Kristina’s Pink Piano Mitts

One of my students was complaining that her hands are always so cold during her piano lessons and I was already devising a pair of fingerless mitts for Ravelry’s Fingerless Glove Fanatics February KAL, the theme of which was Bust that stash! A Valentine component was not necessary, but encouraged. I had in my stash two balls of Drops Alpaca in Raspberry which I had bought quite on impulse the last time I was at my LYS to pick up a replacement 3.75 mm point for interchangeable needles. I had already cast on when I decided they would be for Kristina.

I did not invent any of the individual components of this pattern, just assembled them from different sources. Still, they came together nicely.

Kristina’s Pink Piano Mitts

Yarn: Drops Alpaca (Raspberry) by Garnstudio -- 90 m (100 yds) [or just over half a ball]
Needles: 2.5 mm (US 1.5) dpns or circular
Size: small -- adjust size by experimenting with larger or smaller needles

Both mitts: Cast on 48 stitches. Join in round. Work feather and fan as follows:

Round 1: *k1, k2tog twice, (yo, k) 3 times, yo, k2tog twice* Repeat ** to end of round.
Round 2: knit
Round 3: knit
Round 4: purl

Repeat Rounds 1 to 4 three more times.

Left Hand:

Twin Leaf Lace Panel and thumb gusset:

Round 17: k9, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, ssk, k30, pm, m1R, k1 m1L, pm, k1
Round 18: k8, k2tog, k2, yo, p1, yo, k2, ssk, k to end
Round 19: k7, k2tog, k1, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, k1, ssk, k to end
Round 20: k6, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, k3, ssk, k to marker, sm, m1R, k to marker, m1L, sm, k1
Round 21: k5, k2tog, k2, yo, k3, p1, k3, yo, k2, ssk, k to end
Round 22: k4, k2tog, k4, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, k4, ssk, k to end
Round 23: k3, k2tog, k3, yo, k4, p1, k4, yo, k3, ssk, k to marker, sm, m1R, k to marker, m1L, sm, k1
Round 24: k2, k2tog, k5, yo, k3, p1, k3, yo, k5, ssk, k to end
Round 25: k1, k2tog, k4, yo, k5, p1, k5, yo, k4, ssk, k to end
Round 26: k12, p1, k to marker, sm, m1R, k to marker, m1L, sm, k1
Round 27: k12, p1, k to end
Round 28: k12, p1, k to end

Repeat Rounds 17 to 28 twice more, continuing to increase thumb gusset until you have 17 stitches between the markers.

Round 44, place 17 thumb stitches on waste yarn and cast on one stitch (your favourite method) before rejoining the round. Continue in pattern until three patterns are complete.

Round 53: purl
Round 54: knit
Round 55: purl
Round 56: bind off loosely knitwise.

Thumb:

Place 17 stitches on waste yarn on dpns or circular needle. Pick up and knit three stitches from hand edge (one before the cast-on stitch, the cast-on stitch, and one after). k16, ssk, k1, k2tog. Last stitch knit will be the first stitch in the new round (18 sts). k 3 more rounds. Finish in garter stitch as for hand.

Right Hand:

Round 17: k8, k2tog, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, ssk, k10, pm, m1R, k1 m1L, pm, k to end
Round 18: k7, k2tog, k2, yo, p1, yo, k2, ssk, k to end
Round 19: k6, k2tog, k1, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, k1, ssk, k to end
Round 20: k5, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, p1, k1, yo, k3, ssk, k to marker, sm, m1R, k to marker, m1L, sm, k to end
Round 21: k4, k2tog, k2, yo, k3, p1, k3, yo, k2, ssk, k to end
Round 22: k3, k2tog, k4, yo, k2, p1, k2, yo, k4, ssk, k to end
Round 23: k2, k2tog, k3, yo, k4, p1, k4, yo, k3, ssk, k to marker, sm, m1R, k to marker, m1L, sm, k to end
Round 24: k1, k2tog, k5, yo, k3, p1, k3, yo, k5, ssk, k to end
Round 25: k2tog, k4, yo, k5, p1, k5, yo, k4, ssk, k to end
Round 26: k11, p1, k to marker, sm, m1R, k to marker, m1L, sm, k to end
Round 27: k11, p1, k to end
Round 28: k11, p1, k to end

Continue as for Left Hand.

Darn in ends, soak in warm, soapy water for 20 minutes, rinse, squeeze out excess moisture and roll mitts in a towel. Lay mitts out flat to dry, stretching them into desired shape. Let dry completely.

m1R = Lift bar between stitches onto left needle, twisted so that the right leg is in back. Knit into front of loop (left leg)
m1L = Lift bar between stitches onto left needle, right leg in front. Knit into back of loop.