Mittens on a String

Mittens on a String by Fox and Folk

Project Overview

Mittens on a String is a downloadable knitting pattern designed by Fox and Folk for creating practical, child-friendly mittens in five different sizes. This intermediate-level knitting project produces mittens for infants through six-year-old children, with each size featuring a connected string that keeps the pair together—a practical feature for young children who frequently lose individual mittens.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a pair of knitted mittens connected by a string, designed to prevent loss and keep both mittens together. The pattern includes sizing for Infant, 12 month, 2 year, 4 year, and 6 year sizes, making it adaptable across multiple stages of early childhood. The string connection is a functional design element that addresses a common challenge in children's mitten ownership.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Mittens on a String pattern employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. Knitters will use the magic loop method or double-pointed needles (DPNs) for working in the round, a technique essential for creating seamless mittens. The pattern incorporates decreasing techniques, including knit two together (K2tg) and slip, slip, knit (SSK) decreases, which are used to shape the mitten crown and create proper fit. Stockinette stitch forms the primary fabric base, providing a smooth, classic finish suitable for children's wear.

Stitches and Abbreviations

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations and fundamental stitches:

• CO - Cast on, the foundation for all stitches
• K - Knit stitch, the primary stitch creating the fabric
• P - Purl stitch, used in combination with knit for texture variation
• K2tg - Knit two together, a right-leaning decrease
• SSK - Slip, slip, knit, a left-leaning decrease created by slipping two stitches knitwise onto the right needle and knitting them together
• PM - Place marker, used to track pattern repeats and size changes

The pattern works primarily in stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, flat fabric with a gauge of 5½ stitches per inch or 6½ stitches per 3 centimeters.

Materials and Tools

Yarn: The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn suitable for children's garments. Yardage requirements vary by size: Infant mittens require 40 yards (36 meters), 12-month size requires 50 yards (45 meters), 2-year size requires 60 yards (54 meters), 4-year size requires 70 yards (64 meters), and 6-year size requires 80 yards (73 meters). This modest yardage makes the project ideal for using yarn scraps or small quantities from stash.

Needles: The pattern offers flexibility in needle choice. Knitters may use either US 7 (4.5 mm) double-pointed needles or 42-inch (106 cm) circular needles worked using the magic loop method for the main fabric. A smaller needle size, US 6 (4 mm), in either DPN or circular format is used for ribbing or cuff work. The magic loop method option makes this pattern accessible to knitters who prefer circular needles over traditional DPNs.

Additional Notions: A tapestry needle or yarn needle is required for weaving in ends and securing the string connection between the mittens.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this pattern assumes knitters have foundational skills including casting on, basic stitches, and working in the round. The decreasing techniques required for shaping the mitten crown—particularly the SSK decrease—represent intermediate-level skills. The pattern's multiple sizes and the functional string connection add complexity beyond beginner patterns, making it suitable for knitters ready to expand their skill set.