Thumb advice, please

I got an urge to knit a small project, and these fingerless mitts seemed like just the thing.  The pattern is free on Ravelry: Knuckle Buster Fingerless Mitts.  I used my Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Heather in color “Willow,” which is a lovely color. I meant to use this for knee socks (I have 200 g!) but neither of the two patterns I’ve tried have worked out, so I decided to buck the trend and make something small.

Do you see the difference?

Left mitt has 6 rounds of ribbing at the thumb opening:

Right mitt does not:Why?  Well… this pattern is cast on at the knuckles and worked toward the cuff.  The extra stitches for the thumb opening are cast on and then decreased.  Then you return to that CO edge at the end, and pick up stitches to knit the wee bit o’ ribbing.

I  like the LOOK of that ribbing, but not the feel.  The left mitt is a little harder to put on, and a LOT harder to take off, and the thumb opening is tight.  You know how when you pick up stitches, you stabilize the fabric?  Well, that’s what happens here – only I’m not sure I want a stabilized fabric right there.  I want something stretchy.

If I knit this pattern again (and I might, since S1 has been eyeing my new mitts), I think I would cast on the 12 stitches of thumb ribbing separately and then join to the main mitt on the correct row, kind of like how you join the body and sleeves of a raglan sweater when you knit it from the hem up to the neck.  It would be a little fiddly, but more stretchy.  I think.

I’m thinking about ripping back the ribbing on Left Mitt and calling this pair done.  What do you think?  Does Right Mitt look odd and/or unfinished without its ribbing?

P.S. – it is really hard to take photos of your own right hand when you are right-handed.

P.P.S. – MDSW is only 5 days away!!!!!!!!!!!!