I started these on August 3rd 2013, with several false starts to get the sizing right. Star motif from an old knitting book, altered to fit into my desired sizes. Letters traced out on graph paper first

Largest mitten

• Measures 4 3/4” across the widest, is 12” long.
• Cast on 50 sts
• 1x1 rib with tubular cast on, 20 rows of cuff.
• Increased to 56 for a 4-stitch repeat band (5 rows)
• Increased to 60 sts for 2 row contrast band before motif.
• To compensate for a motif too large for the desired finished size, I used 2 stitches as a band between front and back instead of the traditional 3.
• Before thumb: 25 sts back, 2 sts border, 31 sts front, 2 sts border = 60 sts total
• Started thumb further up, 9 rows into the motif after contrast band.
• Increased 6 stitches. Good thumb size, but messed up back repeat pattern width. Should have increased 8 so final width of back after thumb was 33 instead of the matching 31, but then back would have been wider than front.
• Believe end shaping would have gone over 16 rows if correct width. Not sure. Ended up with an extra diagonal row of dark stitches.
• Thumb is 22 stitches around: 9 each front and back, 2 at each side.
• Thumb is 19 rows in all, should probably have been 18 or 20 - there is too much blank space above end of pattern triangular point. Decreased I think over 4 rows.
• 41 or 42 rows from after contrast band til start of decreases.
• Decreased with k2tog on right side and ssl on left side, prefer it opposite.

Smaller mitten

• Measures 4 1/4” across the widest, is 10 3/4” long.
• Cast on 42 sts
• 1x1 rib with cable cast on and twisted knit stitches, 20 rows of cuff.
• Increased to 48 for a 4-stitch repeat band (5 rows)
• No contrast band, since cuff and base color is the same.
• To compensate for a motif too large for the desired finished size, I used 1 stitch as a band between front and back instead of the traditional 3.
• Before thumb: 21 sts back, 1 st border, 29 sts front, 1 sts border = 52 sts total
• Started thumb further up, 7 rows into the motif after contrast band.
• Increased 8 stitches. Thumb still a little narrow since I used smaller needlesize, not a great idea. Final width of back after thumb is 29, same as front.
• End shaping over 14 rows.
• Thumb is 20 stitches around: 9 each front and back, 1 at each side.
• Thumb is 18 rows in all, decreased over 4 rows.
• 37 or 38 rows from after 4-sts repeat band til start of decreases.
• Decreased with ssl on right side and k2tog on left side, prefer this way.