If I’m reading the hand-signs right, my niece loves her splint cover.
The pictured splint cover is knit in Lion Brand Yarn’s Jiffy, the Denver colorway. Another splint cover should be arriving today, in Crystal Palace’s Trio, the discontinued Kiwi-Celery colorway. (Let’s hear it for the LYS’s odd skeins and discontinueds sale bin!) I’m afraid the Trio will snag easily, but it was fun to knit with (I started fantasizing about a knitted tee for myself) and made a dense, stretchy fabric that should be comfortable to wear. And the splint covers only have to last six weeks or so.
I’m working on a lacier version now, based on the stitch I used for the Santa Cruz Hat. The weather’s starting to change in the midwest, and the girl needs to have options.
Meanwhile, here is the “pattern.”
Take three measurements (while the recipient is wearing the splint):
1. Circumference, which should be pretty much the same along the length of the splint
2. Distance from the “notch” of the of the thumb-forefinger L up the arm to the end of the splint.
3. Distance from the “notch” of the thumb-forfinger L down the hand to the other end of the splint.
For my niece, these measurements were 10″, 8.5″, and 2″.
Using the gauge information on the yarn band and appropriate double-point needles, cast on a number of stitches that is a multiple of four and that will be approximately equal to the splinted-arm circumferance (measurement #1). (I used U.S. 10.5 needles and cast on 40 stitches.)
Close the circle, place marker, and work in K2, P2 rib until you have a length equal to measurement #2. At some point on the following round, cast off four stitches as you continue working in K2, P2 rib. Then, on the subsequent round use a backwards loop cast-on to restore those four stitches. This will be the thumb hole.
Continue working in K2, P2 rib until the distance from the thumb hole to the end of the piece equals measurement #3.
Cast off.
Voila—a splint cover. It’s still not as glamorous as a cast, but it’s way more glam than an unadorned, clunky brown splint.
Coming next: a veritable cavalcade of washcloths with pattern information and links.
P.S. Last night Melissa and I went to a performance by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (on-line recordings here). Tonight we’re going to hear John Holloway with Philharmonia Baroque (on-line recordings here and here). Heaven!
P.P.S. We just found out today that Melissa has a neighbor with a pomeranian named—get this—Lobo.
That splint cover is very clever..and good looking to boot!
Have fun at Josh Holloway…. I clicked and listened for a bit and I’m quite jealous 😉
K
How strange?? I too knit splint covers and narrower bandage covers for my arms which have been continuously bandaged for goodness knows how long!
Searching the web for free patterns, when I came across your splint covers. HOW CUTE!!! I wish I could have gotten this in time to make one for me, after my wreck. I had to wear a splint for 6 weeks, and was laid up in a hospital bed. Would have been perfect. Oh well. At least maybe I can knit some for someone else, if the need arises.