Snowboarding Mitts for Dog and Cat Lovers

Snowboarding Mitts for Dog and Cat Lovers by Elizabeth Ravenwood

What Is Being Made

These snowboarding mitts are a pair of knitted gloves designed for women who love dogs and cats. The pattern includes two finished sizes: women's small (fitting knuckle sizes 6" to 7.5") and women's medium (fitting knuckle sizes 7.5" to 8.5"). The mitts are specifically crafted for cold-weather activities like snowboarding, offering both warmth and dexterity for winter sports enthusiasts.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several key techniques to create functional and fitted mitts. The pattern uses double-pointed needle construction, which allows for seamless, circular knitting in the round. This method eliminates the need for seaming and creates a smooth, professional finish ideal for fitted garments like gloves.

The design incorporates cable knitting techniques, as indicated by the inclusion of a cable needle in the materials list. Cable stitches add visual interest and texture to the mitts while also providing extra structure and warmth—essential features for snowboarding gloves.

Shaping techniques are employed throughout the pattern to ensure proper fit around the hand and fingers. These include strategic increases and decreases to accommodate the natural contours of the hand and create a tailored silhouette.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with more advanced techniques:

• Knit stitch (K) – the basic foundation stitch used throughout the project
• Knit two stitches together (K2TOG) – a single decrease used for shaping and tapering
• Make one left (M1L) – an increase technique that picks up the bar of yarn between stitches to add stitches while maintaining pattern integrity
• Cable stitches – created with the cable needle to produce the textured, twisted patterns characteristic of cable knit designs
• Bind off (BO) – the finishing technique used to secure stitches at the edges
• Cast on (CO) – the foundation method for beginning the project

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Snowboarding Mitts pattern calls for 200 yards (183 meters) of fingering weight yarn, which is a 4-ply yarn weight. Fingering weight yarn is ideal for gloves and mitts because it provides excellent stitch definition, durability, and a refined finished fabric that drapes beautifully while maintaining warmth.

Needle requirements vary by size:

• For the small size: Set of 4 size 1US (2.25 mm) double-pointed needles and set of 4 size 1.5US (2.50 mm) double-pointed needles
• For the medium size: Set of 4 size 1.5US (2.50 mm) double-pointed needles and set of 4 size 2US (2.75 mm) double-pointed needles

The pattern specifies a gauge of 9 stitches per inch (2.5 cm) on the smaller needles, which is critical for achieving the correct finished size. Additional materials include a cable needle for working cable stitches, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and round markers, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends.

Difficulty Level

Rated as an intermediate project, these mitts are suitable for knitters who have mastered basic stitches and are ready to tackle cable work and fitted garment construction. The combination of double-pointed needle work, cable techniques, and strategic shaping makes this an excellent project for developing advanced knitting skills.