Big Wool Mittens
Please see notes and updates at bottom before beginning!
Materials:
1 ball Rowan Big Wool (shown in color Tricky)*
4 dp needles size 11
yarn needle
6 inches of smooth waste yarn in similiar weight**
Gauge:
3sts and 4 rows to 1 inch
Size:
Fits a medium women's hand.
Pattern (make 2):
Cast on 20 stitches
Distribute evenly over 3 needles, join round, and mark beginning***
Cuff:
K2 P2 rib for 2 inches.
Hand:
Knit 1 round
Next round: Increase 3 times evenly across round****. 23 st.
Knit 1 round
Next round: Increase 3 times evenly across round**** . 26 st
Knit 6 more rounds, break yarn.
Knit the first 4 stitches of the next round with the waste yarn. Rejoin Big Wool and continue knitting across round.
Knit 14 more rounds
*k4, k2tog* across round, k2 (22st)
Knit 1 round
*k3, k2tog* across round, k2 (18st)
Knit 1 round
*k2, k2tog* across round, k2 (14 st)
Knit 1 round
*k1, k2tog* across round, k2 (10 st)
Knit 1 round
*k2tog* across round (5 st)
Break yarn and thread through remaining stitches, pull tight.
Thumb:
Remove waste yarn. Pick up 7 live stitches and pick up 5 stitches from sides (12 st)
Arrange evenly on dps.
Knit 7 rounds
*k2tog* across round (6st)
*k2tog* across round (3st)
Break yarn, thread through remaining stitches and pull tight.
Finishing:
Weave in all ends.
*Ok, so this pattern might take more than 1 ball of Rowan. I had bought 2, made a uterus and had a ball and a half left. So I made mittens. I started a new mitten with the second ball. Said mitten weighs less than the left over yarn, so you should be able to make a pair with 1 ball, but I haven't tested that theory yet. If you make these, please please please let me know.
**I used 4 strands of Rowan Summer Tweed that I had lying around.
***My favorite new trick for joining rounds is to criss-cross the beginning and last stitch of the round, so it's all joined up before you start knittng.
****To space these evenly, I just increased at the beginning of each needle.
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UPDATE
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Ok, so I've been wearing these mittens for a little over a month now. The Big Wool pills like crazy. It's a really soft yarn. On one hand, the mittens look a bit worse for wear on the palms. On the other, the inside's starting to felt up a bit, making them softer and warmer!
Also, I realize that I like a big roomy hand. You could probably delete the second round of increases for a closer fitting mitten. You'd definetely get one pair out of one ball that way, as well.