As Shetland knitter Hazel Tindall and I worked to prepare her new Hairst Handwarmers pattern for you in Farm & Fiber Knits Fall 2026, we had a great conversation about thumb gussets and how to neatly transition from the hand to the thumb without dreaded holes and loose stitches. You can follow the instructions in the issue and create a beautiful pair of mitts, but I thought I’d also welcome you on a deeper dive into perfect thumbs and fingers from two expert Shetland knitters.
See where the base of the thumb tube meets the body of the mitt? A thing of beauty.
Thumb Gussets: A Perennial Challenge
There are many ways to knit gussets, pickup stitches, and close gaps (or not). And there are a number of ways to create a hole for a thumb, but most eventually lead here: with live stitches on hold below the thumb (gusset), stitches picked up above the thumb hole, and a natural gap on each side between these top and bottom stitches.
I pulled a pair of in-process Scottish Sanquhar gloves from my knitting basket to show you this more clearly:
Get a closer look! Click any image in the gallery below to open it in full-screen mode.
Knitting patterns will generally tell you to pick up additional stitches in the gap, which prevents untidy holes and creates a comfortable thumb. But how to do this? Hazel says her method is, "Poke, lift, and twist." Which means this:
- Insert your needle into the leg of a horizontal stitch in the gap.
- Lift that stitch onto your left knitting needle.
- Insert the right needle into the front or back of that stitch as needed in order to twist the stitch.
Hazel pointed me toward fellow Shetlander Elizabeth Johnston’s YouTube tutorial for more help. Elizabeth pokes, lifts, and twists, and she also shows how to pick up extra stitches and then decrease them. Take a look!
I’ve cued this clip to start at 13:07 on YouTube, so you can watch Elizabeth pick up for the thumb. The whole tutorial starts with fingers for a pair of gloves, so I highly recommend watching the entire lesson from the beginning, too.
Generation after generation, knitting has been passed from teachers to the students looking over their shoulders. How lucky are we to spend some time with these amazing knitters no matter where in the world we are? I hope you’ll enjoy casting on a pair of Hairst Handwarmers as much as I am.
—Kate
