Purple Rain Mittens

Purple Rain Mittens by MsYarn Designs

What is Being Made

The Purple Rain Mittens are a pair of knitted mittens designed by Dawn Hansen of MsYarn Designs. This downloadable knitting pattern offers three size options—Small (7.5" palm circumference), Medium (8" palm circumference), and Large (8.5" palm circumference)—making them suitable for various hand sizes. The mittens feature colorwork patterning that creates visual interest through the combination of multiple yarn colors.

Craft and Primary Technique

Purple Rain Mittens are created using the knitting craft. The pattern employs colorwork knitting as the primary technique, which involves working with multiple yarn colors within the same rows to create a patterned design. This technique adds complexity and visual appeal to the finished mittens while maintaining the structural integrity of the garment.

Stitches and Construction Methods

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches and techniques appropriate for intermediate-level knitters:

• Knit stitch (K) – The basic foundation stitch used throughout the mittens
• Knit 2 together (K2tog) – A decrease stitch used for shaping
• Slip, slip, knit (SSK) – Another decrease stitch that creates a left-leaning decrease for balanced shaping
• Make 1 (M) – An increase stitch created by picking up the bar between stitches and knitting into the back loop, adding new stitches where needed
• Color-work pattern – The mittens are worked in a colorwork pattern that requires managing multiple colors across rows

The mittens are constructed using the double-pointed needle (dpn) method, which allows for seamless, circular knitting in the round—an ideal technique for mittens and other small circumference projects.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Purple Rain Mittens pattern calls for sport weight yarn from Blue Moon Socks That Rock in the Mediumweight category. The pattern requires three coordinating yarn colors:

• C1 (Color 1): 'Aubergenius' – 1 skein per size
• C2 (Color 2): 'Bleck' – 1 skein per size
• C3 (Color 3): 'Smoke on the Water' – 1 skein per size

Knitting needles required are US Size 2 (2.75mm) double-pointed needles (dpn), or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge. Additional notions include a stitch marker for tracking rounds, waste yarn for holding stitches, and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

Gauge and Sizing Information

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this pattern. The gauge specifications vary by size to accommodate the different palm circumferences:

• Small: 30 stitches and 34 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in colorwork pattern
• Medium: 28 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in colorwork pattern
• Large: 26 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in colorwork pattern

These gauge measurements are taken over the colorwork pattern itself, which is important since colorwork can affect stitch dimensions compared to stockinette stitch.

Difficulty Level

Purple Rain Mittens are rated as an intermediate difficulty pattern. This classification reflects the combination of colorwork knitting with shaping techniques. Knitters should be comfortable with basic stitches, working in the round with double-pointed needles, managing multiple yarn colors simultaneously, and executing both increase and decrease stitches for proper mitten shaping.