Winter is coming and we’ll all need mittens before we know it! Why not get a jump on the cold weather and make your own mittens this year using Shepherd’s Lamb Certified Organic Rambouillet Wool/Mohair blend? This super-soft yet durable blend knits up easily, wears beautifully, and comes in a rainbow of hand-dyed colors to complement your style. (And by the way, these mittens make great handmade Christmas gifts!)
You will need:
1 4-oz. skein Shepherd’s Lamb Certified Organic Rambouillet Wool/Mohair Blend Yarn
1 yarn needle
4 size-5 double-pointed knitting needles
1 stitch holder
Scissors
Instructions are for Adult Women’s size; modifications for Adult Men’s size (M) appear in parentheses.
Directions for RH and LH changes appear within the pattern.
To eliminate tangles and frustration, we recommend unwinding the skeins of yarn and forming loose balls before beginning any project. Wind the yarn loosely to prevent it from stretching.
This pattern as written gives instructions for a solid-color mitten.
Want to add a stripe to your mittens? Design your own stripe pattern using 12-15 rows and start that pattern about one inch after beginning the of the hand body.
Right and Left Mitten
To Begin
Cast on and divide on three needles 44 (M: 48).
Cuff
Row 1: *K1, P1. Repeat from * around.
Row 2 and following: Repeat row 1 until 3 (M: 3 ½) inches have been worked.
Hand
Women’s Mitten: Row 1: Decrease 1 st in 1st and 23rd stitch. Row 2-4: K even.
Men’s Mitten: Row 1-4: K even. There will be 42 (M: 48) stitches.
Begin Thumb Gore
Row 5: Increase 1 st in 1st st, K1, increase 1 st in next st, K to end of round. There will be 44 (M: 50) stitches.
Row 6,7: K even.
Row 8: Increase 1 st in 1st st, K3, increase 1 st in next st, K to end of round. There will be 46 (M: 52) stitches.
Row 9, 10: K even.
Row 11: Increase 1 st in 1st st, K5, increase 1 st in next st, K to end of round. There will be 48 (M: 54) stitches.
Row 12, 13: K even.
Row 14: Increase 1 st in 1st st, K7, increase 1 st in next st, K to end of round. There will be 50 (M: 56) stitches.
Row 15, 16: K even.
Row 17: Increase 1 st in 1st st, K9, increase 1 st in next st, K to end of round. There will be 52 (M: 58) stitches.
Row 18, 19: K even.
Row 20: Increase 1 st in 1st st, K11, increase 1 st in next st, K to end of round. There will be 54 (M: 60) stitches.
Row 21, 22: K even.
(Men’s Mitten ONLY: Row 23: Increase 1 st in 1st st, K3, increase 1 st in next st, K to end of round. There will be M: 62 stitches. Row 24, 25: K even.)
Slip first 15 (M: 17) from 1st needle to stitch holder.
Right-Hand Mitten ONLY
Cast on 3 sts on 1st needle. K even around. There will be 42 (M: 48).
Each round now begins with these three new stitches.
Left-Hand Mitten ONLY
K sts on 1st needle. K 3 sts from 2nd needle onto 1st needle. K remaining st on 2nd needle. K 3 sts from 3rd needle onto 2nd needle. K remaining st on 3rd needle. Cast on 3 sts at the end of the last needle. There will be 42 (M:48) stitches.
Each round now ends with these three new stitches.
RH and LH Mitten
Hand Body
K even for 6 (M:6 ½) inches or until mitten measures 1 (M: 1) inch less than desired length of the hand.
Shaping Hand Top
Row 1: K1, K2 tog, K15 (M: 18), K2 tog, K2, K2 tog, K15 (M: 18),K2 tog, K1. There will be 38 (M: 44) stitches.
Row 2: K1, K2 tog, K13 (M:16), K2 tog, K2, K2 tog, K13 (M:16), K2 tog, K1. There will be 34 (M: 40) stitches.
Row 3: K1, K2 tog, K11 (M:14), K2 tog, K2, K2 tog, K11 (M:14), K2 tog, K1. There will be 30 (M: 36) stitches.
Repeat Row 3, having two fewer stitches between each decrease than in the previous row, until 10 (M: 12) stitches remain.
Finishing Hand
Cut yarn, leaving a 12-inch tail. Thread yarn needle with tail and thread it through the 10 (M: 12) remaining stitches. Pull tight. Weave in end on wrong side (inside) of mitten. Sew in tail from the beginning of the cuff.
Thumb
Slip 15 (M: 17) stitches from stitch holder onto three needles
Pick up 3 stitches from the hand above the thumb opening. There will be 18 (M: 20) stitches.
K even around until thumb measures 2 (M: 2 ½) inches or until thumb measures between ¼ and ½ inch less than desired length of the thumb.
(Men’s Mitten ONLY: Decrease 2 sts on opposite sides of thumb in last round. There will be M: 18 stitches.)
Shaping Thumb Top
Row 1: *K1, K2 together. Repeat from * around. There will be 12 (M: 12) stitches.
Row 2: K even.
Row 3: *K2 together. Repeat from * around. There will be 6 (M: 6) stitches.
Finishing Thumb
Cut yarn, leaving a 12-inch tail. Thread yarn needle with tail and thread it through the 6 remaining stitches. Pull tight. Weave in end on wrong side (inside) of thumb.
