Ana’s Incarnate Mitts
Ana from INCARNATE wears a lot of woolen items. (I’m not sure where she gets that from.) Hats, socks, mittens, scarves . . . and my favorite, fingerless mitts.
I’ve knit dozens of fingerless mittens to give away, but I can’t possibly knit enough for everyone and their cold hands. After much trial, and with much help from knitting friends, I have converted the pattern in my head to pattern on (virtual) paper. I now have all new appreciation for actual knitting designers.
These mitts are for advanced beginners. You’ll need to know how to knit cables, read a chart, and knit in the round. If you need links for learning to knit, I love KnittingHelp.com, Ravelry, and Knitty.com.
And if you don’t knit, but still want mitts, I recommend buying double the required yarn, finding a friend who knits, and giving all the yarn to them: one pair for you, one pair for them. (Note: sometimes this doesn’t work, but it doesn’t hurt to ask, especially if you know their favorite yarn.)
I think of these mitts as having two sides: palm side and pattern side. The pattern side will be the Hourglass Cable from Gabriella Chiarenza’s Celsidra socks, featured in Knitty’s Spring 2007 issue.
Since the chart isn’t mine (neither is the cable pattern, for that matter), you’ll have to click over to the Knitty site for that part of the pattern. The abbreviations and special instructions for the cables are at the top of the sock pattern page. If you don’t know how to read a chart, don’t be afraid. Start on the bottom right, work left, then move up to the next line.
The cable pattern begins immediately on needles 3 and 4, and continues to the top of the mitt. I use the pattern repeats to help me figure out what part of the palm side I’m on.
Materials:
US size 4 double point needles (five needles total)
50g sock-weight yarn
stitch markers
waste yarn
cable needle
tapestry needle
Gauge:
Meh.
But if you really care: 7 stitches = 1″
Abbreviations:
k – knit
p – purl
m1 – make one
PM – place marker
Cast On 49 stitches and divide onto needles: needle 1 (12 st), needle 2 (13 st), needle 3 (12 st), needle 4 (12 st)
Join for knitting in the round, and for the love of commas, don’t twist the stitches.
Round 1: PM for beginning of round, [knit 1, purl 1] 12 times, knit, (end of palm side, beginning pattern side) PM, purl 2, knit 2, purl 6, knit 4, purl 6, knit 2, purl 2.
Round 2 through 24: Continue as established with 1×1 ribbing on palm side and following Hourglass Cable on patterned side for two repeats.
Round 25 though 36: Knit to second marker, continue Hourglass Cable.
Round 37: Begin thumb gusset
Thumb gusset:
Round 37: knit 5, place marker, make 1, place marker, knit to the end of the round in established pattern
Round 38 and all even rounds: knit in established pattern
Round 39 and odd rounds: knit 5, slip marker, make 1, knit to marker, make 1, slip marker, knit to the end of the round in established pattern
End on Round 52 (row 4 of the Hourglass Cable) with 15 stitches between the markers.
Round 53: knit in pattern, but slip the gusset stitches onto waste yarn
Thumb gusset for the other hand:
Round 37: knit to 5 stitches to the end, place marker, make 1, place marker, knit 5
Round 38 and all even rounds: knit in established pattern
Round 39 and all odd rounds: knit to marker, slip marker, make 1, knit to marker, make 1, slip marker, knit 5
End on Round 52 (row 4 of the Hourglass Cable) with 15 stitches between the markers
Round 53: knit in pattern, but slip the gusset stitches onto waste yarn
Continue as established until you have completed five repeats of the Hourglass Cable chart. When you begin the sixth repeat, begin knitting palm stitches in 1×1 rib ending with a knit stitch. Bind off loosely.
Thumb:
Put 15 thumb gusset stitches from waste yarn onto needles. Pick up 4 more stitches to close the gap. (19 stitches total)
Knit five rounds and bind off loosely.
Finishing:
Weave in all ends. Wear. Stop having cold hands.