Fountain Mitts

Fountain Mitts by Andrea Jurgrau

What is Being Made

The Fountain Mitts are a pair of decorative knitted mittens designed for women's hands. These are intermediate-level knitting projects that feature embellished beadwork, creating an elegant accessory suitable for special occasions or everyday wear depending on the yarn choice and styling preferences.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished design. The mittens are constructed using the circular knitting method on double-pointed needles, which allows for seamless construction in the round. The pattern incorporates chart-based colorwork or stitch patterning, requiring knitters to follow a detailed chart during construction. Additionally, the design includes bead embellishment, where beads are integrated into the knitted fabric using a crochet hook to thread beads onto the yarn before knitting, or applied during the knitting process itself. This technique adds dimensional texture and visual interest to the finished mitts.

Stitches and Stitch Work

While the complete stitch breakdown is referenced through the pattern chart, the Fountain Mitts utilize fundamental knitting stitches worked in the round. The construction begins with a cast-on of 60 stitches distributed evenly across four double-pointed needles (15 stitches per needle), and the work progresses in continuous rounds to create the tubular mitten structure. Knitters follow a provided chart to execute the specific stitch patterns that create the fountain design motif. The integration of beads requires careful attention to bead placement within the stitch sequence as indicated by the chart.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Fountain Mitts pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended design:

• Yarn: One skein of Steffi yarn in the colorway Mazeppa from Land O Lace, providing 400 yards of yardage. The pattern accommodates both 3-ply and 4-ply yarn weights, allowing for some flexibility in yarn selection while maintaining the design integrity.
• Needles: One set of five US 1 or US 2 double-pointed needles, with needle size selection dependent on desired gauge and hand size. US 1 needles are recommended for smaller hands, while US 2 needles suit average-sized hands.
• Beads: Sixty 8/0 Japanese seed beads in silver-lined crystal, which provide sparkle and embellishment throughout the mitt design.
• Additional Tools: One US 14 crochet hook sized to accommodate the beads, used for threading beads onto yarn or applying them during construction. Waste yarn and a yarn needle are also required for finishing techniques.

Gauge Information

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this intermediate pattern. The recommended gauge is 8 stitches to the inch on US 1 needles for a small woman's hand, or 7 stitches to the inch on US 2 needles for an average woman's hand. Knitters should swatch and adjust needle size as necessary to achieve their target gauge, as this directly impacts the final fit of the mittens.

Pattern Construction Overview

The Fountain Mitts are worked in the round beginning with a cast-on of 60 stitches distributed across four double-pointed needles (15 stitches on each needle). Knitters must take care not to twist the stitches when joining the round. The pattern then progresses by following a detailed chart that guides stitch selection and bead placement throughout the mitten construction. This chart-driven approach requires intermediate knitting skills and the ability to read and interpret stitch charts accurately.