HOUNDSTOOTH HANDWARMERS
This is a warm fingerless mitt that uses a simple houndstooth pattern on the main section.
It’s a good introduction to stranded colourwork and should knit up quickly on 4mm needles.
Use tweedy, natural colours for a vintage look, or bright colours for something punkier.
Size: To fit an average women’s size hand (7.5”
around the knuckles).
Yarn Requirements:
DK weight yarn with good stretch and a bit of
texture, preferably wool mix.
Also required: 2 stitch markers, stitch holder/
waste yarn.
Knitting abbreviations:
K = knit
CO = Cast on
P = purl
BO = Bind off
135yds in MC, 70yds in CC.
Suggested Yarns:
Sirdar Balmoral DK - 135 yards/125 metres per
50g ball (72% Wool, 25% Alpaca, 3% Silk).
Needles: 1 set of 4mm dpns
Gauge: 28st/ 29 rws to 4in (10cm) in Houndstooth
pattern.
A Pile of Sheep
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MC = main colour
CC = contrasting colour
sl = slip stitch as if to knit
m = make 1 stitch (bar increase)
ktbl = knit through the back loop
sk2p = slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped
stitch over the knit 2 together
© Ellen Gill 2012
RIGHT MITT
Cuff
CO 44 in MC, using either long-tail cast on or 1x1
ribbed tubular cast on.
Divide sts evenly across needles. Carefully join
without twisting to start working in the round.
Round 32: K in pattern to marker, remove
marker, sl19 onto holder/ waste yarn, remove
marker, CO 1 in MC, K in pattern to end of round.
Work 7 more rounds of Houndstooth pattern, or
until the mitt reaches your finger knuckles.
Round 1: [K1, P1] to end of round.
Ribbing
Repeat this round until you have worked 20 rounds
in total.
In MC only:
Round 1: [K1, P1] to end of round
Round 2: sl, [P1, K1] to last stitch, P1
Rounds 3-8: [K1, P1] to end of round
Hand
Houndstooth pattern
The four following rounds make up one repeat
of the Houndstooth pattern.
All pattern stitches are K, unless stated
otherwise. When changing between yarns,
always carry the CC yarn under the MC.
Round A: [3CC, 1MC] to end.
Round B: [1CC, 3MC] to end.
Round C: 1MC, [1CC, 3MC] x10, 1CC, 2MC
Round D: 2CC, [1MC, 3CC] x10, 1MC, 1CC
BO all stitches loosely in either 1x1 (K1, P1) rib
or tubular cast off.
Thumb
Move all held stitches back onto needles. Divide
sts across your needles and mark the beginning
of the round.
Join on MC yarn.
Round 1: [P1, K1] x9, P1, then pick up and K 3
sts over the open edge of the hand.
Round 2: [P1, K1] x9, P1, sk2p.
Rounds 3-6: [P1, K1] to end of round.
Join on CC yarn.
Round 1: As Round A of Houndstooth pattern
Round 2: Sl, [3MC, 1CC] x10, 3MC
(As Round B of Houndstooth pattern)
Rounds 3 & 4: As Rounds C and D of pattern.
BO all stitches loosely in 1x1 (P1, K1) rib or
tubular cast off
LEFT MITT
Thumb Gusset
Follow instructions for right mitt again, or use
optional instructions below.
Round 5: (Work pattern as for Round 1) K22, place
marker, K1, place marker, K to end of round.
Round 6: (Continuing to repeat Houndstooth
pattern) K to marker, sl marker, work row 1 of
Thumb Gusset chart, sl marker, K to end of round.
Optional Mirror Patterning
REMEMBER: One stitch of the Houndstooth
pattern is now between the markers and should
be counted as you work.
Rounds 7-31: Continue to work Houndstooth pattern
over the main body of the hand, and the Thumb
Gusset chart between the markers, until row 25 of
the chart has been reached.
At some points in the chart, there will be more
than 3 stitches of CC yarn in a row. When this
occurs, be sure to loop the MC yarn around the
CC yarn every 3 CC stitches to prevent long MC
floats.
A Pile of Sheep
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If you’re the kind of person who is annoyed by
asymmetrical gloves, work the left mitt as per the
right mitt, but substitute in the following mirrored
houndstooth pattern:
Round 1: 1CC, [1MC, 3CC] x10, 1MC, 2CC
Round 2: 1CC (NB: slip this stitch the first time
you work this round), [3MC, 1CC] x10, 3MC
Round 3: [3MC, 1CC] to end of round.
Round 4: 2CC, [1MC, 3CC] x10, 1MC, 1CC
When you reach the thumb gusset, simply read
the chart rows from left to right.
© Ellen Gill 2012
Finishing
Weave in all ends. Block mitts by washing in lukewarm water, squeezing out excess water in a towel, and
laying flat to dry.
Thumb Gusset Chart
Read all rows from right to left.
Row
m
m
l
l
m
l
l
m
l
l
m
l
l
m
l
l
m
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l
m
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l
l
m
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l
m
l
l
m
l
l
m
l
l
m
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m
l
l
m
l
l
m
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m
25
24
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22
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20
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10
9
8
7
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4
3
2
1
Chart Key
=
MC
A Pile of Sheep
http://apileofsheep.wordpress.com
=
CC
m
=
m
l
=
ktbl
© Ellen Gill 2012