Smitten Mittens

Skill Level: Intermediate

Size: Women’s S (M, L) finished measurements: 6½ (7½, 8½)” / [16.5 (19, 21.5) cm] palm width x 3 (3.25, 3.5)” / [7.6 (8.3, 9.1) cm] thumb width.

Total Length from wrist to fingertip: 6½ (7, 8)” / [16.5 (17.7, 20.3) cm]

Shown in size Small.

Gauge: 24 sts and 32 rnds = 4” [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking.

14 sts = 2¼” / [5.7 cm] wide and 8 rnds =1” / [2.5 cm] in Heart Cable pattern.

Materials

Yarn:

 One Room Fibers Blue Faced Leicester DK (100% British Bluefaced Leicester; 246 yards [224 meters]/100 grams): Myrtle, 1 balls

Needles: US size 4 (3.5 mm): a set of 4 DPNs

Notions: Two stitch markers; tapestry needle

Abbreviations

Kfb – Knit into the front and back of the next stitch.

Mb (make bobble) – Knit into front and back and front of next st (2 sts increased). Turn work and purl 3 sts. Turn work, sl 1 st knitwise, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over.

RT – Knit 2 sts together as to k2tog, but leave sts on left needle. Knit into the first st and drop sts worked off the left needle.

LT – Knit into the second st on the left needle through the backloop, leaving sts on left needle. Knit into the front first st on left needle and drop worked sts off left needle.

Special Stitches

K2 P2 Rib

Rnd 1: *K2, p2; rep from * around.

Rep Rnd 1 for patt.

Heart Cable

Rnd 1: P2, k10, p2.
Rnd 2: P2, k3, RT, LT, k3, p2.
Rnd 3: P2, k10, p2.
Rnd 4: P2, k2, RT, k2, LT, k2, p2.
Rnd 5: P2, k10, p2.
Rnd 6: P2, k1, RT, k4, LT, k1, p2.
Rnd 7: P2, k10, p2.
Rnd 8: P2, RT, k2, make bobble on next st, k3, LT, p2.

Rep Rnds 1-8 for patt.

Decrease Heart Cable

Rnd 1: p2, k10, p2
Rnd 2: p2, k3, RT, LT, k3, p2
Rnd 3: p2, k4, p2, k4, p2
Rnd 4: p2, k2, RT, p2, LT, k2, p2
Rnd 5: (p2, k3, p2) twice
Rnd 6: p2, k1, RT, p4, LT, k1, p2
Rnd 7: p2, k2, p6 k2, p2
Rnd 8: p2, RT, p6, LT, p2
Rnd 9: p2, k1, p8, k1, p2

Rep Rnd 9 while completing dec rnds.

Kitchener Stitch: Hold the 2 needles holding the live sts parallel. Thread your long tail onto a tapestry needle.

Set-up: Beginning with the first st on the needle behind the one closest to you, slide the needle through the st as if to purl. Leave st on needle. Now slide your tapestry needle through the first st as if to knit. Leave st on needle.

*Slide tapestry needle through first st on back needle as if to purl, slide st off knitting needle, then slide tapestry needle through next st on back needle as if to knit, leave st on needle. Slide tapestry needle through first st on front needle as if to knit, slide st off knitting needle, then slide tapestry needle through next st on front needle as if to purl, leaving st on needle. Rep from * until all sts are used.

Pattern

Cuff

CO 36 (40, 48) sts and join in the rnd. PM before last stitch to mark the end of the rnd.

Purl 4 rnds.

Work in K2 P2 Rib until Cuff meas 4½” / [11.4 cm].

Purl 3 rnds, increasing 4 (4, 4) sts evenly on the second rnd – 40 (44, 52) sts.

Left Mitten

K3 (4, 6) sts, begin Heart Cable over next 14 sts, k to end.

Note: I like to work the Heart Cable all on one needle, so I rearrange my sts as follows: 17 (18, 20) sts on needle 1 for the cable, 12 (13, 16) sts and 11 (13, 16) sts on needles 2 and 3.

Work evenly in patt as est for 1” / [2.5cm].

