Karelia Mittens in Novita Venla - Downloadable PDF

Karelia Mittens in Novita Venla

What is Being Made

The Karelia Mittens are a pair of women's or youth-sized knitted mittens designed by Minna Metsänen. This project creates a complete set of hand coverings featuring colorwork patterning and decorative bird motifs on the thumbs. The mittens are worked in the round using double-pointed needles, resulting in seamless construction ideal for a polished, professional finish.

Techniques Used

This advanced knitting project employs several sophisticated techniques. Colorwork knitting in the round is the primary technique, requiring the knitter to follow a chart while maintaining consistent tension across multiple colors. The mittens are constructed using circular knitting on double-pointed needles, which allows for seamless construction without seams. Ribbed cuffs are created using a knit-purl pattern to provide elasticity and structure at the wrist opening. Top decreases are worked using knit-two-together stitches to shape the mitten crown, with a final grafting technique to close the top. An additional embellishment technique involves duplicate stitch embroidery, where a bird motif is stitched onto the completed thumbs using a contrasting yarn color for added visual interest and detail.

Stitches Used

• Ribbing in the round: Alternating knit 2, purl 2 pattern (*k2, p2*) worked in the round to create the cuff
• Stockinette stitch in the round: Knitting all rounds to create smooth, flat fabric
• Colorwork in the round: Stockinette stitch worked following a chart with multiple colors
• Knit-two-together (k2tog): Used for decreasing stitches at the mitten top
• Duplicate stitch: Used to embroider the bird motif onto the thumb after the mitten is complete

Materials and Tools

Yarn: Novita Venla 4-ply weight yarn in four colors: Charcoal (499), Off-white (010), Petrol (182), and Tomato (543). Less than 50 grams of each color is required for this project. The yarn is held double when casting on for the left mitten, creating a sturdy foundation.

Needles: Double-pointed needles in 2½ mm size (UK 12–13 / US 1–2), or the size needed to obtain the correct gauge. Double-pointed needles are essential for working seamless mittens in the round.

Gauge: 32 stitches of colorwork measure 10 cm (4 inches) in width. Achieving the correct gauge is critical for proper mitten fit and is especially important when working colorwork patterns, as tension can be affected by managing multiple yarn colors.

Project Details

The mittens are constructed as a one-size design suitable for women and youth. The pattern begins with a cast-on of 56 stitches distributed across the double-pointed needles. The cuff is worked in ribbing for elasticity, followed by stockinette stitch until the mitten covers approximately half of the thumbnail. Colorwork patterning is then introduced and worked according to the provided chart. The mitten top is shaped using decreases worked at the end of each needle with knit-two-together stitches, continuing until only 9 stitches remain in total. The final stitches are grafted together using a specialized closing technique. After completion, the mittens are finished by steaming to set the stitches and block the fabric, all yarn ends are woven in securely, and the bird motif is stitched onto each thumb using duplicate stitch embroidery in petrol-colored yarn.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as advanced, reflecting the complexity of working colorwork in the round while maintaining consistent gauge and managing multiple colors simultaneously. Knitters should have solid experience with circular knitting, chart reading, and color tension before attempting this project.