Spiderweb Mitts Crochet Pattern

November 3, 2023

My first official pattern!

There’s an accompanying video available for free!

I aim to keep my blog, and therefore also this pattern, ad-free. As a compromise, there aren’t any photos of individual steps included below. You can watch the video for free, but if you’d like a PDF download with pictures included, I’m listing that for sale in my ko-fi shop and on Ravelry. You can also just say thank you with a one-off donation! If you subscribe to the Blue Jay tier or above, you’ll get it for free. Since this is my first pattern, that may not be super enticing, but I have plans for more!

This pattern is an intermediate difficulty. You will have to work on a small scale, which is tricky. If you are a beginner, I recommend you go through the whole pattern with a bigger, easier-to-see yarn than you’ll use for the finished product. Once you get the hang of the stitch patterns, you can try to go smaller!

finished project

Contents

Overview

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This pattern came to exist because I wasn’t happy with the available options I found online, and yet it seemed like a simple idea… or so I thought! It took me several days to nail down my preferred pattern while accounting for easy customization for different-sized hands. My goal was to create a web that was pretty flush with my hand, with light tension that wasn’t uncomfortable. I’ve attached it to 4 different styles of bracelet (so far) and could not possibly account for every variation, but rest assured, if you want to customize the fit, you will have the information you need. Read the whole pattern before beginning for the best results.

There is no gauge for this pattern in particular. Even within my testing, I noticed the most important aspects were how tight I made my chains and how I seated each leg of the web securely so it did not stretch out of shape when worn.

Using black crochet thread provided different results during my testing. This is an annoying but common experience with black yarn. I’m no expert, but I’ve been told it’s related to how they dye black compared to other colors. I’ve encountered the same thing with worsted weight yarn, often when using a natural fiber, but I’ve indeed found differences among acrylic yarn, as well. Black is sometimes stiffer or scratchier. In the case of cotton thread, it seems black is slightly thinner than the natural color I used to write this pattern. This means you will probably have to adapt to change colors of thread. This is honestly very simple to do. Just keep a personal note of what works for you so you can make your second mitt the same size!

This is the free version of this pattern, which does not include photos. This free version assumes you are willing to watch a video or would rather watch a video but appreciate having the directions summarized in text. If you’d like to support me or thank me for creating this, I’ve created a PDF of the pattern with photos that you can use in place of the video. This is available for purchase in my ko-fi shop. The item is listed as “pay what you want,” so you can tip me however much you are comfortable with. Thank you for understanding that it takes time and effort to put these things together!

Please note: I recommend making the bracelet first so you don’t have to reattach the thread to the web.

Materials

Size 10 crochet thread

1.5mm crochet hook

Scissors

Yarn needle to weave in ends (ideally, something pointier than you would use for larger yarn)

A needle threader may help (again, not what you use for larger yarn)

A stitch marker can be helpful when making the bracelet

If you don’t have this exact hook size, worry not. My chain counts are based on this hook size, but it’s flexible. You do need it to be pretty small if you are working with crochet thread. If you use 1.6mm or larger, assume you may need to reduce your chain counts. Likewise, 1.4mm or smaller may need longer finger loops (but the web will probably be fine). As you finish each round of the web, check to ensure it is laying flat rather than making a bowl (chains are too short) or rippling unevenly (chains are too long).

A Note on Sizing

I have an average-sized palm and short fingers, but thankfully, that doesn’t affect this pattern! My wrist is pretty slender, about 5.75″ in circumference, which primarily affects the bracelet. If you are making this for either a child or a larger adult, you’ll want to adjust the bracelet length — as written, it comes out to about 8″ long (which is longer than I needed for my tiny wrist).

If you want to make this for a child’s hand, you can probably omit a round of webbing. Child’s fingers are so small that you could probably keep the finger loops at the regular length of the web sections for the appropriate round, or perhaps shorten them. Just make a web up to round 4 or so, and attach it to something for the bracelet support. I’m just guessing since I don’t have a child around to try it on, but it seems logical.

To make it for a larger hand, the finger loops are the best option to customize. My partner’s hand is bigger than mine, and the web itself fits the back of his hand very well; however, the finger loops don’t allow it to pull down far enough to attach to the wrist. Specifically, the thumb and index fingers should be your first starting point to lengthen. You can add a round of webbing if you need a lot more space, but I’d try the finger loops first.

