012 at 6:22 pm

    Thank you so much. This is so helpful for this pattern and every other mitten and glove pattern!

    Reply
  3. Ellemme says

    January 25, 2012 at 8:12 am

    Thank you for this tutorial, very helpful for knitting your mitts, and quite funny too 🙂 I manage to knit this with magic loop instead of dpn, without big troubles. And I’m happy for that! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Caroline says

    January 27, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    Hello,
    I spend way too many hours reading yours and others websites 🙂

    At present I am struggling with trying to work out how to knit the sleeves on Tiny Tea Leaves 🙁

    After reading your explanation of ‘thumb’ on Mucklestone Mitts, I feel confident to tackle this pattern.
    Your explanatory notes are so clear and concise.

    I really am hoping to try coloured knitting, fair isle.
    I remember my mum spinning then knitting me a fair isle jumper when I was 12.
    Using naturally coloured fleeces, a very treasured memory.

    Thank you
    Caroline

    It is currently 41 degrees, here in South Australia, and I do find I loose my knitting mojo a little in the heat.

    Reply
  5. Rebecca says

    February 4, 2012 at 8:29 am

    MJM: Thanks so much for this great tutorial! I just made a pair of Mary Ann Stephens’s Zinnia mittens for a friend, and both times the thumbs (also afterthought in fair isle) reduced me to gibbering rage and frustration and then an emergency trip to a knitting friend/expert’s house for help–and I’m a pretty accomplished knitter. I realized the “wonky stitches” were what tripped me up, and I am hoping that a session with a pair of Muckle Mitts (which are wonderful anyway but not quite the two month commitment of the Zinnia pattern) will get me clear on exactly how to go about this whole afterthought process. THANK YOU!

    Reply
  6. Charlotte says

    February 11, 2012 at 5:21 am

    This is fantastic, really, really helpful. Sadly I didn’t come across it in time for the first two pairs, which I had to fudge a bit, but they seem fine, but I will certainly use this for the next two pairs – two more daughters waiting impatiently for their Muckle mitts.

    Reply
  7. jackrabbit55 says

    February 21, 2012 at 7:18 pm

    Thanks so much for this tutorial. I am making colorway mittens and those “wonky stitches” were really worrying me. Looking forward to continuing my pattern.

    Hope to make you fingerless mitts someday! Thanks for that pattern!

    Reply
  8. Lisa says

    March 25, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    I really love that first photograph. The thumb looks so architectural.

    Reply
  9. Linda says

    February 11, 2014 at 6:09 pm

    I am knitting mittens. I have come to the part where you knit the thumb. My problem is that when I go to knit the thumb,the stitches look like I am knitting on the wrong side. It doesn’t matter if I turn it inside out either. I tried to purl them but it gets to tight and very difficult to knit . Please help…
    Troubled…..

    Reply
    • Mary Jane says

      March 23, 2014 at 8:59 pm

      Oh Linda, I only saw this today! I trust everything has turned out OK with your mittens. It is so hard to answer without seeing exactly what you are doing…if you are picking up your stitches with the outside of the mitten facing you, and then knit on the outside of the hole, with the working needles closest to your body, you should be producing knit stitches….however, if you are knitting from the inside, with the needles farthest from your body, you might be producing purl stitches on the outside of the work….

      Reply
  10. tintallie says

    November 29, 2014 at 11:47 pm

    Thank you for this fantastic tutorial on the peasant thumb! Would this work as a pocket on a cardigan with a three needle bind off to seal the pocket? I have a copy of EZ’s Knitting Without Tears and I don’t think I would be brave enough to cut †he stitches in a cardigan to make the pockets…

    Reply
    • Mary Jane says

      December 1, 2014 at 12:20 am

      You know, I think it might! I really don’t see why not! Brilliant. Let me know how you get on you clever woman!

      Reply
      • tintallie says

        December 3, 2014 at 8:32 pm

        Hi Mary Jane,

        I was flipping through my huge copy of the Principles of Knitting and sure enough, there is a description of a placeholder pocket that is like the peasant thumb.

        Another question since it is related to stranding/colour work:

        I do stranded knitting with a yarn in each hand and my left yarn is dominant on the RS when I knit in the round. For my Cowichan sweater, I need to knit flat and I am wondering which yarn will be dominant on the WS.

        Thanks,
        Christine

        Reply
  11. Lisa says

    January 16, 2015 at 2:27 am

    This is equal parts amazing and slap-forehead-why-didn’t-I-think-of-this. Thank you so much! I am going to use it the next time I knit anything for hands!

    Reply
  12. JoAnn says

    September 10, 2015 at 7:18 am

    I love love love your tutorial. Especially the chimpanzee reference! lol I’ve never done an afterthought thumb, but I’m sure I will be able to do it now.

    Reply
  13. sudan xxx says

    December 3, 2015 at 4:11 am

    Thanks for finally writing about > All Thumbs – MaryJaneMucklestone < Loved it!

    Reply
  14. steve says

    December 3, 2015 at 11:35 pm

    BEST tutorial on the Norwegian thumb I have EVER seen! Thanks!

    Reply
  15. madden 16 coins says

    May 6, 2016 at 10:38 pm

    Wonderful site you’ve right here

    Reply
  16. Kathy says

    December 29, 2016 at 4:51 pm

    Question re: yarn weights. How many stitches should be allowed for the thumb with worsted weight yarn and size 8 needles. Is there a “formula” for different yarn weights/needles sizes?
    THANK YOU for your expertise!

    Reply
  17. Xue Baochai says

    March 7, 2017 at 8:28 pm

    This is awesome! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  18. Debby says

    September 13, 2019 at 11:02 pm

    Thank you so much for posting this! I was at a total loss as to how I was supposed to make the thumb… This was so clear, great photos and explanation. Thank you again!

    Reply

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