Sparks

Sparks Knitted Gloves and Mittens by Justyna Lorkowska

What Is Being Made

Sparks is a knitting pattern for gloves and mittens designed by Justyna Lorkowska. This project creates a finished piece with a palm circumference of 15.5 cm (6.25 inches) when unstretched and a length of 23.5 cm (9.25 inches), sized to fit medium adult hands. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is suitable for beginner-level knitters.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

The Sparks pattern employs brioche knitting, a specialized technique that creates a luxuriously textured, elastic fabric with distinctive horizontal ridges. Brioche knitting involves working yarn overs in combination with slipped stitches to achieve its characteristic appearance and stretch. This technique is worked in the round using double-pointed needles (dpns), which allows for seamless construction of tubular garments like gloves and mittens.

The pattern utilizes both main color (MC) and contrast color (CC) yarns to create visual interest and definition. The brioche technique in this design likely produces a reversible or two-sided fabric with excellent recovery and comfort, making it ideal for hand-wear that requires both flexibility and structure.

Stitches Used

The Sparks pattern incorporates the following key stitches and abbreviations:

• Brioche knit (brk) – the primary stitch creating the textured brioche fabric
• Brioche purl (brp) – the complementary brioche stitch worked on alternate rows or rounds
• Brioche knit 2-stitch increase (brkyobrk) – used for shaping and increasing stitches within the brioche pattern
• Knit (k) – basic knit stitch for foundation or edging
• Purl (p) – basic purl stitch for textural variation
• Knit 2 together (k2tog) – a left-leaning decrease for shaping
• Slip stitch (sl) – used for joining rounds and creating clean edges
• Slip 1 yarn over (sl1yo) – combines a slipped stitch with a yarn over, essential to brioche construction

Materials and Yarn Specifications

Sparks is designed for 4-ply weight yarn, which provides a lightweight yet durable fabric suitable for fitted hand-wear. The pattern calls for specific yardage and fiber content to achieve the intended drape and elasticity.

Main Color (MC): The pattern uses Merino Superwash 4-ply by Old Maiden Aunt, a 100% merino wool yarn. One skein provides 366 meters (400 yards) per 100 grams. The sample shown is worked in the colorway Dreich.

Contrast Color (CC): The pattern incorporates Dreamies by EasyKnits.co.uk, a yarn blend of 75% merino and 25% nylon. This yarn comes in a set of five skeins, each containing 80 meters (93 yards) per 20 grams. The nylon content adds durability and prevents pilling, particularly valuable in high-wear areas of gloves and mittens.

Needles: Double-pointed needles (dpns) are required for working the gloves and mittens in the round, enabling seamless construction and the ability to work brioche stitches in continuous rounds.

The merino wool base provides softness, breathability, and natural elasticity, while the contrast color nylon in the CC yarn reinforces durability in a hand-wear application. This fiber combination ensures the finished gloves and mittens are both comfortable and long-lasting.