Cascade 220 Merino Moss Stitch Fingerless Mitts in Cascade Yarns - W789 - Downloadable PDF

Cascade 220 Merino Moss Stitch Fingerless Mitts – Pattern Summary

This free downloadable knitting pattern, W789, is published by Cascade Yarns and designed by the Cascade Yarns Design Team. It produces a pair of fingerless mitts worked in a classic moss stitch hand pattern, combining everyday wearability with satisfying textural detail. Rated Intermediate in skill level, the pattern is suitable for knitters who are comfortable working in the round on double pointed needles and managing simple stitch pattern repeats alongside thumb gusset shaping.

What Is Being Made

The project yields two identical fingerless mitts sized to fit most adults. Fingerless mitts cover the hand and wrist while leaving the fingers free, making them ideal for everyday tasks in cool weather. The construction is worked entirely in the round from the cuff upward, with a ribbed cuff, a textured hand section, and a thumb gusset that is placed on waste yarn and finished separately.

Techniques Used

• Long Tail Cast On: The pattern begins with a Long Tail cast on of 44 stitches, a popular method that creates a neat, slightly elastic edge well suited to cuffs and ribbing.
• Working in the Round on Double Pointed Needles: Stitches are divided across four double pointed needles and joined into a seamless round, which is the standard approach for small-circumference tubular knitting such as mitts and gloves.
• Ribbing: The cuff is worked in a 1×1 rib (alternating knit 1, purl 1) until it measures 1.75 inches (4.5 cm), providing stretch and a snug fit at the wrist.
• Moss Stitch Hand Pattern: The body of the mitt features a moss stitch (also known as seed stitch in some traditions), a classic texture created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific offset arrangement across rounds. This produces a dense, non-curling fabric with a pleasingly bumpy surface.
• Thumb Gusset Shaping with Make 1 Increases: The thumb gusset is shaped using M1 (Make 1) increases, which create nearly invisible lifted increases. Stitch markers are placed to define the gusset section, and the thumb stitches are placed on waste yarn so the hand can be completed before the thumb is picked up and finished.
• Stitch Markers: Two stitch markers are used throughout to track the beginning of the round and the boundaries of the thumb gusset.
• Bind Off: The pattern uses a standard bind off to close the hand opening and finish the thumb.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K)
• Purl (P)
• Make 1 (M1) – a lifted increase stitch
• 1×1 Rib – alternating K1, P1 for the cuff
• Moss Stitch – the primary hand pattern, alternating knit and purl stitches in an offset grid

Gauge

The pattern calls for a gauge of 20 stitches × 30 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) measured in the hand pattern. Achieving the correct gauge ensures the mitts fit as intended, so swatching before beginning is recommended, particularly because the moss stitch pattern can knit up at a slightly different tension than plain stockinette.

Materials

• Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Merino – a 100% Merino Wool yarn in the worsted weight category. The sample is shown in color #21 (Chive), a muted earthy green. One skein is sufficient to complete the pair. Cascade 220 Merino is known for its softness relative to standard wool yarns, making it a comfortable choice for accessories worn close to the skin.
• Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) double pointed kn