Mitten Advent Calendar in Sirdar Country Classic DK - 10658 - Downloadable PDF

Mitten Advent Calendar Knitting Pattern – Sirdar Country Classic DK (Design No. 10658)

This intermediate-level knitting pattern from Sirdar, design number 10658, guides you through creating a charming Mitten Advent Calendar — a festive, reusable decoration that replaces the traditional paper countdown with a stunning garland of hand-knitted miniature mittens. Stretching an impressive 218 cm (86 inches) in length, this advent bunting makes a bold and beautiful statement strung across a mantelpiece, staircase, or Christmas tree display. Each tiny mitten measures approximately 7.5 cm (3 inches) wide above the thumb and 12 cm (4¾ inches) in length, making them perfectly sized to tuck small treats or folded notes inside for a personalised countdown to Christmas Day.

This pattern is part of Sirdar's Best Ever Christmas Knit & Crochet collection, a comprehensive festive book packed with knit and crochet projects for the holiday season. It is available as a downloadable PDF, so you can get started right away.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a mitten advent calendar bunting, consisting of a series of miniature knitted mittens in classic Christmas colourways, strung together to form a decorative garland. The mittens are knitted in a traditional mitten construction and embellished with surface embroidery details, making each one a tiny work of festive art. The overall effect is a cosy, handcrafted advent calendar that can be brought out year after year as a treasured Christmas decoration.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Sirdar Country Classic DK yarn (yarn code F235), a smooth, reliable double knitting weight yarn well suited to colourwork and detailed small-scale knitting. Three specific shades are used:

• Yarn A – Shade 871 True Red (4 balls)
• Yarn B – Shade 850 White (4 balls)
• Yarn C – Shade 867 Forest Green (3 balls)

These three colours — a rich true red, crisp white, and deep forest green — combine to create a timeless, traditional Christmas palette that coordinates beautifully across the full length of the bunting. Ball quantities listed are averages based on working to the specified tension with the recommended Sirdar yarn.

In addition to yarn, you will need one pair of 3¼mm knitting needles (UK size 10 / USA size 3) and a stitch holder to manage thumb stitches during construction.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

The mittens are knitted using stocking stitch as the primary fabric, which creates the smooth, classic surface ideal for colourwork motifs and embroidery embellishments. The recommended tension is 24 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) measured over stocking stitch on 3¼mm needles — achieving this tension accurately is important for ensuring the mittens come out at the correct miniature size.

A stitch holder is used in the traditional manner for mitten knitting: thumb stitches are placed on hold while the hand of the mitten is completed, then returned to the needles to finish the thumb separately. This technique gives the mittens their authentic, fully shaped appearance.

The colourwork across the mitten collection uses the three yarn shades in combination, likely involving stranded or intarsia colourwork techniques to produce the festive patterning across the mitten bodies. Working with multiple colours at this small scale is a satisfying challenge well suited to an intermediate knitter who is comfortable managing yarn strands and reading colourwork charts or instructions.

Embroidery Embellishments

Once knitted, the mittens are decorated with hand embroidery stitches worked directly onto the fabric surface. The pattern specifically references two classic embroidery techniques:

• French Knots – small, textured knotted stitches that add dimensional detail, often used to suggest berries, dots, or decorative accents on festive knitwear.
• Lazy Daisy Stitch – a looped embroidery stitch used to create simple petal or leaf shapes, adding a delicate floral or botanical motif to the mitten surface.