Lastly, if the space between the fingers is still too tight with a treble crochet, you can extend the stitch similarly to making an extended double crochet. After you yarn over and insert your hook to place the stitch, when you yarn over and draw up the loop to pull through, you can add a chain before proceeding with the rest of the stitch. I haven’t had to do this, but the best part about crochet is how customizable it is!

Abbreviations Used (US terms)

  • St = stitch
  • Ch = chain
  • Sc = single crochet
  • Dc = double crochet
  • Htr = half treble crochet
  • Tr = treble crochet
  • Sk # = Skip this number of stitches
  • [ ] = Denotes a section of pattern to be repeated
  • ( ) = Stitch counts given at end of each row
  • Section 1..8 = Refers to the eight sections of webbing, where section 1 aligns with the thumb, 2 with the index finger, and so on. Sections 6-8 are the side and bottom of the web that do not wrap around your fingers.

Bracelet “Fancy Grid” Pattern

Please note: I recommend making the bracelet first so you don’t have to reattach the thread to the web.

You can use any crochet bracelet you like if it has places to attach the web. In the video, I show 3 styles, plus the option to attach to an elastic hairband. This is just to clarify that you can make it work however you prefer! If you are making these for a costume, but you can’t use either a button or a hair tie, you can probably even use a safety pin to keep it closed during your event. In lieu of anything else, you could make a chain and tie it around your wrist.

These directions accompany the example bracelet I made in the video. 

Chain length: Multiple of 5, + 4. Find a number that is comfortable for your wrist size. My example of 55 + 4 to start was about 8”. Many people could wear this, as it was longer than I needed, but it’s simple to adjust.

Row 0: Optional, but matches the video: ch 1, and sc into 2nd chain from hook. Sc to end. (59 stitches in my example size). 

This row is optional because you could make the bracelet perfectly symmetrical by skipping it, but I just personally prefer to do this when using such a small thread and hook size.

Row 1: ch 3 (counts as stitch), 1 dc in same st. [ch2, sk2, dc in next 3 st] until the last 3 stitches or chains at the end. Ch2, sk2, 2dc in final st.

Turn the corner: ch3, 2dc in the base chain (below your row 0 sc if applicable), ch 3, 2dc in same chain. You should have a total of 6 dc in the same place, with 3 chains in between them.

Row 2 (other side of chain): Repeat the pattern of [ch 2, sk 2, dc in next 3 st] until you reach the last chain. (74 dc in total, including previous corner and starting chain)

Turn the corner: 2dc in chain, ch 3, 2dc in same place, ch 3, sl st to starting chain from previous round. (6 dc total in the same stitch). (78 dc)

Row 3 Setup: Ch 1 and turn to work back along the short edge you just made. We are crocheting back to the corner, then starting a new pattern row.

In the chain 3 space: sc, ch 1, 2 sc. Sc in each dc. 2 sc in next chain space.

Row 3: Ch 3, dc in the next 2 dc, ch 2, dc in the next 2 dc. [ch2, skip chain space, dc in 3 dc] until you come to the end of the row. There should be 2 dc from the previous row end; ch 2 and dc into each of those to maintain the pattern. (38 dc in this row, including 2 at beginning)

Add density for button sewing on the end: Modify this if you don’t want to use a button or want to attach another kind of clasp. You can also simplify it because I’m silly and made it a bit extra. 🙂

Row 1: 1 dc into chain 3 space. Ch 1, turn to work on the short end, beginning with the side of the dc you just placed. 2 sc around the dc, 2 sc in next chain space, sc in each of the next 2 stitches, 2 sc in final chain space. (8 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Skip first st, sc 5 times. Slip stitch into the last sc (just adds a bit of a curve). (6 sc)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Ignore the slip stitch you just made, you only want to work in 6 stitches. Sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc. (6 st)

This was enough for me to sew into. If you need more material, add another row or two of sc before row 3.

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing the button (about 8”; more is better than less). Sew the button into the middle of the denser section you just created. Weave in the starting yarn at the other end to finish.

Web Pattern

Please note: I recommend making the bracelet first so you don’t have to reattach the thread to the web.

Starting chains count as stitches throughout.

At the end of each round, slip stitch to join.

