Subversive Knitting

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Pattern: Kid's Felt & Fur Mittens

I love felting and I love knitting mittens. For a few years, I made at least 2 pairs of mittens every month and gave them away as gifts and donated them to charities and for silent auctions to raise money for several different causes. Now I've switched to jam for my gift giving, but mittens are still better for charity donations. Making mittens is quite addicting. Once you get started, you'll be looking for new patterns everywhere. (I've gathered an embarassingly large collection of mitten books over the past few years!)

This pair, made on large needles with fewer than 40 sts, can be made in one evening while watching TV. It's great practice using double-pointed needles, and they go a lot more quickly than socks! If you've never made mittens before, felted mittens are great for learning because any mistakes you might make will disappear when you throw the mittens in the washing machine to shrink.

Sizes

Child's 4 (6, 8, 10)

Approx 7 1/2 (9, 9 1/2, 10)" long and 3 1/4 (3 1/2, 4, 4 1/2)" wide before felting

Approx 6 1/2 (7 1/2, 8, 9)" long and 2 3/4 (3, 3 1/2, 4)" wide after felting

Exact size is determined by felting process.

Needles

Size 10 U.S. double pointed needles, or size to obtain gauge

Size 8 U.S. double pointed needles for cuffs

Yarn

MC (wool): Approx 200 yards of worsted weight yarn will make 2 or more pairs of mittens, depending on size. You must use wool yarn or a blend of wool and mohair or alpaca. Do not use synthetic or "superwash" wool yarn or your mittens will not felt!

CC (fur): Approx 80 yards of faux fur yarn will be enough to make the cuffs on several pairs of mittens.

I used Plymouth Galway Worsted (100% Wool - Worsted Weight, 5 sts = 1"/US8 needle / 210 yds/100g ball) and Furlauro (100% Nylon, 3.5 sts = 1"/US 10.5 needle / 82 yds/50g ball).

Gauge

Approx 3 1/2 to 4 sts = 1 inch over stockinette stitch (knit every round) before felting. Exacxt gauge is not critical. Make sure your stitches are loose and airy. If your knitting is too tight, your mittens won't felt as quickly.

Instructions

With smaller needles and one strand of wool and one strand of fur held tog, CO 20 (24, 28, 32) sts. Arrange sts evenly on 3 dpns. Join, being careful not to twist sts, to knit in the round. Use the yarn tail from the CO to keep track of the beginning of the round.

Cuff Ribbing

Round 1: (K1, P1) around.

Continue in K1, P1 ribbing as est until cuff measures 1 3/4 (2 1/4, 2 1/2, 3) inches.

Cut fur yarn.

Work 3 more rounds of ribbing.

Change to larger needles and St st (knit every round). On first round, increase 4 sts evenly around. 24 (28, 32, 36) sts.

Thumb Gore

Increase round: P1, inc 1, k1, inc 1, p1, knit to end of round.

Next round: P1, knit to next purl, p1, knit to end of round.

Repeat the last 2 rounds until you have 7 (7, 9, 11) sts between the purls.

Work even until piece measures 3 1/2 (4 1/2, 4 3/4, 5) inches from CO edge.

On next round, put the sts between the purls on hold. CO 1 st over gap at thumb. Join and knit to end of round. 24 (28, 32, 36) sts.

Hand

Knit every round until piece measures 5 3/4 (7 1/4, 8, 8 1/2) inches from CO edge.

Finger Tips

Arrange sts evenly on 3 needles with 8 (9, 10, 12) sts on each needle.

Decrease round: On each needle, K2tog, knit to last 2 sts on needle, k2tog.

Knit 2 rounds even.

Repeat the last 3 rounds until fewer than 10 sts remain.

Cut yarn, thread tail through remaining sts, pull tight, and fasten off.

Thumb

Place thumb sts on 2 dpn. PU 3 sts from CO edge at top of thumb hole, using a third needle. 10 (10, 12, 14) sts.

Knit even until thumb measures 1 1/2 (1 3/4, 2 1/4, 2 1/2) inches.

K2tog around. 5 (5, 6, 7) sts rem.

Cut yarn, thread tail through remaining sts, pull tight, and fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in ends, closing up any holes around the base of the thumb.

Felt (see felting lesson for instructions).