Trigger mittens, or trigger finger mittens, have been used by the American military since at least the Civil War. A clever combination of the warmth of mittens with the flexibility of gloves, these mittens have a separate index finger to allow soldiers to easily operate machinery in cold temperatures. However, they’re great all-purpose mittens for civilians as well. I’ve updated the design for the 21st century by adding a small slit in each thumb and index finger so you can slip your fingertips out for cell phone or touch screen use.

These mittens can be made in either men’s or women’s sizes with just a change of gauge and finger length. For the most part the patterns are identical, but where there’s a variation, men’s sizes are given in parentheses.

Difficulty level: Medium

Supplies:
For men’s mittens:
Four US 6 dpns (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Gauge: 5 sts/inch

For women’s mittens:
	Four US 5 dpns (or size needed to obtain gauge)
	Gauge: 5.5 sts/inch

For all mittens:
	Worsted-weight yarn; I used one ball of Stitch Nation Alpaca Love for the women’s mittens shown and Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool for the men’s 
	Ruler or tape measure
	Stitch markers
	Stitch holder or scrap yarn
	Weaving needle

Skills required:
Casting on and binding off
Knit and purl
Knitting in the round on double-pointed needles
Basic increases and decreases

One size fits most adults. For best results, you can measure the wearer’s hands and adjust the length if needed.
Finished measurements:
Thumb: 2 1/4” (2 1/2”)
Index finger: 2 1/2” (2 3/4”)
Last three fingers: 3 1/4” (3 1/2”)