This pattern is from Travel Knits for the Family, Volume 1 - Into the Cold. For more information on the book click here. For travel stories and inspiration for the patterns, check out cowtownknits.com.

These mittens are a great go-to pattern for all your hand-warming needs. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that’s on the mild side during winter, then choose the fingerless option and leave your fingers exposed to do what they will. Are you visiting somewhere that’s a bit more on the cold side? Make the full mitten or flip-top version to keep those fingertips warm as well. Or, like me, are you in need of ultra warm mittens for those extra brisk days? Then add in the thrums, little loops of wool roving that create a layer of fluffy goodness to the inside of your mittens and a beautiful texture to the outside.
This pattern gives you options along the way to customize your mittens as you wish: thrummed or cable-only; fingerless, full mitten, or flip-top; half thumb or full. If you choose to make the thrummed version you can find a thrumming tutorial in Special Techniques.

Sizes
Child 2-4 (Child 4-6, Child 6-8, Child L/Women’s S){Women’s M, Women’s L/Men’s S, Men’s M, Men’s L} Finished palm circumference of 5 (5.75, 6.5, 6.5){7.25, 7.25, 8, 8.75}”/12.5 (14.5, 16.5, 16.5){18, 20, 22, 22} cm.
Note: If you are working the Thrummed version I recommend casting on and working the stitch counts for the next size up so as to leave room for the thrums on the inside of the mitten, but work to the lengths indicated for your size. For example, if you’re making mittens for a woman with medium hands, cast on and work the st counts for the Women’s Large, but the lengths for the Women’s Medium.

Materials
Suggested Yarn
Worsted weight yarn in the following quantities:
Fingerless Mitten: 45 (50, 60, 65){70, 80, 85, 95} yds/40 (45, 55, 60){65, 75, 80, 90} m
Full Mitten: 60 (70, 80, 95){105, 120, 135, 155} yds/55 (65, 75, 85){100, 110, 125, 140} m
Flip-Top Mitten: 65 (80, 90, 105){120, 135, 150, 165} yds/60 (75, 85, 95){110, 125, 135, 150} m
A small amount of roving (optional, for thrummed version only).

The samples shown were knit with the following yarns:

• Women’s Cable-Only Mitten: Garnstudio DROPS Nepal; 65% Wool, 35% Alpaca; 82 yds 75 m/1.76 oz 50 g in the Deep Ocean (8905) colourway.

• Men’s Flip-Top Thrummed Mittens: Third Vault Yarns Gytha Worsted; 100% Falkland Merino wool; 208 yds 190 m/3.53 oz 100 g in the Blue Steel colourway.

• Child’s Fingerless Mitts: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted; 100% Merino wool; 210 yds 192 m/3.53 oz 100 g in the Rhodesian (123) colourway.

• Child’s Thrummed Mitten: Diamond Luxury Pure Wool Superwash Heather; 100% Superwash Wool; 218 yds 200 m/3.53 oz 100 g in (1000) colourway.

Needles
Needle A (for hand and thumb): US #8/5 mm (or size needed to obtain gauge) DPNs or preferred style of needle for small circumference knitting.
Needle B (for cuff): US#5/3.75 mm (or three sizes smaller than that needed to obtain gauge) DPNs or preferred style of needle for small circumference knitting.

Notions
Stitch markers, tapestry needle, scrap yarn, cable needles (2).

Gauge
22 sts and 26 rounds = 4”/10 cm in Cable-Only stitch pattern in the round with Needle A, blocked.