Cuckoo Clock

Cuckoo Clock Mittens by BeckyinVT

What is Being Made

The Cuckoo Clock mittens are a pair of knitted hand coverings featuring Austrian-inspired design elements. Available in three sizes—small, medium, and large—these mittens are designed to fit hand circumferences of 9 to 11.25 inches (23 to 28.5 cm) with a mitt length ranging from 10.75 to 12.25 inches (27.5 to 31 cm). The mittens showcase an elegant aesthetic inspired by traditional Austrian chalet and cuckoo clock imagery through their cable work design.

Techniques and Stitches Used

These intermediate-level mittens employ Austrian twisted stitch cables as their primary decorative feature. The cables run up the back of each mitten and showcase intricate stitch manipulation where the stitches twist, split, crisscross, and rejoin before decreasing into elegant points at the top. This technique creates a dynamic, three-dimensional texture that references the ornamental details found on traditional Austrian cuckoo clocks.

The construction utilizes stockinette stitch as the base fabric, which provides a smooth canvas for the cable work to stand out. The pattern includes charted cables, allowing knitters to follow visual instructions for the complex stitch sequences. Additionally, some decreases are worked directly into the cables at the mitten top, creating a seamless integration of shaping and design.

An afterthought thumb construction method is employed, which simplifies the knitting process by allowing the thumb to be picked up and knitted after the main mitten body is complete. This technique keeps the initial knitting straightforward while maintaining design integrity.

Materials and Gauge

The mittens are worked in 4-ply yarn using Yarn Love Diana, a 100% wool yarn that provides warmth and elasticity. The pattern calls for 233 to 332 yards depending on size, requiring only 1 skein of yarn. The recommended colorway is Whisper, which complements the delicate cable work.

Knitting needles required include US 1 (2.25 mm) double-pointed needles and US 2 (2.75 mm) double-pointed needles, with the larger size used to achieve the working gauge. The pattern gauge is 28 stitches and 44 rows per 4-inch (10 cm) square in stockinette stitch on the larger needles. Additional notions include 2 markers for tracking the cable section, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, and scrap yarn for the afterthought thumb technique.