715 Olivenhain Fingerless Mitts - Wristwarmers Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Huntington

Pattern Summary: 715 Olivenhain Fingerless Mitts – Wristwarmers Knitting Pattern by Irina Anikeeva

The 715 Olivenhain Fingerless Mitts is a beautifully detailed knitting pattern designed by Irina Anikeeva and worked in Valley Yarns Huntington. The name Olivenhain means "olive grove" in German, and the design draws on that botanical inspiration through elegant cable and lace patterning. These fingerless mitts — also described as wristwarmers — are a practical yet refined accessory suited to intermediate knitters who want to explore decorative stitch work in a wearable, everyday format.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pair of fingerless mitts (wristwarmers) for women. The mitts are designed to fit a palm circumference of 6.5–7 inches (with a larger size of 7–8 inches also included), and measure 15.25 inches long after blocking. The generous length makes these mitts true wristwarmers rather than simple hand warmers, providing coverage well up the forearm. A shaped thumb gusset is included for a comfortable, anatomical fit, and the design is worked separately for the left and right mitt.

Design Details and Aesthetic

The Olivenhain Fingerless Mitts feature a 30-stitch cable and lace panel that runs the full length of the mitt, described in the pattern as "simple and attractive cable and lace botanical patterning." This decorative panel is worked from two charted sections — Cable Chart 1 and Cable Chart 2 — which together create a flowing, organic motif reminiscent of foliage. The back of the hand and the palm side are treated differently, with the palm section worked in straightforward knitting to keep the mitt comfortable and wearable. A twisted-stitch ribbing cuff finishes the lower edge neatly.

Techniques Used

• Seamless construction: The mitts are worked entirely in the round from cast-on to finishing, eliminating the need for seaming and producing a smooth, professional result.
• Worked in the round: Double pointed needles are used throughout, which is the standard approach for small-circumference tubular knitting such as mitts and gloves.
• Lace: The decorative panel incorporates lace elements, meaning intentional yarn-overs and decreases are used to create an open, patterned texture that evokes the botanical theme of the design.
• Cabling: Cable techniques are integrated into the central panel, requiring a cable needle to cross stitches and create the characteristic twisted, rope-like or leaf-like motifs.
• Thumb gusset shaping: Stitches are gradually increased on either side of a central thumb section using M1L (make one left) and M1R (make one right) increases, worked every third round until the gusset reaches its full width. The gusset stitches are then placed on waste yarn and rejoined later to form the thumb opening.
• Twisted rib: The cuff ribbing is worked as k1tbl, p1 (knit one through the back loop, purl one), which creates a denser, more defined ribbing than standard k1, p1 rib.
• Blocking: All finished measurements are given after blocking, which is an important finishing step for this pattern — particularly for the lace sections, which open up and become more defined once wet-blocked.

Stitches Used

• Twisted rib (k1tbl, p1) for the cuff
• Stockinette stitch for the palm and gusset sections
• Lace stitches including yarn-overs and paired decreases (such as k2tog) within the charted cable panel
• Cable crosses worked over the 30-stitch decorative panel using a cable needle
• M1L and M1R increases for thumb gusset shaping
• M1P (make one purlwise) used in the pattern setup round

Yarn