Featherdown

Featherdown Knitted Gloves and Mittens by Alicia Plummer

What Is Being Made

Featherdown is a beginner-friendly knitting pattern for a pair of gloves and mittens designed by Alicia Plummer. This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for creating warm, textured hand coverings using a charted stitch pattern that creates visual interest while remaining accessible to newer knitters.

Craft and Primary Technique

This project uses knitting as the primary craft method. The garments are worked in the round using circular needles or double-pointed needles, which is a fundamental technique for creating seamless, tubular garments like gloves and mittens. The pattern employs magic looping or traditional dpn methods, giving knitters flexibility in their needle choice based on personal preference.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The Featherdown pattern incorporates several key stitches:

• Stockinette stitch — the foundational smooth stitch used as the base fabric
• Ribbing (k1, p1) — used for the 1.25-inch cuff at the wrist to create elasticity and a fitted edge
• Featherdown chart pattern — a charted stitch motif worked over two full repeats, with partial repeats accommodated on the final stitches for shaping
• Increases (m1r) — used strategically for shaping the hand
• Slip stitches (sl1pw wyif) — incorporated in the tubular cast-on method to create a finished edge

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The pattern calls for 1 skein of The Woolen Rabbit Frolic yarn, which provides 200 yards and weighs 115 grams. This worsted-weight yarn is suitable for creating fabric with good structure and warmth, making it ideal for hand coverings.

Needles: The pattern uses two needle sizes:

• US 6/4.0 mm needles — used for the ribbed cuff and cast-on
• US 7/4.5 mm needles — used for the main body and charted pattern sections

Needles are specified as 32-inch circular needles or double-pointed needles (dpns), allowing knitters to choose between magic looping on circulars or traditional dpn construction.

Gauge and Finished Measurements

The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on US 7/4.5 mm needles, blocked. The finished circumference is 32 inches with elasticity built in from the cabled and ribbed fabric. Achieving proper gauge is essential for ensuring the gloves and mittens fit correctly.

Additional Notions and Tools

Beyond yarn and needles, the pattern requires:

• 2 stitch markers — used to mark the beginning of rounds and pattern repeats
• 1 additional marker (marker A) — used for shaping sections
• Scrap yarn or a stitch holder — for securing stitches temporarily
• Darning needle — for weaving in yarn ends after completion

Difficulty Level

Rated as beginner, this pattern is designed to be accessible to knitters new to the craft. While it involves working in the round and following a charted pattern, the straightforward construction and use of basic stitches make it an excellent project for building skills in colorwork reading and seamless garment construction.