What you'll need
| One size only: | 7-7 1/2" circumference |
|---|---|
Stonehenge Fiber Mills Shepard_s Wool - Light Blue
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1 |
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Stonehenge Fiber Mills Shepard_s Wool - Hot Pink
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1 |
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Stonehenge Fiber Mills Shepard_s Wool - Antique R
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1 |
Product Description
When your hands are cold, but full mittens are too hot! Offered in three lovely color-ways, but I encourage you to make up your own.
This pattern features an “afterthought" thumb, the kind of thumb often employed in folk knitting. The beauty of it, is you can keep on knitting in your colorwork pattern with hardly any interruption. Just work a few stitches on waste yarn, slip them back to the left hand needle and continue on your merry way.
I show three versions, using three different yarns, each resulting a unique look and a slightly different gauge. All three will fit most women’s hands. For larger or smaller mitts, change your needle size accordingly or use thicker or thinner yarn, there’s lots of leeway here. You’ll see I even mixed yarns with different fiber content, since I always hand wash my mittens, this should pose no problem. Bust that s
Muckle Mitts Fingerless Mittens by Mary Jane Mucklestone
What Is Being Made
Muckle Mitts are fingerless mittens designed for knitters seeking hand warmth without the bulk of full mittens. These darling mitts feature Fair Isle colorwork based on motif #172 from Mary Jane Mucklestone's book 200 Fair Isle Motifs. The design is offered in three distinct colorways—blue, natural, and red-violet—though knitters are encouraged to create their own custom color combinations. The mitts are sized to fit most women's hands, with finished dimensions of approximately 7" in circumference and 7" tall for the smaller blue and natural versions, and 7½" in circumference and 7½" tall for the larger red-violet mitts.
Techniques Used
These fingerless mitts showcase several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques. The primary construction method involves Fair Isle colorwork, a stranded knitting technique that creates intricate patterned designs by carrying multiple yarn colors across rows or rounds. The mitts feature an afterthought thumb, a practical construction method where the thumb is added after the main body is complete, allowing for seamless integration and easy adjustments. The pattern encourages customization through yarn and needle size adjustments, making these mitts adaptable to different hand sizes and gauges.
Stitches and Stitch Patterns
The construction relies on stockinette stitch as the foundation, worked in the round to create a seamless tubular fabric. The visual interest comes from the Fair Isle colorwork pattern worked from a chart, which involves alternating colors within each round to build the motif design. The gauge specifications indicate precise stitch and round counts essential for achieving the correct finished dimensions and pattern integrity.
Materials and Yarn Specifications
Muckle Mitts are worked in sport weight yarn, offering a lightweight option suitable for fingerless mitts. Mary Jane Mucklestone demonstrates design flexibility by creating three versions using different yarns, each producing a unique appearance and slightly different gauge. The designer even mixed yarns with different fiber contents across the three samples, proving that stash-busting is possible when all mitts are hand-washed. This approach allows knitters to customize their project based on available yarn and desired final appearance.
Gauge and Needle Information
Gauge is critical for proper fit in these mitts. The blue and natural mitts are worked at 14 stitches by 14 rounds over 2x2 inches in the Fair Isle colorwork pattern using larger needles. The red-violet mitts are worked at a slightly tighter gauge of 13 stitches by 13 rounds, demonstrating how yarn weight and fiber content variations affect the final fabric. Knitters can adjust needle size up or down to achieve proper gauge, or substitute thicker or thinner yarn to accommodate different hand sizes, providing significant flexibility in customization.
Difficulty Level
Rated as advanced, Muckle Mitts require solid knitting fundamentals and experience with Fair Isle colorwork techniques. Knitters should be comfortable managing multiple yarn colors, maintaining consistent tension in stranded knitting, and executing an afterthought thumb. The pattern's flexibility in gauge and yarn selection adds another layer of decision-making suitable for experienced makers.
```Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Yarn Weight: | Sport |
| Pages: | 4 |
| Designer: | Mary Jane Mucklestone |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Notes: | 12" piece of smooth waste yarn |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
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