Walking Mitts

Walking Mitts by Threebagsfulled

What Is Being Made

Walking Mitts is an original knitting pattern design by Threebagsfulled (Hilary Designs) for a pair of fingerless mittens. These mitts are crafted using the knitting technique and are designed as a practical accessory for keeping hands warm while maintaining finger mobility. The pattern offers flexibility in yarn color options, allowing knitters to choose from three distinct colorway combinations: Red and Black, Blue and White Variegated, or Blue and Black.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The pattern utilizes the cable cast on method, which creates a sturdy, finished edge by working between existing stitches on the needle. Knitters will work with circular needles for the main body of the mitts, allowing for seamless knitting in the round. The pattern also incorporates double-pointed needles (dpns) for working smaller circumferences, particularly useful when shaping the mitt cuffs and completing sections where circular needles become impractical. Thumb placement is managed using waste yarn to temporarily hold stitches, a technique that allows knitters to return to those stitches later for completing the thumb opening.

Stitches Used

Walking Mitts employs essential knitting stitches appropriate for an intermediate skill level:

• Knit (k) – the fundamental stitch forming the primary fabric
• Purl (p) – used for textural variation and pattern definition
• Make One (M1) – an increase stitch created by lifting the bar between stitches from front to back and knitting through the back loop, used for shaping increases
• Knit Two Together (k2tog) – a decrease stitch that reduces stitch count for shaping
• Pick Up and Knit (1p/u) – a technique for picking up stitches along an edge, essential for constructing the mitt opening

Materials and Yarn Weight

Walking Mitts is designed for Aran weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn that knits at a standard gauge on Size 6 needles. The pattern provides three colorway options with specific yarn recommendations. Option 1 (Red and Black) requires 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, a luxury blend yarn. Option 2 (Blue and White Variegated) uses 1 skein of Jarbo Garn Parti Color, a variegated yarn that creates color variation automatically. Option 3 (Blue and Black) requires 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Rialto, another quality aran-weight option. Additional materials include Size 6 circular needles in 40" length for the main body, Size 6 double-pointed needles for smaller sections, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, and a small length of waste yarn for holding thumb stitches during construction.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to progress beyond basic projects. The intermediate classification reflects the use of techniques such as circular needle knitting, transitioning between circular and double-pointed needles, stitch increases and decreases for shaping, and the thumb construction method using waste yarn. Knitters should be comfortable reading pattern abbreviations and following multi-step instructions before beginning this project.