Instant Mittens
Aka: Stash Busters
Finished Size: Womens Small, Womans Medium, Womans Large,(9.5 “[24cm],10” [25.5 cm],10.5”26.5cm])
Yarn: 100-ish yds of each of 2 yarns of your choice ***, to roughly equal a bulky weight yarn.
Needles: 1 set size 9 dpn
Notions: marker; stitch holder; tapestry needle
Gauge: 14sts and 20 rows=4” [10 cm]
Mitten (make 2)
With 2 strands of yarn cast on 28 sts. Arrange sts evenly onto 3 dp needles, place marker and join taking care not to twist sts. Work in k1 p1 ribbing for 15 rnds or 3” (7.5mm). K 10 rnds (2” [5m]) in Stockinette stitch (knit every rnd).
Divide for Thumb Opening: Slip first 4 sts onto a holder, cast on 4 sts, knit to end of rnd.
Body: Continue in St st until piece measures 1.5” (3 cm) less than desired length (about 8’[20 cm] for WS, 8.5’ [21.5 cm] for WM, 9” [23 cm] for WL).
Shape Top: 1st dec rnd: k2 k2tog around. K next rnd. 2nd dec rnd: k1 k2 tog around. K next rnd. 3rd dec rnd: k2 tog around. 4th dec rnd: k2tog. Cut yarn and draw tail through remaining sts. Pull together tightly and fasten off.
Thumb: Slip the 4 sts from holder onto a dpn. With second dpn pick up 6 sts from around thumbhole. Arrange sts evenly on 3 dpn. Place marker and join. K until thumb measures 1” less than desired length (about 10 rnds or 2” [5 cm] for WS, 12 rnds or 2.25” [5.5 cm] for WM, or 14 rnds or 2.75” [7cm] for W L). 1st dec rnd: k1 k2tog around, end k 1 (7sts). K next rnd. 2nd dec rnd: k2 tog around. Cut yarn and draw tail through remaining sts. Pull together tightly and fasten off.
Finishing: With tapestry needle weave in all ends.
So go at it! Attack the stash or visit your favorite yarn shop and check out the sale bins, or buy just one skein of that luscious mohair you've always wanted to use.
***Yarn Note For my blue green mittens (center) I used 1 skein Bartlettyarns, Lake Blue (4 oz, 200yds), and 1 skein Ironstone English Mohair, Color 725 (2oz,125yds). The balls above are what I had left. I seem to remember using Classic Elite Le Gran Mohair which has only 90 yds in a ball. In fact the germ of these mittens was from freebie pattern that I think used that yarn....I use any old yarn, if you are a relaxed sort like I am and you seem to be running short of something, you can just add a stripe of some other color and call it a design choice.
The beautiful pink version was made from plyed homespun and commercial boucle, spun, dyed and plyed by the "sadly blogless Tracy". She once made me a fabulous mile long (really) narrow scarf that I wore till Isadora Duncan issues prevailed and I wound it into a ball, awaiting the perfect moment.
For more yarn tips check out the post below, Eleventh Hour Mittens.
A new embellished, embroidered version can be found here: Embellished Mittens.
5 comments:
Thanks for the great idea! I have so much mohair which I refuse to use on its own. I just don't get "holey" garments!
This is great - I needed a better mitten "recipe" than the one I had been using.
It's also good to have a use for some of my mohair stash. It's too itchy for me to use for scarves or hats, but mittens would be perfect.
Its a really mindless pattern, I'll often modify it with a real gusset but in the car and in times of stress I take the easy way...I like the way the mohair just seems to blend everything else into "making sense" even though the yarns might be wildly different.
What a great thing to do with the Hot yarn! And, now that I'm no longer Tragicly Blogless, people can stop by and say "hi".
Tracy
http://SpinOrDye.com
Have you got the child's measurements posted somewhere? My 10 yo is dying for a pair.
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