Since leaving my sunny California home for colder climates, I’ve always refused to succumb to such comforts as mittens, preferring coat pockets to clumsy woolen paws. But wait… Why didn’t anyone tell me about hand warmers?! Warm hands and wrists? Free fingers? That’s an accessory I can live with!

Traveling Cable Hand Warmers | Purl Soho

Designed to coordinate with my Traveling Cable Hat, these Hand Warmers feature the same stitch pattern and require just one skein of Purl Soho’s beautiful spring-weight Mulberry Merino. I’ll still get a few weeks of wear out of them, but really these beauties are making me look forward to a warm-wristed future. I’ll definitely be greeting next fall’s chill with a wave of my hand warmer-clad hands! -Gina

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gina Rockenwagner. Click here to see even more of Gina’s designs!

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoTravelingCableHandWarmers. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Traveling Cable Hand Warmers | Purl Soho
  • 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Mulberry Merino, 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% mulberry silk. Each skein is 247 yards; approximately 150 yards required. We used the color Heirloom White. (NOTE: We no longer offer Mulberry Merino, but choose from one of our other sport weight yarns.)
  • A set of US 4 (3.5 mm) double pointed needles
  • A cable stitch holder

Gauge

28 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Size

Finished Circumference: 6 inches unstretched, comfortably stretching to fit most adults

Finished Length: 7 ¾ inches, with enough yarn to make each hand warmer at least 2 inches longer. Please see the Note in the “Begin Cable Pattern” section if you wish to lengthen the hand warmers.

Notes

Abbreviations

For step-by-step instructions on how to do each of the following cable stitches please check out our Cable Tutorial.

Left Cross (LC): Slip 3 knit stitches to cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, p1 from left hand needle, k3 from cable stitch holder.

Right Cross (RC): Slip 1 purl stitch to cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k3 from left hand needle, p1 from cable stitch holder.

Cable 6 Front (C6F): Slip 3 knit stitches to cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, k3 from left hand needle, k3 from cable stitch holder.

Cable 6 Back (C6B): Slip 3 knit stitches to cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k3 from left hand needle, k3 from cable stitch holder.

Pattern

Note: The right and left hand warmers are identical until you reach the Gusset section.

Cuff

Cast 52 stitches onto three double pointed needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Join to work in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: *P2, k2, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 1 ½ inches from the cast-on edge.

Set-Up Round: Purl into the front and back loop (pfb), p1, [k2, make 1 left (m1L), p2, make 1 right (m1R), k2, p2] two times, k2, m1L, p2, m1R, k2, p1, pfb, [k2, p2] 6 times, k2. [60 stitches]

Begin Cable Pattern

Round 1: P3, [k3, p2] 6 times, p1, [k2, p2] 6 times, k2.

Round 2: P3, [LC, RC, p2] 3 times, p1, [k2, p2] 6 times, k2.

Round 3: [P4, k6] 3 times, p4, [k2, p2] 6 times, k2.

Round 4: [P4, C6F] 3 times, p4, [k2, p2] 6 times, k2.

Round 5: Repeat Round 3.

Round 6: P3, [RC, LC, p2] 3 times, p1, [k2, p2] 6 times, k2.

Round 7: P3, [k3, p2] 6 times, p1, [k2, p2] 6 times, k2.

Round 8: P2, [RC, p2, LC] 3 times, [p2, k2] 7 times.

Round 9: P2, [k3, p4, k3] 3 times, [p2, k2] 7 times.

Round 10: P2, k3, [p4, C6B] 2 times, p4, k3, p2, [k2, p2] 6 times, k2.

Round 11: Repeat Round 9

Round 12: P2, [LC, p2, RC] 3 times, [p2, k2] 7 times.

Repeat Rounds 1- 8 one more time.

Note: If you wish to make the hand warmers longer, repeat Rounds 1- 12 one more time, then Rounds 1-8 one more time.

Gusset, Left Hand

Round 1: P2, [k3, p4, k3] 3 times, [p2, k2] 7 times.

Round 2: P2, k3, [p4, C6B] 2 times, p4, k3, [p2, k2] 5 times, p2, m1R, k2, m1L, p2, k2. [62 stitches]

Round 3: P2, [k3, p4, k3] 3 times, [p2, k2] 5 times p2, k4, p2, k2.

Round 4: P2, [LC, p2, RC] 3 times, [p2, k2] 5 times, p2, k1, m1R, k2, m1L, k1, p2, k2 [64 stitches]

Round 5: P3, [k3, p2] 6 times, p1, [k2, p2] 5 times, k6, p2, k2.

Round 6: P3, [LC, RC, p2] 3 times, p1, [k2, p2] 5 times, k2, m1R, k2, m1lL, k2, p2, k2. [66 stitches]

Round 7: [P4, k6] 3 times, p4, [k2, p2] 5 times, k8, p2, k2.

