Mrs. Rabbit's Muffatees by Donna Druchunas

Mrs. Rabbit's Muffatees

Knitting
June 2019
Worsted (9 wpi) ?
20 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches
in St st in the round
US 7 - 4.5 mm
US 5 - 3.75 mm
1000 yards (914 m)
Cowl: One size | Mitts: Adult S[M, L]
English
This pattern is available for $5.99 USD
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This is free on Knitty but you can get a tidy PDF from my Ravelry store if you prefer.

What’s a “muffatee” you may ask. And I would like to give you a simple answer. But there is none. The word muffatee was frequently used in Victorian knitting patterns, but exactly what one was is not always clear. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary a muffetee (note the slight difference in spelling) is either a scarf or muffler worn around the neck or a wristlet, which could be a wrist warmer or the cuff on a mitten or glove.

Although Beatrix Potter did knit, these muffatees are inspired by the knitting of Old Mrs. Rabbit.

“Old Mrs. Rabbit was a widow; she earned her living by knitting rabbit-wool mittens and muffatees (I once bought a pair at a bazaar). She also sold herbs, and rosemary tea, and rabbit-tobacco (which is what we call lavender).”

Since the narrator of The Tale of Benjamin Bunny mentions a pair of muffatees, I assume she was talking about wrist warmers or fingerless gloves.

Even so, I decided not to take a chance at getting the word wrong, so I’ve designed a trio of muffatees—one for your neck, and one for each hand.