7 rounds · filed under dense · 4 of them
Baby Accessories · added 3 Oct 2026
Open-Finger Crochet Baby Gloves With a Snug Cuff
Single crochet builds a thick, flexible shell for these open-finger baby gloves, finished with a snug cuff.
- Skill
- Beginner
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Hook
- 2.5 mm
- Yarn
- DK
- Rounds
- 4
About this pattern
Single crochet is the only stitch at work here, and it packs tight, so the fabric comes out dense and closed, with no gaps to let air or little fingers poke through by accident. It has a small amount of give across its width but holds its shape lengthwise, which is exactly what a hand-hugging glove needs. Worked in DK or sport-weight yarn on a small hook, the result sits thick enough to block wind but thin enough to bend with every finger movement underneath it.
The piece starts as a flat disc at the fingertip end, grows into a tube that follows the hand, then opens into gaps at the base of the fingers before narrowing into a plain cuff. Because the tips stay open, the shape works less like a mitten and more like a sleeve for the hand, letting a baby grip and feel while the palm and fingers stay covered. Make one, then repeat the whole sequence for the second glove so the pair matches in width and cuff length.
The swatch in numbers
- Rounds
- 4
- Parts
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
- Time
- 4-6 hours
- Hook
- 2.5 mm
- Yarn
- DK
The yarn and the hook
- DK or sport-weight yarn
- 2.5mm to 3.5mm crochet hook
- Scissors
- Yarn needle
Stitches, spelled out
SC Single CrochetDense; MR Magic RingDense; St(s) Stitch(es); Ch Chain.
Tension and hand-feel
After Round 4, lay the 24-stitch circle flat on a table and check that the edges stay down without curling up or rippling in the center.
If it cups like a shallow bowl, the increases are packed too tightly for the yarn, so move to the larger end of the 2.5mm-3.5mm hook range; if it looks loose or wavy, drop to the smaller end instead.
Top of Glove
Body of Glove
Work SC in each st around with no increases
Continue until piece reaches the base of baby’s fingers
Finger Opening
SC a few sts, then Ch 5–7
Skip same number of sts below, SC in next st
Continue SC around to complete round
Cuff
Work SC in each st around, including into chains
Continue SC rounds until cuff reaches desired length
Optional: Add a scallop or shell stitch border
How the texture is built
- Rounds 1 through 4 add six stitches per round (6, 12, 18, 24), with each paired increase stitch shifted one position further from the last round's pair; spacing the increases this way is what keeps the starting disc flat instead of cupping into a cone.
- The finger-opening round swaps a run of stitches for a chain of 5-7 and skips that same number of stitches underneath, so the total stitch count right after that round matches the count before it, the chain simply standing in for the skipped stitches.
- The cuff's first round works single crochet into those same chain stitches, which folds the finger-opening round into the next one with no seam or join at that edge, keeping the tube continuous from hand to cuff.
Putting the pieces together
If you swap the yarn
| Cotton, DK weight | Produces a crisper, less stretchy fabric that holds the chain-skip finger openings open rather than letting them relax shut; pair with the 3.5mm end of the hook range to keep stitches from tightening too much. |
|---|---|
| Acrylic, sport weight | Makes a lighter, slightly thinner glove with more drape across the palm, machine washable, and sized down toward the 2.5mm end of the hook range to keep the fabric from going loose. |
| Wool-blend, DK weight | Adds loft and a faint halo to the surface, making the fabric feel warmer and a touch thicker for the same stitch count; use the 3mm-3.5mm hook range so the extra fiber volume does not stiffen the cuff. |
Colorways
- Tonal Fade Shift one shade lighter at Round 2, again at Round 3, and again at Round 4 of the Top of Glove, then hold the lightest shade through the Cuff.
Washing and blocking
Hand wash in cool water and avoid wringing, since twisting a tightly packed single crochet fabric can distort the finger openings.
Lay flat to dry on a towel rather than hanging, which keeps the cuff from stretching under its own damp weight.
Reshape the finger openings and cuff edge by hand while still damp, then store flat or loosely folded so the dense single crochet does not crease into permanent lines.
When it does not look right
- The starting circle cups like a bowl instead of lying flat
- The increase stitches in Rounds 2-4 are packed too tightly for the yarn and hook; move toward the larger end of the 2.5mm-3.5mm range or loosen tension on the increase stitches specifically.
- The finger openings gape wide or curl at the edge
- The chain of 5-7 does not match the number of stitches skipped below it; recount the skipped stitches and chain the same number, working the chain at the same tension as the surrounding single crochet.
- The cuff flares out instead of hugging the wrist
- The first cuff round worked into the chain stitches was done too loosely, adding extra width right where the tube should narrow; pull those stitches snug and keep the stitch count steady entering the cuff.
Close-ups
Questions people ask
Why leave the fingertips open on a baby glove?
The open tips let a baby's hand grip and feel surfaces while the single crochet fabric still covers and insulates the palm and finger bases. The dense stitch keeps enough warmth in even with the ends cut off.
How many finger openings does the chain-skip round make?
That depends on how many times you repeat the SC-then-chain-skip sequence around the 24-stitch round. Space the repeats evenly so each opening lines up with where a finger will sit.
Does the cuff need a special stitch, or is it just single crochet?
Plain single crochet rounds are enough to finish the cuff, keeping its fabric as dense as the hand section. The scallop or shell border is optional, added only if a lacier cuff edge is wanted.
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