Birthday Mittens

I know. I'm an intermittent blogger at best.

I have no desire to document my life in knitting
...I merely wish to make a few records to share of the knitting in my life... & there's been precious little of that!

The most recent project in my busy life (teaching & a toddler doesn't allow for much time to create anything other than a living...) has been some simple mittens.

The Godfatha' has a birthday in February. I'm broke like everybody else, so I asked him if I could make anything for him.
The first request was for a pie.
Done!
(n.b. that is not burny-ness... the dark parts are chocolate that has bubbled up from the bottom. This will happen when one uses an entire bag of chips in an "I-can't-believe-it's-not-Derby-Pie"...)
Come on, there has to be something more for the man who makes sure my Sam is never gonna suffer single-mamma's-son issues.
All he wanted was mittens. So, mittens it was.

Who knew designing mittens could be tricky?
Well, it's not like I was really designing. I was merely adapting the things I had done to adapt the Cigar-Style Fingerless Gloves into mitten form.
I chose a Fair-Isle Style, because it gives a double thickness & warmth to the final mitty.
I know that twisting the yarn & balls can be fussy, but so worth it in the end.

The first one ended up a ladies medium/large, despite gauge & swatch & tracing measures.
(Some lady in my life is going to end up with a present of mittens soon...)
The first attempt is on the top of the photo.
I measured some more & ended up with the mittens you see in the bottom of the photo.
I like the darker tone to them... much more suited to the Godfatha' anyway.

Here is a potentially buggy free pattern transposed from my notes:

Birthday Mittens by Ruth H. Bennett

Yarn:
MC: 1 skein Black Cascade 220 (I would have preferred another ball of LP, sigh.)
CC: 1 skein Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted, Prairie Fire (a heathered red)
(Your favorite worsted weight yarn would be a suitable substitution...)

Needles & Notions:
Size 5(us) DPNs
Yarn needle

Gauge:
6 sts & 7 rows = 1”

Cuff:
CO 44 sts.
Work in the round in 2x2 rib for 28 rounds for cuff.

Gusset:
1: K one round.
2: K1 in MC, Switch to CC & M1, (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 20, K2 in MC, K20 in CC, M1 in CC, K1 in MC=46sts.
3: K one round in MC.
4: K1 in MC, Switch to CC & M1, (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 21, K2 in MC, K21 in CC, M1 in CC, K1 in MC=48sts.
5: K one round in MC.
6: K1 in MC, M1, K 22 alternating MC & CC, K2 in MC, K22 alternating MC & CC, M1, K1 in MC=50sts.
7: K1 in MC, K23 alternating MC & CC (the opposite of the last row), K2 in MC, K23 alternating MC & CC.
8: K1 in MC, M1, K 23 alternating MC & CC, K2 in MC, K23 alternating MC & CC, M1, K1 in MC=52sts.
9: K1 in MC, K24 alternating CC & MC, K2 in MC, K24 alternating CC & MC.
10: K1 in MC, M1, K 24 alternating MC & CC, K2 in MC, K24 alternating MC & CC, M1, K1 in MC=54sts.
11: K1 in MC, K25 alternating CC & MC , K2 in MC, K25 alternating CC & MC, K1 in MC.
12: K1 in MC, M1, K 25 alternating MC & CC, K2 in MC, K25 alternating MC & CC, M1, K1 in MC=56sts.
13: K one round in MC
14: K1 in MC, Switch to CC (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 26, K2 in MC, K26 in CC, K1 in MC.
15: K one round in MC
16: K1 in MC, Switch to CC & M1, (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 26, K2 in MC, K26 in CC, M1 in CC, K1 in MC=58sts.
17: K one round in MC
18: K1 in MC, K27 alternating CC & MC , K2 in MC, K27 alternating CC & MC, K1 in MC.
19: K1 in MC, K27 alternating MC & CC (the opposite of the last row), K2 in MC, K27 alternating MC & CC, K1 MC.
20: K1 in MC, M1, K 27 alternating MC & CC, K2 in MC, K27 alternating MC & CC, M1, K1 in MC=60sts.
21: K1 in MC, K28 alternating CC & MC , K2 in MC, K27 alternating CC & MC, K1 in MC.
22: K1 in MC, K28 alternating MC & CC (the opposite of the last row), K2 in MC, K28 alternating MC & CC, K1 MC.
23: K1 in MC, K28 alternating MC & CC (the opposite of the last row), K2 in MC, K28 alternating MC & CC, K1 MC.
24: K1 in MC, M1, K 28 alternating MC & CC, K2 in MC, K28 alternating MC & CC, M1, K1 in MC=62sts.
25: K one round in MC
26: K1 in MC, Switch to CC (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 29, K2 in MC, K29 in CC, K1 in MC.

