Heather Down Mitts

2010-01-24T01:20:00.000-08:00

Knitting is a labour of love. And we are blessed if we have someone to give the fruit of our labours to. It is so true that you need to have someone to recieve to make the act of giving possible.
I am always grateful to have so many people to accept my gifts happily and with genuine joy.It means that every hour spent knitting is an hour of warmth and peace thinking of the person I am knitting for.

This winter has been so cold in Europe that I could not but wonder how a dear old aunt of mine was coping in the extreme cold. She is close to 85 years old and still cycles her way to the grocery store and for errands close to home shunning the car for environmental reasons.
I remembered how caring she was when I was a child in boarding school .She would visit every weekend, come rain or shine, to bring much appreciated supplies of biscuits and food and news of daily life in the outside world. Thinking of her I began to knit this pair of soft woolly fingerless mitts and hope it will keep her cosy in the freezing cold.
The double two knit two purl pattern is a favourite of mine as it makes such nice textures out of different kinds of wool. This one is worked on a 15 stitch grid that is very easy to follow.

Materials:
1 skein Vardhman Lambhair yarn or any DK wool to get gauge.

2 x 3 mm (US 2 or UK 11) circular needles
1 marker
Scrap of wool.

Gauge: 20 st and 20 rows. To make 3” X 2.5 “ in stockinette.

Size: S, M
Length -7.25 “
Width- 3.5 “ across palm,
Thumb length-1” from inside thumb.
Wrist- 2.75”

Abbreviations:
K- knit
P-Purl
M-Make a stitch by picking up bar between stitches and knitting though the back.
Sl- Slip

Pattern:
Cast on (44) 52 st on one circular needle. Transfer half the stitches to the second circular needle. Join in the round.

Cuff
Row 1 .* K2, P2. Repeat from * till end
Row 2. *P2, K2. Repeat from * till end.
Continue in rib for 15 rows or till cuff measures 2.25 “.

Left Hand
Keep (23) 27 st on the first circular needle and (21) 25 on the other.
Row 16: Knit till end
Row 17: K (6)8, P1, K2, P2, K2, P1, K2, P2, K2, P1, K till end.
Row 18: Repeat Row 17 as above .
Row 19: K(6) 8, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K till end.
Row 20: Repeat Row 19 as above.
Row 21-23 Repeat Row 17-19 as above.
Row 24: M1, put on marker, K (6)8, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K till end.
Row 25:K to marker, sl marker,K (6)8,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1, K till end.
Row 26: M1, K to marker ,M1 ,Sl marker to right needle, K(6)8,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1, K till end.
Row 27: K to marker, sl marker, K (6)8, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K to end.
Row 28: M1,K to marker,M1,Sl marker, K (6)8,P3,K2,P5,K2,P3,K to end.
Repeat Rows 25-28 four more times till you finish Row 44.
Row 45: K to marker, sl marker, K (6)8, P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K to end.
Row 46: Slip (19) 21 stitches for the thumb on to a piece of contrasting wool. Remove the marker and carry on knitting in pattern as set above. (K (6)8,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1 ,K to end.)
Row 47: K (6)8, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K to end.
Row 48: Repeat Row 47 as above.
Row 49: K (6)8, P1, K2, P2, K2, P1, K2, P2, K2, P1 K to end.
Row 50: Repeat Row 49 as above.
Row 51-58:Repeat Row 47-50 (once) twice more
Row 59-65 *K2, P2. Repeat from * in rib till end.
Cast off in rib.

Thumb:
Pick up (12)14 stitches on one circular needle, then 7 stitches on next circular needle and pick up and make 7 stitches from inside thumb.Remember to pull yarn tight when going from one needle to another or you will get small holes.
Row 1-8: *K2, P2. Repeat from* in rib till end. Cast off (26) 28 stitches in rib.
Finish ends.

Right Hand- working on this right now...
CO 52 st.Keep 27 st on the first circular needle and 25 on the other.
Row 1 K2,P2 in rib till end.
Row 2 P2,K2 in rib till end.
Repeat the above two rows till you have knit 15 rows or rib is 2 " in length.
Row 16: K till end
Row 17: K (2)4, P1, K2, P2, K2, P1, K2, P2, K2, P1, K till end.
Row 18: Repeat Row 17 as above .
Row 19: K (2) 4, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K till end.
Row 20: Repeat Row 19 as above.
Row 21-23 Repeat Row 17-19 as above.
Row 24:K (2) 4, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K (6) 8 M1, put on marker, K till end.
Row 25: K (2)4,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K (6)8, K to marker, sl marker, K till end.
Row 26: K (2)4,P1,K 2,P2,K2,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K (6) 8,M1,K till marker, M1, sl marker,K till end.
Row 27: K (2) 4, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K (6) 8 ,K till end.
Row 28: K (2) 4, P3, K2, P5,K2,P3, K (6) 8, M1,K till marker,M1, sl marker,K till end.
Repeat Rows 25-28 four more times till you finish Row 44.
Row 45: K (2) 4, P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K (6) 8, K to end.
Row 46: K (2) 4,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1,K2,P2,K2,P1 ,K (6) 8 . Slip (19) 21 stitches for the thumb on to a piece of contrasting wool.Remove the marker and carry on K1 till end.
Row 47: K (2) 4, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K to end.
Row 48: Repeat Row 47 as above.
Row 49: K (2) 4, P1, K2, P2, K2, P1, K2, P2, K2, P1 K to end.
Row 50: Repeat Row 49 as above.
Row 51-58: Repeat Rows 47-50 (once) twice more
Row 59-65 *K2, P2. Repeat from * in rib till end.
Cast off in rib.

Make thumb as for left hand.

Chart:

X- P1
O-K1

Wol Knits

Heather Down Mitts