What you'll need
| hand length, in: | 6 | 6.75 | 7.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
RainCity Knits Organic Merino Fingering - Steel and Graffiti
|
1 | 1 | 1 |
Cascade Yarns Yarns Heritage
Grey (5660)
|
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
YCS008_9884
|
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
YAR004_499
|
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
YAR004_2109
|
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
YWY027_2024
|
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
YWY026_2001
|
1 | 1 | 1 |
Product Description
Elephant? But they are covered in flowers! The name may seem odd, but these mittens really were inspired by elephants. In India, there is a custom of painting ones elephant for special occasions. The chalky-bright paint in floral patterns on the rough grey skin is really stunning, and I wanted to recreate that effect in these mitts. This is why they are named Elephant Mitts.
Knit in the round, from the cuff up. The pattern includes a chart of the whole mitts, and line by line instructions. Follow one, or use both. They use an unusual thumb gusset, with increases on one side. A slim fit makes these mittens very comfortable, you won’t feel like your fingers are swimming about in them or like they want to fall off.
These mittens have some longer floats inside. I do not recommend using a superwash wool yarn, or any fiber that will not felt. You want a “catchy” yarn so the floats will stick to the inside of the mittens. The yarn I used has uniquely short color changes.
Elephant Mittens by Jenise Reid
What is Being Made
Elephant Mittens is a downloadable knitting pattern for a pair of fitted mittens featuring a charted elephant design. The pattern offers three sizes to accommodate different hand measurements: small (for hands 6 inches long), medium (6.75 inches), and large (7.5 inches). The mittens are designed with a snug cuff that fits closely to the hand and a palm circumference of 8 inches, making them suitable for those who typically wear shoe sizes 6, 8, or 10 respectively.
Techniques and Construction Methods
This advanced-level knitting pattern employs several sophisticated techniques. The mittens are constructed using stranded knitting, a colorwork method that allows two colors to be worked simultaneously to create the elephant motif across the hand. The pattern incorporates lilys (a decorative knitting element shown in accompanying photos) as part of the design detail. Construction begins with a cast-on worked in the round, and the finished mittens are completed using grafting or seaming techniques to close the opening. The pattern requires knitters to perform increases and decreases to shape the mittens properly around the hand and fingers.
Stitches Used
The primary stitch structure is stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic fabric base for the colorwork design. The gauge is 8 stitches and 9 rows per inch when worked in stockinette stitch on blocked fabric. Knit and purl stitches form the foundation of the pattern, with the stranded knitting technique introducing the two-color elephant design throughout the mittens.
Materials and Tools
The pattern calls for RainCityKnits Organic Merino Fingering yarn, a 100% Merino Wool fingering weight yarn with 454 yards per 100 grams. One skein each of Steel Grey (used as the main color) and Graffiti (used as the contrasting color) is required. Knitters will need 2.00 mm/US 0 double-pointed needles or a 36-inch circular needle for the magic loop method. Additional notions include a yarn needle for weaving in ends and grafting the mittens closed. The yarn weight is listed as 3-ply and 4-ply, providing a delicate, refined fabric suitable for fitted mittens.
Pattern Details and Sizing
The pattern begins with casting on 46 stitches and joining in the round. Knitters should try on the mittens after knitting approximately one inch of the cuff to ensure proper fit, as the cuff is designed to fit closely to the hand. Finished measurements include a wrist circumference of 5.5 inches when unstretched and hand lengths of 6, 6.75, or 7.5 inches depending on the chosen size.
Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Yarn Weight: | 3 Ply, 4 Ply |
| Featured Products: | Cascade Yarns Yarns Heritage |
| Pages: | 14 |
| Designer: | Jenise Hope |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Notes: | Shown in RainCIty, but almost any pair of multi and solid fingering weight yarn should work. |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
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