When you slip into your starting chain to end the round, use this height reference to determine which chain to slip into:

  • Dc = 3 ch
  • Htr = 4 ch
  • Tr = 5 ch

Round 1: Start with a magic ring. Work [dc, ch1] x8. (8 dc, 8 ch)

As you proceed, each stitch is placed in the top of the stitch from the previous round to create the “spokes” of the web.

Round 2: [dc, ch4] x 8. (8 dc, 32 ch)

From this point on, I recommend placing your dc and htr by splitting the stitch below. This adds some extra support that prevents the web from stretching out and becoming misshapen. Multiple examples of this can be found in my video tutorial for the pattern. Rather than inserting beneath the V of the stitch as per usual, you insert your hook slightly lower to catch another leg. The video guide of rows 3 and 4 will show this.

Round 3: [dc, ch6] x 8. (8 dc, 48 ch)

Round 4: [htr, ch9] x 8. (8 htr, 64 ch)

Round 5: [htr, ch12] x 6. Htr, ch10 to make section 7 slightly tighter. Htr, ch 12 to complete round. (8 htr, 94 ch)

Round 6: Finger loops. You may want to adjust these if you find the web uncomfortable to wear. I do not recommend using htr between the fingers; it becomes uncomfortable. Reduce the chains if you need them to be smaller.

Begin with 5ch to serve as the first tr.

Section 1 (Thumb): ch 25. Tr into htr from previous round.

Section 2 (Index Finger): ch 18, tr

Section 3-4 (Middle & Ring Fingers): ch 15, tr

Section 5 (Pinky): ch 15, htr 

Section 6-8: ch 12, htr.

Try on the web and ensure you’re happy with how it would fit, providing gentle tension at the wrist.

Attaching Web and Bracelet

As mentioned above, I wanted this pattern to be super customizable. This is the only way to provide a pattern for something as appealing to goths and spooky types of all sizes as a spiderweb and have it actually fit everyone. Hand size is usually given as something like s/m/l in patterns, and I struggle to find that workable for something that is basically a whole bunch of chains. I made the same web with two different hook sizes and managed to make the larger web with the smaller hook because I was tired. The split stitches I added to the web help with this structural consistency, but there’s still a lot of room for personal variation.

All this to say, your specific attachment chains may be different. The width of your wrist and forearm and how your bracelet sits are variable and not something we usually consider part of a garment size chart. Furthermore, you can adapt these chains to suit the aesthetic of your chosen bracelet. You could add two chains right next to each other like \\ //, or completely redesign the bracelet to reach up the back of your hand and crochet directly into the web!

My attachment uses seven chains in a zig-zag line. I prefer to make the bracelet first and attach the web without cutting the yarn, so the first connection begins at the end of the round—between sections 8 and 1, aka the base of the thumb loop.

Note when using buttons: If you make two identical mitts, one button will be on the underside of your wrist when the bracelet is attached. (Our hands are mirror images, not identical, after all!) I go over this in the video, but what worked for me was to have the bracelet sitting button-side-up on the table while I attached for my right-handed mitt, then I turned the bracelet button-side-down and did the same attachment system for the left-handed mitt.

Anyway, onto attachment! These directions match what I did in the video and align with the bracelet pattern described above.

Odd number steps go from mitt -> bracelet

Even numbers go from bracelet -> mitt

Attachments are all done with slip stitches.

  1. Chain 10. Attach to the first dc after the 6th chain space in the bracelet (counting from the end that is closest to the thumb when worn)
  2. Chain 8. Attach to the htr between sections 7 and 8. If you can, split this stitch with your hook as you place your slip stitch.
  3. Chain 6. Attach to the 5th dc after the previous bracelet connection.
  4. Chain 4. Attach to the approximate halfway point of section 7.
  5. Chain 6. Attach to the 4th dc after the previous connection.
  6. Chain 8. Attach to the approximate halfway point of section 6.
  7. Chain 8. Attach to the 5th dc after the previous connection.

Fasten off, weave in ends, and you are finished!

How did it go?

Remember, if you need a PDF to help, there’s one on my ko-fi shop!

If you make this, please tag me on Instagram or your platform of choice, and let me see your results! I’d love to adjust it with specific advice for other bracelet styles or sizes. My profiles across platforms will always be at jmecannon.com/links. I’m using jme_cannon most of the time, but check the links page to ensure it’s really me!