Thumb Gusset

Continue in pattern while working the Thumb Gusset.

Work 3 sts before end of rnd and pm.

Note: You should now have 2 sts in between the new marker placed and the end of the rnd marker. These 2 stitch markers will designate your Thumb sts. Increases will be made on the first and last st within these markers.

Rnd 1: After placing thumb marker, kfb, kfb – 2 sts inc’d; 4 sts between thumb markers.
Rnd 2: Work even.
Rnd 3: Work to Thumb Gusset marker, sm, kfb, k to last st in Thumb Gusset, kfb – 2 sts inc’d; 6 sts between thumb markers.
Rnd 4: Work even.

Rep Rnds 3-4, 4 (5, 6) more times – 14 (16, 18) sts for Thumb Gusset.

Next Rnd: Place Thumb Gusset sts on waste yarn and using backwards loop, CO 2 sts.

Decreases

Work in pattern as est for 5 (5, 6)” / [12.7 (13.3, 15.2) cm] measured from purl ridge at wrist.

You should have completed 5 (5, 6) Heart Cable repeats.

Begin Decrease Heart Cable and begin Dec Rnds at the same time. Work Rnds 1-9 on Decrease Heart Cable, then repeat Rnd 9 while working rem decrease. Rep Rnd 9 for a total of 2 (4, 6) times.

Arrange needles so that 20 (22, 26) sts on Needle 1 or the center panel flanked by 3 (4, 6) sts on either side, and 10 (11, 13) sts on Needle 2 and 3.

Decrease Rnd:
Needle 1: K1, ssk, work to last 3 sts, k1, k2tog – 2 sts dec’d.
Needle 2: K1, ssk, k to end of sts on Needle 2 – 1 st dec’d.
Needle 3: K to last 3 sts, k1, k2tog – 1 st dec’d.

Work 1 rnd even.

Rep Dec Rnd  5 (6, 7) total times – 16 (18, 20) sts for front and back.

Slide sts from Needle 2 onto Needle 3 so that the front needle (Needle 1), has and 8 (9, 10) sts and Needle 3 (now the back needle) has 8 (9, 10) sts.

Cut yarn leaving an 8-10” tail and seam ends together using Kitchener Stitch.

Thumb

Remove waste yarn and pick up live sts onto 2 dpns. Using a 3^rd dpn and beginning on RS, pick up 1 st in the corner, 2 sts for the cast-on sts, and 1 st in the corner (4 sts added). Begin to knit in the rnd – 18 (20, 22) sts.

Rearrange Thumb sts evenly and work for 2¼ (2½, 2¾)” / [5.7 (6.3, 6.9) cm] measured from the new picked up sts or until the top of the thumb is visible.

Next Rnd: K2tog all sts – 9 (10, 11) sts.

Cut a 10” tail and thread all sts onto tapestry needle. Pull sts taut and thread needle down through the center of the newly tightened stitches. Draw yarn back up through the stitch below and repeat a few times to securely tighten the top of the thumb. Tighten any holes that may appear at the base of the thumb with your yarn tail by threading yarn through hole on WS.

Right Mitten

Follow instructions for Left Mitten until you reach the Thumb Gusset.

Thumb Gusset

Work 4 (5, 6) sts after completing Heart Cable pattern, pm, kfb, kfb, pm, work to end of rnd. You should now have Needle 1 with your Heart Cable sts, Needle 2 with 2 stitch markers indicating your Thumb Gusset and Needle 3 with the end of row marker – 2 sts inc’d; 4 sts between thumb markers.

Work 1 rnd even.

Rnd 1: Work to Thumb Gusset marker, sm, kfb, k to last st in Thumb Gusset, kfb – 2 sts inc’d; 6 sts between thumb markers.

Rnd 2: Work  even.

Rep Rnds 1-2, 4 (5, 6) more times – 14 (16, 18) sts for Thumb Gusset.

Next Rnd: Place Thumb Gusset sts on waste yarn and using backwards loop, CO 2 sts.

Decreases

Work as for Left Mitten Decreases.

Thumb

Follow as for Left Mitten.

Finishing

Weave in all ends.