Round 8: [P4, C6F] 3 times, p4, [k2, p2] 5 times, k3, m1R, k2, m1L, k3, p2, k2. [68 stitches]

Round 9: [P4, k6] 3 times, p4, [k2, p2] 5 times, k10, p2, k2.

Round 10: P3, [RC, LC, p2] 3 times, p1, [k2, p2] 5 times, k4, m1R, k2, m1lL k4, p2, k2. [70 stitches]

Round 11: P3, [k3, p2] 6 times, p1, [k2, p2] 5 times, k12, p2, k2.

Round 12: P2, [RC, p2, LC] 3 times, p2, [k2, p2] 5 times, k5, m1R, k2, m1lL k5, p2, k2. [72 stitches]

Round 13: P2, [k3, p4, k3] 3 times, p2, [k2, p2] 5 times, k14, p2, k2.

Traveling Cable Hand Warmers | Purl Soho

Thumbhole Round: P2, k3, [p4, C6B] 2 times, p4, k3, p2, [k2, p2] 5 times, put the next 14 stitches onto a stitch holder or piece of scrap yarn.

Traveling Cable Hand Warmers | Purl Soho

Turn the work so the wrong side is facing you and cable cast on 2 stitches.

Turn the work so the right side is facing you, and working into the next stitch on the left needle, p2, k2. [60 stitches]

To finish the left hand warmer, skip to the Palm section.

Gusset, Right Hand

Round 1: P2, [k3, p4, k3] 3 times, [p2, k2] 7 times.

Round 2: P2, k3, [p4, C6B] 2 times, p4, k3, p2, k2, p2, m1R, k2, m1L, [p2, k2] 5 times. [62 stitches]

Round 3: P2, [k3, p4, k3] 3 times, p2, k2, p2, k4, [p2, k2] 5 times.

Round 4: P2, [LC, p2, RC] 3 times, p2, k2, p2, k1, m1R, k2, m1L, k1, [p2, k2] 5 times. [64 stitches]

Round 5: P3, [k3, p2] 6 times, p1, k2, p2, k6, [p2, k2] 5 times.

Round 6: P3, [LC, RC, p2] 3 times, p1, k2, p2, k2, m1R, k2, m1L, k2, [p2, k2] 5 times. [66 stitches]

Round 7: [P4, k6] 3 times, p4, k2, p2, k8, [p2, k2] 5 times.

Round 8: [P4, C6F] 3 times, p4, k2, p2, k3, m1R, k2, m1L, k3, [p2, k2] 5 times. [68 stitches]

Round 9: [P4, k6] 3 times, p4, k2, p2, k10, [p2, k2] 5 times.

Round 10: P3, [RC, LC, p2] 3 times, p1, k2, p2, k4, m1R, k2, m1L, k4, [p2, k2] 5 times. [70 stitches]

Round 11: P3, [k3, p2] 6 times, p1, k2, p2, k12, [p2, k2] 5 times.

Round 12: P2, [RC, p2, LC] 3 times, p2, k2, p2, k5, m1R, k2, m1L, k5, [p2, k2] 5 times. [72 stitches]

Round 13: P2, [k3, p4, k3] 3 times, p2, k2, p2, k14, [p2, k2] 5 times.

Thumbhole Round: P2, k3, [p4, C6B] 2 times, p4, k3, p2, k2, p2, put the next 14 stitches onto a stitch holder or piece of scrap yarn, turn the work so the wrong side is facing you and cable cast on 2 stitches, turn the work so the right side is facing you, and working into the next stitch on the left needle, [p2, k2] 5 times. [60 stitches]

Palm, Both Hands

Work Rounds 11 and 12 of the cable pattern (see the Begin Cable Pattern section, above), then work Rounds 1-12 once.

Set-up Round: P2tog, p1, [k1, ssk, p2, k2tog, k1, p2] three times, k2tog, k1, [p2, k2] 6 times. [52 stitches]

Next Round: *P2, k2, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat last round until hand warmers measure 7 ¾ inches from the cast-on edge.

Bind off loosely in p2, k2 pattern.

Thumb, Both Hands

Traveling Cable Hand Warmers | Purl Soho

Rotate the hand warmer so that the on-hold stitches are at the top of the thumbhole. Joining a new yarn, pick up and knit 4 stitches along the bottom edge of the thumbhole, as indicated by the pink dots, above left.

Transfer the 14 on-hold stitches to two double pointed needles. [18 stitches]

Traveling Cable Hand Warmers | Purl Soho

Rotate the hand warmer so that the gusset is at the bottom of the thumbhole.

Joining to work in the round…

Set-up Round: K2tog, k10, k2tog, k4. [16 stitches]

Next Round: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat the last round until the thumb measures ¾ inch from the picked up stitches. Bind off loosely in k1, p1 pattern.

Weave in the ends.

Make your second hand warmer, block both gently and enjoy your Traveling Cable Hand Warmers!

Traveling Cable Hand Warmers | Purl Soho