Ruba'iyat Mittens "A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and ThouBeside me singing in the Wilderness-- Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!" The Ruba'iyat of Omar Khayyam is one of my favourite poems. The lush translation offered by Edward FitzGerald conjures images of aromatic spices, beautiful textiles and sensuous geometric design. When I saw the elegant and intricate motifs based on Persian rug-making in Richard Rutt's A History of Hand-Knitting, I decided to design a pair of mittens that would infuse whispers of Khayyam’s Persia into a snowy Canadian winter. Sizes: Smal/Women's (Large/Men's) Materials: Set of 4 or 5 DPNs, size 2.5 mm ( $2.75\;\mathrm{mm})$ 1 ball Knit Picks Palette (2 balls Knit Picks Telemark) - Main Colour 1 ball Knit Picks Palette (2 balls Knit Picks Telemark) - Contrast Colour Tapestry needle. Scrap piece of yarn. Gauge: 10 sts and 10 rows (8 sts and 8 rows) $=1$ " across palm These are knit at a fairly tight gauge forwarmth and wind protection. Check gauge throughout project to avoid mismatched mittens! These mittens are knit in the round. I have modeled the construction on traditional Scandinavian mittens, complete with thumb gusset (rather than a peasant thumb) and tapered finish. For more information on making stranded mittens I highly recommend Terri Shea’'s Selbuvotter: Biography of a Knitting Tradition (Spinningwheel LLC, 2007) particularly if you have trouble with the thumb gusset construction. Cast on 60 stitches in MC and divide evenly among DPNs. Knit four rows in K2, P2 ribbing. Begin Chart 1. Be sure to add stitches as indicated in first row of chart. 62 sts. Knit 4 (2 for larger size) in MC. Begin Main Chart. The thumb gusset willtake shape as you make the increases. When you reach the thumb line, set aside indicated sts onto a scrap piece of yarn, and cast on 11 sts using reverse cast-on method. Continue working Main Chart to final row (don't forget the decreases!). Break off yarn, and using tapestry needle, thread through the remaining 6 sts and pull tight. Weave in ends.
Thumb:
Place the 15 sts from scrap yarn onto a DPN. Pick up 11 sts from earlier reverse cast-on. Pick up 2 sts on either side of thumb hole. Divide evenly onto DPNs and work Chart 3 (thumb chart) beginning with the palm facing up and the mitten tip pointing away from you - front side of thumb. Finish thumb in same manner as mitten tip. Repeat for second mitten. Weave in ends and block lightly.
Rebaiya Nitens,209
