Campfire Mitts in Spud & Chloe - OTR8 - Downloadable PDF

Campfire Mitts by Colleen Powley – Knitting Pattern Summary (Spud & Chloë)

The Campfire Mitts is a beginner-friendly knitting pattern designed by Colleen Powley and published as part of the Spud & Chloë On the Run series. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and produces a pair of cozy, lace-detailed fingerless mitts — one Right Mitt and one Left Mitt — each featuring a shaped thumb gusset, a decorative lace rib panel across the back of the hand, and a snug ribbed thumb finish. These mitts make an ideal project for knitters who are new to lace knitting, as the designer specifically describes them as a perfect first-time lace project.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pair of fingerless mittens (also called mitts), worked in the round from the cuff upward. Each mitt is constructed separately, with mirror-image shaping to create a true left and right version. The finished mitts cover the hand and wrist while leaving the fingers free, making them both practical and stylish. The lace rib detailing runs along the top of the hand, adding a delicate, textured visual interest without overwhelming a beginner knitter.

Techniques Used

• Knitting in the round on double pointed needles, with stitches divided across three needles throughout the project
• Thumb gusset shaping using a set-up round followed by alternating plain and increase rounds, building the gusset gradually over multiple repeats
• M1 (make one) increases worked on either side of the gusset section to add stitches symmetrically
• Stitch holder or waste yarn technique to place live gusset stitches on hold while the hand is completed, then returning them to needles for the thumb
• Picking up stitches at the gap between the thumb and forefinger to close the join neatly
• Lace knitting — the Lace Rib Pattern forms the decorative centerpiece of the mitt back, making this an accessible introduction to working lace in a small, manageable format
• Binding off knitwise for the hand opening, and binding off in rib pattern for the thumb to maintain elasticity
• Mirror-image construction — the Left Mitt and Right Mitt are worked with the gusset placement reversed, requiring attention to needle arrangement at cast-on

Stitches Used

• Lace Rib Pattern — the signature stitch of this pattern, worked over 8 rounds and repeated three times for the cuff section, then continued across the hand; this stitch creates the decorative top-of-hand panel
• Rib Pattern — a classic 2x2 rib (knit 2, purl 2) worked over a multiple of 4 stitches, used for the thumb section to provide a neat, stretchy finish
• Knit stitch — used throughout the gusset and thumb sections worked in plain stockinette rounds
• Purl stitch — incorporated within both the Lace Rib Pattern and the 2x2 Rib Pattern
• Slip marker — used to delineate the gusset increase zone throughout thumb shaping rounds

Construction Details

Each mitt begins with a cast-on of 54 stitches, divided across three double pointed needles. For the Right Mitt, 24 stitches are placed on Needle 1 and 15 stitches each on Needles 2 and 3; for the Left Mitt, the arrangement is reversed, with 15 stitches on Needles 1 and 2 and 24 stitches on Needle 3. This mirrored setup positions the thumb gusset correctly for each hand.

After joining and working the Lace Rib Pattern for three full 8-round repeats, the thumb gus