(This is where we take off the 12 sts for the thumb!)
27: K one round in MC, stop 6 sts before end, place on holder or spare DPN, put 1st 6 sts of next round on same holder.
Pull tight when starting next round.
28: K1 in MC, Switch to CC & M1, (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 23, K2 in MC, K23 in CC, M1 in CC, K1 in MC=52sts.
29: K one round in MC
30: K1 in MC, M1, K 24 alternating MC & CC, K2 in MC, K24 alternating MC & CC, M1, K1 in MC=54sts.
31: K1 in MC, K25 alternating MC & CC (the opposite of the last row), K2 in MC, K25 alternating MC & CC, K1 MC.
32: K1 in MC, M1, K 25 alternating MC & CC, K2 in MC, K25 alternating MC & CC, M1, K1 in MC=56sts.
33-36: K1 in MC, K26 alternating MC & CC (the opposite of the last row), K2 in MC, K26 alternating MC & CC, K1 MC.
37: K one round in MC.
38: K1 in MC, Switch to CC (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 26, K2 in MC, K26 in CC, K1 in MC.
39: K one round in MC.
40: K1 in MC, Switch to CC (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 26, K2 in MC, K26 in CC, K1 in MC.
41: K one round in MC.
42-48: K1 in MC, K26 alternating MC & CC (the opposite of the last row), K2 in MC, K26 alternating MC & CC, K1 MC.
49: K one round in MC.
50: K1 in MC, Switch to CC (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 26, K2 in MC, K26 in CC, K1 in MC.
51: K one round in MC.
52: K1 in MC, Switch to CC (carry & "twist in" black as you go...)K 26, K2 in MC, K26 in CC, K1 in MC.

Begin “finger cap” Decreases:
53: Break CC yarn. K one round in MC.
54-5: Knit MC. (This is where you could add more rounds if a longer finger length is needed.)
56: (K5, K2tog)* = 48 sts.
57: K3, PSSO, (K4, PSSO)* 5 times, K4, PSSO using 1st st of next row =40sts.
58: (K3, K2tog)* =32 sts.
59: K1, PSSO, (K2, PSSO)* 5 times, K2, PSSO using 1st st of next row =24sts.
60: (K1, K2tog)* =16 sts.
61: (K2tog)* =8sts.
Break Yarn. Sew end through 8 loops & pull snug.
Weave in loose ends.

Thumb:
On 3 DPNs, Place 3 sts, 6sts, 3 sts.
1: Using MC, Knit one round, Pick up 2 sts on last DPN using loose yarn edge from that side of the thumb hole = 14 sts. (**Leave a long tail when beginning row.)
2: Pick up 2 sts from the loose yarn edge from that side of the thumb hole. Knit rest of round. Sts should now be 16= 5/6/5, on 3 DPNs.
3-14: Knit.
15: (K2, K2tog)* =12sts.
16: Knit.
17: (K1, K2tog)* =8sts.
Break Yarn. Sew end through 8 loops & pull snug.
Weave in loose ends.

Finishing:
Use long tail to sew gap from thumb base together snugly. I used a blanket stitch to give it a neat finish.
Weave in all remaining loose ends.