Almond Mittens

Almond Mittens by Dagmar Mora

What is Being Made

The Almond Mittens are a pair of comfortable, cosy mittens designed for women in two size options: S/M and L/XL. The finished mitten circumference above the thumb measures 18cm (7 inches) for the smaller size and 22.5cm (9 inches) for the larger size. These mittens are intended to fit hands with a circumference above the thumb of approximately 18-19cm (7-7½ inches) for size S/M and 20.5-22cm (8-8¾ inches) for size L/XL. The mittens feature a stunning yet easy-to-knit stitch pattern that makes them an appealing project for knitters seeking visual interest without excessive complexity.

Techniques Used

This knitting project employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The pattern utilizes double pointed needles for constructing the mittens in the round, which is a traditional method for creating seamless tubular garments. The pattern incorporates yarn overs and decreases to create the decorative stitch pattern, requiring knitters to understand how these shaping techniques work together. The mittens include thumb gusset shaping, a standard technique for mitten construction that creates a properly fitted thumb opening. Knitters will work with both standard stitches and through-the-back-of-loop variations to achieve the desired stitch definition and pattern appearance.

Stitches Used

The Almond Mittens pattern employs a range of essential knitting stitches and abbreviations:

• Knit (k) – the fundamental stitch forming the base fabric
• Purl (p) – used to create textural contrast and pattern definition
• Knit through back of loop (k1tbl) – creates twisted stitches for sharper stitch definition
• Yarn over (yo) – creates decorative eyelet holes that form part of the stitch pattern
• Knit 2 together (k2tog) – a right-leaning decrease used for shaping
• Purl 3 together (p3tog) – a decrease that reduces 2 stitches
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) – a decrease technique for stitch reduction
• Inc2 and inc2tbl – increase techniques that work {k1, yo, k1} or {k1tbl, yo, k1tbl} into a single stitch, creating 2 additional stitches from one stitch

Materials and Tools

The Almond Mittens pattern calls for worsted or aran weight yarn, with the example project using Cascade 220 in the shade 7822 Vandyke Brown. The Cascade 220 yarn specified provides 100g of yarn containing 200 metres (220 yards) of yardage. Knitters will require 4.5mm (US 7) double pointed needles or the appropriate needle size needed to achieve the correct tension. The pattern specifies a tension of 25 stitches and 24 rows over 10x10cm (4x4 inches) when working in the stitch pattern, which is essential information for ensuring the finished mittens fit properly. This intermediate-level project is available as a downloadable PDF, making it accessible for knitters seeking a cosy, patterned mitten project with clear instructions and pattern repeats.