The Construction of the Glove

I'm studying the construction of the glove.  Mary Thomas has a lot to say about it in 'Mary Thomas's Knitting Book' first published in 1938 and most of the text below is based on hers with other bits of research thrown in.  If you can follow the principles (and I'm struggling), it starts to give you some idea about the construction of the Straight Thumb style of glove where thumb and fingers all lie flat.  The style is very much of the time with a close fitting, snug wristed glove.  These days I think we tend towards a slightly looser fit.

I drew round my hand to get the diagram below.  It was only then that I really understood what was going on.  I've still to get to the bottom of the style where the thumb gusset is worked from the palm - The Palm Thumb.

Measure your hand across the knuckles at (A) and do a tension swatch in your chosen yarn/stitch

Cast on and rib the number of stitches that you need for that measurement to create cuff. 

The wrist should be about 1" straight knitting in your chosen stitch between the ribbing and the beginning of the thumb shaping.

The base of the thumb is knitted with the palm until the thumb separation is reached.  The increase for the thumb (C) - (B) will be calculated on the difference between the measurement across the hand at (A) and the measurement across the hand at (B).

When the thumb increases are complete the thumb separation can start.  There may be 3 rows knitted before starting depending on best fit. 

The thumb is knitted before you start the palm.  The measurement (B) - (D) and (B) - (C) should be about the same.

The area between the mid palm (B) and the base of the fingers is knitted without shaping until the base of the fingers is reached. 

Each finger is worked separately in order.  The measurement (F) - (A) will be roughly the same as (A) - (C).

So, there you have it.