<p>I tried the instructions from your pattern as written, and it gave me a single hole with a string running across it. That string would be a problem in a real mitten, but it might be okay for a decorative one. Presumably the pattern will have you pick up stitches around the edge of the hole and knit a thumb. I have no idea how you're getting 3 holes. Please add a photo of that, and maybe we can give you some more customized troubleshooting.</p>
<p>A normal way to make a thumb opening is to bind off stitches on one round. On the next round, cast on an equal number of stitches. So for your pattern, it would go like this:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Thumb round 1:</em> Bind off 3 sts, knit to end of round</li>
<li><em>Thumb round 2:</em> Cast on 3 sts, knit to end of round</li>
</ul>
<p>After the main part of the mitten is done, you would pick up 6 or 7 sts around the edge of the thumb hole, knit several rounds to make a tube, then decrease with one round of all k2tog, then break yarn and draw it through the hole.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-19T02:28:33.037Z
Thank you csk!! kindest regards to you
Emily
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-15T23:03:52.780Z
2020-11-15T23:03:52.780Z
csk
<p>The author of the pattern was kind enough to write me back and I learned two things:</p>
<ol>
<li>The cast-on had to be done as a cable cast-on</li>
<li>I was making the mistake of casting on 3 stitches and then casting off the subsequent 3 stitches (and turning my work in the process), when I actually just needed to cast them on and then immediately cast those same stitches off</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks all who were in interested in this question and offered to help, much appreciated!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-19T02:27:56.347Z
2020-11-19T02:27:56.347Z
Emily
<p>I'm knitting a miniature mitten in the round (for a tea cosy). I start the mitten with Judy's Magic cast on, and it goes well until I get to the thumb, where the pattern calls for:</p>
<p>previous row = 12 stitches</p>
<p>&quot;<em>CO 3 sts, cast off/bind off 3 sts, knit to end of rnd.</em>&quot;  (CO meaning cast on)</p>
<p>The next line tells me to keep on knitting and do a two stitch decrease</p>
<p>According to the picture this should give me a little bump of a thumb, but all I'm getting is 3 big holes and no thumb at all. What am I doing wrong?</p>
<p>Thank you for reading!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-15T06:22:07.653Z
Can you post the picture you're looking at, and maybe a picture of your result?
fixer1234
<knitting>
How to knit a thumb on a (fake) mitten?
Emily
# How to knit a thumb on a (fake) mitten?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-15)

I'm knitting a miniature mitten in the round (for a tea cosy). I start the mitten with Judy's Magic cast on, and it goes well until I get to the thumb, where the pattern calls for:

previous row = 12 stitches

"*CO 3 sts, cast off/bind off 3 sts, knit to end of rnd.*" (CO meaning cast on)

The next line tells me to keep on knitting and do a two stitch decrease

According to the picture this should give me a little bump of a thumb, but all I'm getting is 3 big holes and no thumb at all. What am I doing wrong?

Thank you for reading!

**Tags:** knitting

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you post the picture you're looking at, and maybe a picture of your result?  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2020-11-19. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

The author of the pattern was kind enough to write me back and I learned two things:

1. The cast-on had to be done as a cable cast-on
2. I was making the mistake of casting on 3 stitches and then casting off the subsequent 3 stitches (and turning my work in the process), when I actually just needed to cast them on and then immediately cast those same stitches off

Thanks all who were in interested in this question and offered to help, much appreciated!


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-11-15. Score: 3

I tried the instructions from your pattern as written, and it gave me a single hole with a string running across it. That string would be a problem in a real mitten, but it might be okay for a decorative one. Presumably the pattern will have you pick up stitches around the edge of the hole and knit a thumb. I have no idea how you're getting 3 holes. Please add a photo of that, and maybe we can give you some more customized troubleshooting.

A normal way to make a thumb opening is to bind off stitches on one round. On the next round, cast on an equal number of stitches. So for your pattern, it would go like this:

* *Thumb round 1:* Bind off 3 sts, knit to end of round
* *Thumb round 2:* Cast on 3 sts, knit to end of round

After the main part of the mitten is done, you would pick up 6 or 7 sts around the edge of the thumb hole, knit several rounds to make a tube, then decrease with one round of all k2tog, then break yarn and draw it through the hole.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you username_2!! kindest regards to you  

---

