Aghaa' Ála'

Aghaa' is Navajo for wool, and Ála' is Navajo for hands. Put them together like I did, and you have “wool hands.” Navajo has some rather complex word arrangements, so I don’t know if the name is correct, but like these mittens, it’s inspired.

These wool hands couldn’t be easier or faster to finish—two colors, simple chart, large needles, worsted weight yarn, a three-needle bind-off for the mitten body, and k2tog closure for the afterthought thumb.

I wanted to stay true to traditional Navajo colors and finally settled on the rustic charm of these contrasting shades of brown. With some embroidery skills, these could easily incorporate other traditional colors of ecru, red, gray, and black.

Skills: Working in the round, reading a chart, two-color stranded (Fair Isle) knitting, decreasing, three-needle bind-off.

Disclaimer: I am not of Navajo descent and do not represent this product as the work of the Navajo Nation.