These snowman fingerless gloves started as a little experiment and quickly became one of my favourite designs to work on. I’ve been doing this style of colourwork for years without realizing it actually falls under intarsia, only with my own twist that adds a bit of 3D shaping to make the snowman pop. This isn’t a beginner project, but it is a really satisfying knit if you enjoy something a little more detailed. One of the best parts is how customizable the snowman is. You can decorate it any way you like, and I included a handful of simple embroidery techniques so you can add your own touches and give your snowman its own personality. It’s a fun winter project and perfect for anyone who loves unique holiday knitting patterns.
If you have never made fingerless gloves from the fingers to the cuff, you may want to practice with the basic pattern first. It will help you get comfortable with the construction before jumping into the snowman version. If you would like to try it, click this link – Basic Fingerless Gloves.
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Table of Contents
Things You Need
Worsted weight yarn in three colours:
Main Colour (MC): approx. 50 g
Snowman Colour (SC): a small amount (15 gram)
Cap Colour (CC): hardly anything (6 grams)
1 set of single pointed knitting needles – See notes on sizing for knitting needles required.
Tapestry needle – to sew the seam and work in the ends.
2 mini pom-poms – optional for top of cap
Assorted colours of yarn or embroidery thread for facial features and arms.
Gauge
In stockinette stitch
Small
size 3.5 mm (US size 4) single pointed needles
11 stitches every 2 inches (5 cm)
16 rows every 2 inches (5 cm)
Medium
size 4 mm (US size 6) single pointed needles
10 stitches every 2 inches (5 cm)
14 rows every 2 inches (5 cm)
Large
size 5 mm (US size 8) single pointed needles
9 stitches every 2 inches (5 cm)
12 rows every 2 inches (5 cm)
Sizing
Like my other fingerless mitt patterns, I’ve made this as one pattern and adjusted the needle size to change the sizes. This makes it a heck of a lot easier to design and keeps the proportion of the creature the same on all sizes. Frankly, the overall look is better.
To help with the hand sizing, I’ve included a handy infographic (pun intended).

