Where Are My Bees?

Where Are My Bees? Knitted Mittens by Amber Allison

Project Overview

Where Are My Bees? is an intermediate-level knitting pattern for a pair of colorful mittens featuring a charted bee design. Created by independent designer Amber Allison, this downloadable PDF pattern produces finished mittens measuring 4 inches wide and 8 inches long from tip to thumb base, with a 2-inch cuff. The design combines two contrasting colors—Cadmium and Black—to create a striking stranded knitting motif.

Yarn and Materials

This pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, specifically 1 skein each of Cadmium and Black. The designer used Malabrigo Worsted (approximately 210 yards per 100 grams) to achieve a dense and puffy mitten texture, utilizing 40% of the yellow and 60% of the black yarn. Knitters will need 2.75 mm (US 2) double-pointed needles or circular needles, a tapestry needle for finishing, and scrap yarn for provisional casting techniques. The pattern includes guidance on yarn selection, noting that the chosen yarn may pill with wear, which the designer considers an acceptable characteristic.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 13 stitches and 15 rows over 2 inches in stockinette stitch. The finished mittens measure 4 inches in width and 8 inches in length from the tip to the thumb base, with a 2-inch ribbed cuff. For knitters requiring sizing adjustments beyond needle size changes, the pattern includes helpful resizing information on page 6 of the PDF.

Knitting Techniques

Where Are My Bees? incorporates several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques suitable for crafters with some experience. The pattern requires proficiency in the following methods:

• Casting on: The pattern uses a backward loop cast-on method for creating stitches
• Increasing and decreasing: Essential shaping techniques for forming the mitten structure and thumb gusset
• Picking up stitches: Used for constructing the cuff and joining sections
• Stranded knitting: The primary colorwork technique, where two colors are carried across rows to create the bee motif from a provided chart

Stitches and Abbreviations

The pattern utilizes standard knitting abbreviations and chart symbols to guide colorwork placement. Key stitches include:

• Knit (k): The fundamental stitch creating stockinette fabric
• Purl (p): Used primarily for ribbed cuff sections
• Knit 2 together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease for shaping
• Slip, slip, knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease created by slipping two stitches knitwise individually, returning them to the left needle, and knitting through their back loops together
• Slip stitch: Used for joining and finishing techniques

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, Where Are My Bees? is suitable for knitters who have mastered basic techniques and are ready to tackle stranded colorwork. The pattern assumes familiarity with working on double-pointed or circular needles and understanding chart-based instructions. The combination of shaping, color changes, and thumb gusset construction makes this an excellent project for developing intermediate skills without overwhelming complexity.