Brackthaw

Brackthaw Knitted Mittens by Faye Kennington

What is Being Made

Brackthaw is a pair of knitted mittens inspired by the underbrush found on the Wild Pacific Trail. These mittens feature a botanical motif that emerges from an ice-colored base, complemented by a small allover design worked across the palm. The design comes in three sizes with finished palm circumferences of 6¾, 7, or 7½ inches (17, 18, or 19 centimeters) and lengths from cuff to tip measuring 9½, 10, or 11 inches (24, 25.5, or 28 centimeters).

Construction Method

These mittens are worked from cuff to tip using a cuff-up construction method. The design begins at the wrist and grows progressively to accommodate the base of the thumb. Once the main body of the mitt is complete, the remaining thumb is finished separately. This construction approach allows for a seamless, integrated design where the botanical motif flows naturally from the cuff through the hand.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

Brackthaw employs stranded colorwork knitting, a technique that creates the botanical and allover palm designs by carrying two colors of yarn simultaneously and switching between them as directed by the pattern charts. The mittens are worked in the round, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a smooth, tubular fabric ideal for mittens.

• Stockinette stitch in the round forms the base fabric, creating a smooth, V-shaped stitch pattern that lies flat and provides excellent drape
• Stranded colorwork charts guide the placement of the main color (MC) and contrast color (CC) to create the botanical and allover motifs
• Gauge-critical construction at 36 stitches and 38 rounds over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in blocked stranded stockinette, ensuring proper fit and weather resistance

The pattern notes that these mittens are intentionally knit at a tight gauge for enhanced warmth and weather-proofing. Knitters may need to adjust their needle size down to US 0 (2 millimeters) or substitute fingering weight yarn to achieve the specified gauge if using sport weight yarn.

Materials and Tools

Yarn: Malabrigo Arroyo, which is 100% superwash Merino wool. Each skein contains 335 yards (306 meters) and weighs 3.5 ounces (100 grams). The pattern requires ½ skein each of two colors: Fresco y Seco for the main color (MC) and Natural for the contrast color (CC). Sport weight yarn is used for this project.

Tools and Notions: US 1½ (2.5 millimeters) double pointed needles, or needles sized to obtain the specified gauge; scrap yarn for holding stitches; and a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round.

Skill Level

This is an intermediate level knitting project. Knitters should be comfortable with working in the round on double pointed needles, reading and following stranded colorwork charts, and managing multiple colors within a single round. The tight gauge and colorwork techniques require attention to tension and chart reading skills.