Lumikide (Snow Crystal) Mittens in Novita - 0070006 - Downloadable PDF

Lumikide (Snow Crystal) Mittens – Knitting Pattern by Sisko Sälpäkivi for Novita

The Lumikide (Snow Crystal) Mittens are a beautifully crafted pair of colorwork mittens designed by Sisko Sälpäkivi for Novita. The name Lumikide means "snow crystal" in Finnish, and the design reflects that wintry inspiration through intricate stranded colorwork motifs reminiscent of snowflake and crystal patterns. This is a downloadable PDF pattern available at no cost, making it an accessible project for knitters who want to explore traditional Nordic-style colorwork.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a pair of colorwork mittens sized for both women and men, with the men's sizing noted in parentheses throughout the instructions. The mittens are worked in the round from the cuff upward, featuring a decorative Latvian braid at the cuff edge and a stranded two-color colorwork body. The design is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it well-suited for knitters who are comfortable with basic mitten construction and are ready to develop or practice their colorwork skills.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Novita Icelandic Wool, an aran-weight yarn, worked in two colorways:

• Novita Icelandic Wool in (010) Off White – less than 50 g for women's size, approximately 100 g for men's size
• Novita Icelandic Wool in (164) Blueberry – approximately 50 g for women's size, just under 100 g for men's size
• A small amount of Webcap color is also used, specifically for the Latvian braid detail at the cuff

Novita Icelandic Wool is a robust, traditionally inspired yarn well-suited to colorwork due to its slight texture and stitch definition. Its aran weight gives the finished mittens excellent warmth and structure, ideal for cold-weather accessories.

Needles

The pattern requires double-pointed needles (DPNs) in two sizes:

• Novita 4 mm (UK 8 / US 6) – used for the ribbed or cuff sections
• Novita 4.5 mm (UK 7 / US 7) – used for the colorwork body of the mitten

Knitters are advised to use whatever needle size is needed to achieve the correct gauge. Stitches are distributed across four double-pointed needles, with the beginning of the round positioned at the outer edge of the mitten between needles I and IV.

Gauge

The stated gauge is 24 stitches in colorwork with the larger needles equals 10 cm / 4 inches. Achieving this gauge is important for ensuring the mittens fit correctly in both the women's and men's sizes. Knitters are encouraged to swatch before beginning, particularly because colorwork tension can differ significantly from single-color knitting tension.

Techniques Used

This pattern incorporates several key knitting techniques that give the Lumikide mittens their distinctive character:

• Latvian Braid – A traditional decorative technique worked at the cuff using Blueberry and Webcap yarns. The Latvian braid is created over two rounds: the first round alternates single knit stitches between the two colors, while the second round brings both yarns to the front and works a purled version of the alternating color sequence. This creates a twisted, rope-like decorative band that is a hallmark of Baltic and Nordic knitting traditions.
• Stranded Colorwork (Fair Isle-style) – The body of the mitten is worked following a chart using two colors simultaneously. In stranded colorwork, the yarn not in use is carried, or "floated," across the wrong side of the fabric. This technique creates a double layer of yarn that adds warmth and structure to the mitten.
• Knitting in the Round – The entire mitten is worked in the round on double