L 15 08 mittens by Maren Odenthal

L 15 08 mittens

Knitting
September 2022
Aran (8 wpi) ?
20 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches
in pattern stitch, worked in the round, measured after blocking
US 7 - 4.5 mm
73 - 225 yards (67 - 206 m)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
English
This pattern is available for €6.00 EUR buy it now

ABOUT
This pattern is part of a family collection and as it is with families – they tend to grow! To be perfectly honest, I have been a little bit afraid of designing mittens. In my mind, they are the most challenging accessory as our hands have very special shapes and are quite different on a rather small spectrum. Throw in my own high standards for comfort and fit… I believe you can guess how I struggled!
To my own surprise, they turned out amazingly well. They not only fit me perfectly but also my boys (wohooo!) and my test knitters (yeah!). I hope you will enjoy knitting and wearing them, too.

CONSTRUCTION
These mittens are knit bottom up, starting with a double cuff in stockinette stitch. The body features the garter rib stitch pattern. After the cuff, the symmetrical thumb gussets get added in stockinette stitch – no picking up stitches, no putting stitches on hold. These mittens are worked seamlessly in one swoop! At the crook of the thumb, a bind-off round creates the hole for the thumb. Afterward, the upper hand is worked up to the first joint of the middle finger. With the i-cord bind off a sophisticated and comfortable finishing detail gets created.

SIZES
1
finished measurements
circumference: 22 cm | 8.5 in
height: 15.5 cm | 6 in  
to fit 4-10 year old kids

2
finished measurements
circumference: 25.5 cm | 10 in
height: 17.5 cm | 7 in  
to fit teens, women small

3
finished measurements
circumference: 28.5 cm | 11 in
height: 19.5 cm | 7.75 in  
women average, men small

4
finished measurements
circumference: 31.5 cm | 12.5 in
height: 21.5 cm | 8.5 in
women large, men average

5
finished measurements
circumference: 35 cm | 14 in
height: 23.5 cm | 9.25 in 
men large

YARN
Como Grande from Lamana is a superfine merino yarn. I believe it is Aran weight, but the yarn company comes from my home country – Germany, and here we don’t use yarn weights as a category. Unfortunately, that leads to indistinct translations. 
In this case, I believe you can knit the hat either with a worsted or an Aran weight. Heavy DK would probably work too, if you change the needle size. As long as you hit gauge you are good to go.
Generally, the best fiber for this item is wool as you need elasticity and a soft touch.
 
SKILL LEVEL
Generally, my patterns are written for adventurous beginners and seasoned comfort-seeking knitters.

As an adventurous beginner knitter, you get to learn a lot of new skills on a small project and with big medium-sized needles in hand. From the provisional cast-on to the 3-needle seam and the I-cord bind-off – these mittens will amp up your game within little time.

There are interactive video links to all these techniques, so help is always just one click away!
Please believe me, I have been in your shoes not that long ago and I do remember those first stitches. Whenever I write my patterns, you are on my mind and I give my very best to hold your hands and guide you all the way to the finishing round.

For seasoned comfort-seeking knitters this is a fun quick knit that won’t bore you – promised! There are some details you might not know yet, for example: Have you ever made mittens without working the gusset separately? Did you ever graft an I-cord bind-off?

As a long-time knitter, you know the difference between a pattern that has been tech edited and test knitted – and one that hasn’t. As you like to knit from quality patterns, please let me assure you that this one has gone through both thoroughly.

I might not have your years of experience, but I am totally obsessed with knitting. I know, that after reaching a certain level, you want to be able to skip several parts of a pattern and get straight to the cast-on. That’s why I keep the instructions always separated from everything else and make sure they are easy to read and can be printed in black & white. Sounds good, right!?

These mittens are part of the Sci-Fi Fam collection, which is made for all ages and genders. There are now several hats, a shawlette and a cowl. I might add some more… Please have a look at the other designs, too.