Novemberist Mitts

Novemberist Mitts by Vanessa Smith

What is Being Made

The Novemberist Mitts are a pair of fingerless knitted mitts designed as part of a coordinating hat and mitt set. These mitts are crafted in two high-contrast colorways and offer enhanced warmth compared to standard fingerless mittens through their construction method and design features. The finished mitts measure 3¾ inches (9.5 cm) wide and 8¼ inches (21 cm) tall, with a 7½-inch (19 cm) circumference around the knuckles when laid flat. This pattern is sized for Women's Medium.

Techniques and Construction Methods

The Novemberist Mitts employ several techniques to create a durable and warm accessory. Stranded knitting is the primary colorwork method, used to create the distinctive chevron stitch pattern that runs throughout the design. This technique involves carrying two colors of yarn across the inside of the work, allowing both colors to be visible on the finished fabric and creating the high-contrast visual effect.

The mitts are constructed with turned hems at each opening—both at the wrist and at the finger opening. These hems are folded and secured, providing finished edges and adding structural integrity to the mitt openings. The mitts are knitted doubly thick throughout, meaning the fabric is worked in a way that creates two layers of knitting, significantly increasing warmth and insulation while maintaining the fingerless design that allows hand mobility and dexterity.

The pattern is worked in the round, using either double-pointed needles or the preferred small-circumference knitting method. A provisional cast on is used during construction, which is created with a size G (4 mm) crochet hook. This technique allows stitches to be picked up later for the turned hem, enabling the seamless integration of the folded edge.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern featured in the Novemberist Mitts is a chevron stitch, achieved through stranded knitting colorwork. Chevron patterns create a distinctive zigzag or V-shaped repeat that moves vertically up the mitt. The stranded knitting technique means that knit stitches are worked with alternating yarn colors to build the pattern, with non-working yarn carried along the inside of the fabric. The turned hems are created by working stockinette stitch (knit stitches on the right side, purl stitches on the wrong side when working flat, or all knit stitches when working in the round) in a manner that allows the fabric to fold cleanly at the turning point.

Materials Required

The Novemberist Mitts are knitted using DK weight yarn, a lightweight yarn category that produces a fabric with good drape and definition for colorwork patterns. Approximately 176 yards (161 meters) of yarn total is needed: 86 yards (79 meters) in the main color and 90 yards (82 meters) in a contrasting color. The two-color requirement allows crafters to select high-contrast colorways for maximum visual impact of the chevron pattern.

Needles required include US 6 (4 mm) double-pointed needles or appropriate needles for the crafter's preferred method of knitting small circumferences in the round, such as circular needles or the magic loop technique. Additionally, a spare US 6 (4 mm) or smaller circular needle measuring 16 inches (40 cm) or longer is needed for the turned hem construction. A size G (4 mm) crochet hook is used to create the provisional cast on that anchors the beginning of the work.

Difficulty Level

The Novemberist Mitts are rated as an intermediate knitting project. This difficulty level reflects the combination of skills required: working in the round with small circumferences, managing two colors of yarn simultaneously through stranded knitting, executing a chevron stitch pattern, and working with a provisional cast on and turned hems. Knitters should have foundational knowledge of basic knit and purl stitches, as well as experience with circular or double-pointed needle techniques before attempting this pattern.