215 Minutes

This weekend I finally buckled down and created a pair of matching mitts to go with one of my favorite hats. I knew I had enough left over yarn from the ball of Malabrigo worsted (the hat only took about half of the 100 gram ball). Ever since I finished the hat, I had thoughts of making a second accessory to go with it. Either a small scarf or cowl or mitts. I decided on mitts, partly because since I have needed my coats this winter I have yet to put one on that doesn't already have mitts in the pocket. There is something I love about having a matching set of mitts and a hat on cold days. Makes me feel more put together cute than just bundled. 

So without further ado, on this snow showery morning, I present the "matching mitts" (photographed in a nicely diffused light from my large south-facing windows). 

Materials:

approximately 50 grams of worsted weight wool (I used much less than this, but I have small hands and like a close fitting mitt). 

US 8 (in your preferred knitting in the round style, I used a large circular needle and worked two at a time with some fiddling)

Stitch holder (either manufactured, scrap yarn, or a straw even)

darning needle

Gauge:

5 stitches per inch in 2X2 ribbing

4.5 stitches per in in seed stitch in the round

Stitches used:

2X2 Ribbing: 

row 1 (RS) k2, p2 across; 

row 2 (WS) p2, k2 across.

Seed Stitch in the Round: 

round 1 K1, P1 around; 

round 2 P1, K1 around; 

round 3 P1, K1 around;

round 4 K1, P1 around.

Pattern:

CO 12 stitches leaving a tail long enough to sew up these same 12 stitches. 

Work in 2X2 Ribbing with a selvedge edge (always knit the last stitch of the row, and always slip the first stitch of the row). Knit until this piece reaches around your wrist with a good bit of ease, I worked until about an inch wider than my wrist. End on a WS row; do not bind off. 

Turn work and pick up each selvedge stitch along one side of this band. As this is a WS row, purl all of these stitches. 

Turn work and K1, P1 across ending with a purl stitch (you may need to M1 stitch in order to accomplish this). Join work to begin in the round, and work rounds 1-4 of the Seed Stitch in the Round pattern. 

You will now begin thumb increases at the beginning of round 1 and round 3 of the Seed Stitch in the Round pattern. If you are working in a magic loop or two-at-a-time style, you may need to shift the stitches so that one half of our needles do not have too few stitches. 

Try on your mitt as you are working, once the mitt comfortably reaches the crotch of your thumb place the increased stitches onto a holder. Join the remainder of the work to continue working even in the round. 

Continue trying on your mitt, I knit this portion until it reached my middle knuckle. You will use an I-Cord bind off to mirror the ribbed cuff of the mitt. CO 3 stitches to your left hand needle and slip them to your right hand needle. Knit 2, SSK the third new stitch with the next stitch of the mitt. Slip these 3 stitches back to your right hand needle and continue like this until you have bound off all the original stitches. 

Try your mitt on before cutting the yarn. I found that my bind off was a touch tight (likely a result of different row verses stitch gauges). So before I cut my yarn I worked a single round of I-Cord (slipped my stitches then just knit 3) before cutting my yarn and pulling the end through.

To finish you will weave in all the ends, turn the mitt inside out to make this much easier. You will also need to sew the live stitches of the ribbed cuff to the original cast on stitches with the tail you left at the beginning. 

Notes on Fit:

I know that I like tightly fitting mitts, and I also know everyone has their own preferences. To make this mitt more roomy, work at least  one inch of positive ease into the cuff. You could easily do more like 2 inches of positive ease is my guess. You may also choose to pick up more than just one selvedge stitch when picking up, think about how you would pick up for a button band. Finally you could play with the thumb increases; increasing sooner, faster, or more frequently will give a different fit in the thumb. 

These little mitts took me 215 minutes. Please know I am told I am a fast knitter (I have never been tested), but I also fiddled with the stitch distribution (I am committed to doing things two-at-a-time whenever possible). I am confident that if you have a surprise person end up on your Christmas list (or if its not longer December, perhaps a birthday sneaks up on you) that you still have time to make them a quick little gift of warmth!