A holiday present for gentle knitters everywhere.
Neo-Victorian Mitts
My friend Chavvy [not her real name], one
of the world’s few academics who’s also a nice person, typifies the perfect
fusion of Victorian and contemporary style in everything she does. With this in mind I designed these mitts
for her and used acrylic yarn (SMC Northern Worsted), as she’s allergic to
wool.
Materials: Four #7 dpns, scissors and a yarn
needle, two skeins of worsted-weight yarn, a Main Color (MC) and a Contrasting
Color (CC). (Note—only a small
amount of yarn is needed for the CC, and the MC is probably about 50 yards or
less—in case you want to use up stash yarn.)
Directions: With CC cast on 36 stitches and purl
for an inch, or desired length of contrast ruffle (it will curl under to some extent). Switch to MC and knit in the following ribbed pattern—K2
P1—for 4 inches or desired length.
At this point you’ll change stitch patterns and start working the
thumb. The thumb will be done in
stockinette (unless you want to do it in Moss stitch), the rest in moss stitch
(Row 1: K1 P1; Row 2: P1 K1;
alternate rows).
Thumb: Rows as follows below:
1.
K2, M1R, K, M1L, pattern to end
2.
K all thumb stitches, pattern to end
3.
K2, M1R, K3, M1L, pattern to end
4.
K all thumb stitches, pattern to end
5.
K2, M1R, K5, M1L, pattern to end
6.
K all thumb stitches, pattern to end
7.
K2, M1R, K7, M1L, pattern to end
8.
K all thumb stitches, pattern to end
9.
K2, cast on 5 using backwards loop method,
transfer 9 thumb stitches to a holder or waste yarn, pattern to end
10. K10,
pattern to end
11. K1,
sl1, psso, K2, K2tog, pattern to end
12. K1,
sl1, psso, k2tog, pattern to end.
Note: The last
three rows of the thumb only can be done in the CC, or MC, as you desire.
Continue knitting
the hand of the mitt until you reach the desired length, approximately 8 inches
from the beginning, before starting the top edging.
Top edging: Purl in CC for four rows, or about a
half-inch.
Bows (make
two): Cast 3 stitches onto one of
your dpns, and with it and another, knit a 16-inch I-cord.
Tie each cord into a small bow, and tack onto the mitt where the wrist
joins the hand.
If you find errors in this pattern, please advise!
