Stained Glass Mitts

I made a pair of color stranded mitts for me mum, using a process also known as fair-isle, where I made little blocks of color on a gray background. They look like this:

One of the ladies on the Facebook Outlander Knitting Group (don't judge; we call ourselves the "Stitchenachs" and we are proud of our little clan...our clan motto and crest will be on a new post coming up shortly!) asked for the pattern. I sort of winged it; there was no pattern. I promised her I would whip one up real quick and so here it is!

CO 8 st and increase by eight so you have a total of 16 across two needles, 8 on each one (I used Magic Loop) using this method: http://vimeo.com/m/4551095.


Increase every other row until you have a total of 22 stitches. At this point, you will begin your stranded color work. I recommend viewing a video on YouTube about stranded knitting before you begin, such as this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVMPaHJYdv0


Knit 2 with MC (charcoal gray), K 3 with CC (gems yarn), K 2 with MC, K 3 with CC, K 2 with MC, K 3 with CC, K 2 with MC, K 3 with CC, and finish the row with K 2 in MC. Repeat on the other side/needle.


You will do this until your first set of squares equals three rows. Then knit three rows of charcoal gray/MC in between the next set of color strand work.


Your next three sets of squares will be four rows wide.


Always knit three rows of gray in between blocks.


Your next three sets of squares will be five rows wide. I will post a chart of the blocks (see below to find it).


After you have completed your last block of the five wide squares, knit one round in gray/MC and make your thumb gusset stitches using the last six stitches on your working needle and the first six stitches on the next working needle, using the method shown in the first part of this video (a total of 12 stitches to form the thumb hole gusset): http://akittenknits.blogspot.com/2006/12/thumb-trick.html...


Continue knitting your squares of color work, in blocks of four, reduced from five; knit three of these blocks as you did before.


Your last blocks will be three rows wide, just as your first blocks were. Knit 7-8 rows with gray/MC and cast off loosely in whatever method you prefer; I used this one: http://youtu.be/0ty-EtM-IM8


Once you have completed your bind off, turn your mitten inside out and pick up the thumb gusset stitches according to the instructions in the second part of the thumb gusset video (http://akittenknits.blogspot.com/2006/12/thumb-trick.html...); make the thumb as long as you need. I tried mine on several times to make sure the thumb was long enough before I closed it off, using the Kitchener stitch method (here’s a video if you need one: http://youtu.be/DbKjgiUMvT4).


If you have any questions, message me! I’m happy to share my experience knitting these mitts with anyone interested.




(Pssst....I've posting the chart under the Patterns and Prose section at the top left corner of my blog so you can download it if you want.)