Scaredy Cat Mittens
I've always been scared to attempt mittens; even though I adore dpns, the thought of doing a thumb on dpns just plain scared me. We're experiencing back to back blizzards this year. While trying to dig my car out after the last big blizzard with store bought acrylic gloves that got soaked and froze my hands, I changed my mind. I dug into the stash for some 1oo% wool and cast on that night.
Now there are a million different mitten patterns out there and these notes and the mittens that resulted are certainly not the most attractive mittens out there but they tickled me to have completed them, and are they are very warm, which was all I was really concerned with. These are a result of me browsing several different patterns for the basics and my usual "winging it". The tops of these mittens are a result of finishing at nearly midnight, wanting to finish the mitten and having zero energy to google mitten finishing; I just "winged it".
I have very small hands, so someone with average sized hands would probably need to start with CO32 or 36 sts. Start the mitten top decreasing about 1 inch from the end of your fingertips. Increase the thumb gusset to 15st wide.
I adore the Beatrice yarn; it's soft, thick, and warm. Any yarn that gives you gauge would world. I think Beatrice is a heavy worsted or chunky yarn. My scribbled notes.(literally) Yarn- Classic Elite Yarns "Beatrice" (discontinued) Needles- Size 10/6.0mm guage - 4st = 1in stitch guide CO- cast on k - knit pm - place marker m -marker inc - increase dec - decrease k2tog- knit 2 stitches together st - stitches st st stockinette stitch dpn-double point needles CO28 onto three dpns 12 rounds 2x2 ribbing 2 rounds st st after 2x2 begin thumb gusset: k16, pm, inc 1, k1, inc 1, pm , k to end row1-k row2-k row3-k to m, inc 1, k to m, inc 1, k to end k till 13 st in-between m's next row, k, slipping thumb sts to waste yarn, k to end k till mitt measure 6" from end of cuff begin dec 1-k4, k2tog, repeat 2-k 3-k3, k 2tog, repeat 4-k 5-k3, k 2tog, repeat 6-k repeated 5 and 6 till 9st remain thread yarn and pull thru sts, close up thumb- pick up three st (mental note- after row 2, take new picked up yarn and weave over the holes that picking up sts created, much easier than doing it after the thumb is complete and trying to work in a tiny thumb hole) row 3- k2 tog once row 4 - k2 tog once row 10-k2tog three dif times row 12- k2tog two dif times thread yarn and pull thru sts, close up And this is all the yarn I had left from two balls of yarn when both mittens were complete.
I still have two or three balls left in the stash...but we'll pretend I don't ETA: I adore the purlbee's tip on avoiding ladders when using dpns, double-pointed-needles-tutorial http://www.purlbee.com/double-pointed-needles-tutoria/20o8/7/25/double-pointed-needlestutorial.html The design and photography contained in this document are the property of Patricia Hanson/Quadshotyarn. Copyright @ February 10, 2011 This pattern is available for personal use only, not for sale or profit. Items made from this pattern may be sold with a disclaimer, mentioning my shop and me as the original pattern source. Thank you. http:/ / www.quadshotyarn.etsy.com http: / /www.ravelry.com/ designers/patricia-hanson