LEFT Hand
With MC, cast on 34.
Row 1: With MC (P1 K2). Repeat to the last st. P1.
Row 2: (K1 P2) Repeat to the last st. K1.
Repeat these 2 rows for a total of 4 rows.
Row 5 – 10: Knit across
Row 11: K14 Cast on 13 sts. K20. (47 sts) If you need help with casting on I’ve cued up the video below and it will show you how. The video is for the basic fingerless gloves without the snowman but is done the same way. For this pattern, cast on 13 sts regardless of size.
Row 12 – 14: Knit across.
Row 15: K14 K2tog K9. K2tog K20. (45 sts)
Row 16 – 18: Knit across.
Row 19: K14. K2tog K7 K2tog K9. With SC Bobble 4 twice (K4 into one stitch by alternating knitting into the front and back of the stitch, turn. Working the following rows into the 8 stitches in two stitches, P8, turn, K8, turn, P8, turn, K8, turn, P8, turn, K8, turn, P8, turn, TWK2tog two times, K2tog two times, turn, P4, turn, TWK2tog K2tog (do NOT turn).With MC K9. (43 sts)
If you don’t know how to TWK2tog, this video will show you how.
Row 20 – 24: Knit across.
Row 25: K14. K2tog K5 K2tog K9. With SC Bobble 3 twice (K3 into one stitch by alternating knitting into the front and back of the stitch, turn. Working the following rows into the 6 stitches in two stitches, P6, turn, K6, turn, P6, turn, K6, turn, P6, turn, TWK2tog, K2tog two times, Pass the 2 sts back onto your non-working needle. Pass the LEFT st over the RIGHT st. Pass this st over to the working needle. Pass the st on the RIGHT over the st on the LEFT. (do NOT turn). With MC K9. (40 sts)
Row 26 – 28: Knit across.
Row 29: K14. K2tog K3 K2tog K9. With SC Bobble 5 (K5 into one stitch by alternating knitting into the front and back of the stitch, turn. Working the following rows into the 5 stitches in one stitch, P6, turn, K6, turn, P6, turn, K6, turn, P6, turn, TWK2tog, K, K2tog, Pass the 2 sts back onto your non-working needle. Pass the LEFT st over the RIGHT st. Pass this st over to the working needle. Pass the st on the RIGHT over the st on the LEFT. (do NOT turn). With MC K9. (38 sts)
Row 30 – 32: Knit across.
Row 33: K14. K2tog K1 K2tog K19. (36 sts)
Row 34 – 36: Knit across.
Row 37: K14 K2tog two times. K18. (34 sts)
Row 38 – 40: Knit across.
*Row 41: (P1 K2). Repeat to the last st. P1.
Row 42: (K1 P2) Repeat to the last st. K1. * Repeat from * to * for a total of 12 rows of ribbing.
Cast off.
Make the Thumb
With the RIGHT side facing, Pick up 13 sts from the additional sts you cast on in Row 11. Pick up the st in the twist formed from casting on. If you need help you can watch this video.
With the WRONG side facing
Row 1: (K1 P2) Repeat to the last st. K1.
Row 2: (P1 K2) Repeat to the last st. P1.
Row 3: Repeat row 1
Cast off.
Sew the seams on the thumb and side of the glove when done making the embellishments.
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RIGHT Hand
With MC, cast on 34.
Row 1: With MC (P1 K2). Repeat to the last st. P1.
Row 2: (K1 P2) Repeat to the last st. K1.
Repeat these 2 rows for a total of 4 rows.
Row 5 – 10: Knit across
Row 11: K20 Cast on 13 sts. K14. (47 sts)
Row 12 – 14: Knit across.
Row 15: K20 K2tog K9. K2tog K14. (45 sts)
Row 16 – 18: Knit across.
Row 19: K9. With SC Bobble 4 twice (K4 into one stitch by alternating knitting into the front and back of the stitch, turn. Working the following rows into the 8 stitches in two stitches, P8, turn, K8, turn, P8, turn, K8, turn, P8, turn, K8, turn, P8, turn, TWK2tog two times, K2tog two times, turn, P4, turn, TWK2tog K2tog (do NOT turn). With MC K9 K2tog K7 K2tog. K14. (43 sts)
Row 20 – 24: Knit across.
Row 25: K9. With SC Bobble 3 twice (K3 into one stitch by alternating knitting into the front and back of the stitch, turn. Working the following rows into the 6 stitches in two stitches, P6, turn, K6, turn, P6, turn, K6, turn, P6, turn, TWK2tog, K2tog two times, Pass the 2 sts back onto your non-working needle. Pass the LEFT st over the RIGHT st. Pass this st over to the working needle. Pass the st on the RIGHT over the st on the LEFT. (do NOT turn). With MC K9 K2tog K5 K2tog. K14. (40 sts)
Row 26 – 28: Knit across.
Row 29: K9. With SC Bobble 5 (K5 into one stitch by alternating knitting into the front and back of the stitch, turn. Working the following rows into the 5 stitches in one stitch, P6, turn, K6, turn, P6, turn, K6, turn, P6, turn, TWK2tog, K, K2tog, Pass the 2 sts back onto your non-working needle. Pass the LEFT st over the RIGHT st. Pass this st over to the working needle. Pass the st on the RIGHT over the st on the LEFT. (do NOT turn). With MC K9 K2tog K3 K2tog. K14. (38 sts)
Row 30 – 32: Knit across.
Row 33: K19. K2tog K1 K2tog K14. (36 sts)
Row 34 – 36: Knit across.
Row 37: K18 K2tog two times. K14. (34 sts)
Row 38 – 40: Knit across.
*Row 41: (P1 K2). Repeat to the last st. P1.
Row 42: (K1 P2) Repeat to the last st. K1. * Repeat from * to * for a total of 12 rows of ribbing.
Cast off.
Make the Thumb
With the RIGHT side facing, Pick up 13 sts from the additional sts you cast on in Row 11. Pick up the st in the twist formed from casting on.
With the WRONG side facing
Row 1: (K1 P2) Repeat to the last st. K1.
Row 2: (P1 K2) Repeat to the last st. P1.
Row 3: Repeat row 1
Cast off.
Sew the seams on the thumb and side of the glove when done making the embellishments.
Cap – Make 2
Using the same size needles used to make the gloves, with CC, cast on 6 sts
Row 1-2: K across
Row 3: TWK2tog K2 K2tog
Row 4: K across
Row 5: TWK2tog K2tog
Break yarn and draw the 2 sts together.
Hints and Tips
If you find the passing sts over and back and forth between the working and non-working needles complicated in rows 25 and 29, K3tog will also work. The way I do it makes the edges of the snowballs neater.
To give the shape to the 3 sections, run a length of yarn through the edges of each ball. Each snowman is a bit different depending on tension when knitting. I start in the middle between the largest bottom ball and the middle ball. I pick up every other stitch all around the largest bottom ball and pull the ends together so each side is of equal length. I shape the ball how I feel looks best, pulling and loosening how tight the ball is. I then pick up every other stitch along the sides of the middle ball using each end. The right side end on the right side. The left side end on the left. I pull snug and adjust the tightness of this ball too. I cross the yarn over at the neck and pick up every other stitch on the right and the left side meeting in the middle at the top if the head, pull snug and adjust.

If you don’t like how the balls sit on top of one another, tack the balls in place with a bit of extra white yarn.
Make all the facial and other embellishments BEFORE you sew the seams of the glove.
When making the finishing touches, like the eyes, buttons, and nose, separate the yarn into the thinnest ply you can. Red Heart worsted weight yarn has 4 plies to it. Split them apart so you are down to one. The yarn needs to be thin. If that sounds like a whole lot of trouble you don’t want, things like seed beads may also work. You can also substitute embroidery thread instead.

I used embroidery thread for the face and buttons on the green set, but the branch arms didn’t work with thread. It was too spindly looking and didn’t stay in place. For the branch arms, I used 2 plies of yarn to make them.
My eyes and buttons are French Knots. I have a video showing how to do this. Watch the video below to learn how.
The nose is a single chain stitch. Make a loop starting just under the eye. Bring your needle up in the loop in the middle of the snowman’s face and pull the stitch snug. Go down on the other side of the thread in the same hole your needle came up and tack the loop end of the chain in place. Tie off on the back side.





Start the branch arms behind the body of the snowman. Make them as branchy as you like with as many fingers as you prefer.


The smallest pom-poms I could find still looked too big on the final hat. I trimmed down the ones I could find. You don’t need a pom-pom or to do the cap at all. You could even add a scarf with a strand of yarn.
You will never be able to make each snowman the same on each hand. There are a lot of variables that come into play such as knitting tension, embroidery skills, etc. Don’t be hard on yourself if they aren’t a perfect match.
Abbreviations
K – knit
P – purl
K2tog – Knit 2 stitches together
st – stitch
sts – stitches
sl – slip the stitch
TWK2tog – (Twist and Knit 2 sts together) – Pick up a stitch as if to knit. Twist the stitch and place it back on your non-working needle. Knit the 2 stitches together from right to left. Watch the video to learn how.










































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































