London - The Gherkin by Beate Fischer

London - The Gherkin

Knitting
May 2014
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
40 stitches and 44 rows = 4 inches
US 0 - 2.0 mm
US 1 - 2.25 mm
US 1½ - 2.5 mm
US 2 - 2.75 mm
US 2½ - 3.0 mm
328 - 437 yards (300 - 400 m)
Medium woman's hands to medium man's hands
English Universal
This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download

‘The Gherkin’, 30St Mary Axe, London, here as a pattern for mittens. Inspired by BBC Sherlock, series 1, episode 2 “The blind banker”.
I like the view Sherlock has from the building where the case starts to this famous building opposit and I thought that “The Gherkin” could be great for mittens. The words at the wrist may or may not refer to Sherlock. I decided to use “LONDON” and “30 ST MARY AXE” on the left (’30 ST’ stitched afterwards on the thumb) and “S1E2 TBB” and “SHERLOCK” on the left. And I also stitched the first cypher in yellow on the thumb - it’s hard to see on the third photo.
Test knitting showed me that only two colors in a row is enough. But if you like you could use a third color (maybe white) to stich afterwards the white lines that seperate the diamond glass sections.

Cuff - knitted afterwards: in corrugated ribbing (2k2p) I knitted 6 rows black / grey, 6 rounds black / light grey, 6 rd black/white, 3 rd black/yellow, 6 rd black/white, 5 rd black/light grey, 3 rd black / grey, 1 row black before cast off.

I recommend to use 4-ply sock yarn, needles 2 to 3 mm to achieve medium size for a woman to medium size for a man. And I would use black (or dark grey) and light grey in combination OR dark blue and light blue (as if the building is seen with bright blue sky above). Have fun to re-knit this.
There are two PDF-versions: one for medium long thumbs and one where the thumb is knitted 4 rounds longer.

Please be sure that you’re quite near to the gauge - because the mittens have 80 stitches in the round and you’re “normal” mitten has 64st you need to go down to a much smaller needle size!