DIY Network

Fibonacci Accessories: Wristlets Keep your wrists warm and flexible for knitting with these jazzy striped wristlets. From "Knitty Gritty" episode DKNG-410

These wristlets are knit in garter stitch lengthwise; in other words, the ridges will go up your arm, not around it.

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Size: Depending on your taste and the yarns you choose, the circumference will be about 8" and the length about 9".

Materials:

8-10 of the lighter-weight yarns from your scarf palette
knitting needles, one pair U.S. size 10 (6mm), or whatever size gives you about 4 stitches per 1", and a single needle, U.S. size 9-10.5
large crochet hook

Gauge: Gauge isn't critical, but since these wristlets are a lighter-weight fabric than the scarf, don't use the bulkier yarns. You are aiming for about 4 stitches per 1".

Figure A

Provisional cast-on:
You start with the provisional cast-on, which will help you put the two ends together when you're done. First, using the crochet hook and a smooth, plain yarn, work a chain about 40 stitches long. Tie a knot in the end of the yarn at the end of the chain. Now take one of the knitting needles and one of the yarns chosen for the project and draw loops through the little "bumps" on the back of the chain (figure A). You'll want to do 34 of them. That's the cast on! (You'll end up with some extra chains, but that's okay.)

Knitting the wristlets:
Now work garter stitch in stripes much like the scarf. Since this is a smaller project, work stripes that are 1, 2 or 3 ridges, weaving in the tails on the wrong side as you go. When the piece of fabric is about 8", or when it will wrap around your wrist sideways (with the ridges going up and down), you're done.

Figure B

Three-needle bind-off:
The two ends will be joined together using the three-needle bind-off. First you need to free the stitches from the provisional cast on: Take the end of the crocheted chain with the knot in it. Cut the knot off and pull the tail of the yarn through the loop of the chain. Now slowly pull on the tail: it should start unzipping the loops of the chain (figure B). When the loops holding the project come unzipped, put them one by one on the extra needle (the size isn't important). You should end up with loops on needles at both ends of the knitting. The points of the needles should be going the same way. If they aren't, take one out and stick it back in the other direction.

Figure C

Now, hold these two needles parallel, then take the third needle (which is the other project needle) and put it through the first stitch on the front needle and the first stitch on the second needle (figure C). Knit these two stitches together and slip the resulting stitch to the right-hand needle. Next, knit the next two stitches--one from the front needle and one from the back needle--together and slip the resulting stitch to the right-hand needle. Finally pull the first stitch over the second stitch just like you do for a regular bind-off. Keep doing this all the way across until you have used all the stitches from both needles. Magic: the two ends of the wristlet are fused together! Hide any errant yarn tails and you're done!