Three hour, one skein, FELTED OVEN MITT
I wanted a quick-and-easy gift to use
as Christmas presents, and I wasn’t
very happy with the selection of free
patterns on Ravelry. So, I made my
own pattern.
This is a universal righty/lefty mitt,
meaning the thumb is in the middle of
the mitt. Holding two strands together for the whole pattern means that
the the knitting goes by quickly. This
pattern uses almost exactly one skein
of Cascade 220 yarn (I have 1-2 yards
left); I’m a pretty loose knitter, so
all but the loosest of knitters should
have enough yarn. But, if you’re
nervous about running out then I’d
suggest leaving out a couple of rows
before you start the thumb. The way
that the thumb attaches to the rest
of the mitt may be unfamilar to new
knitters, but I’ve tried to help out
with pictures where I could.
Materials:
- US 13 needles (16” circulars and dpns)
- One skein Cascade 220 yarn1
- Stitch markers x 2
- Tapestry needle
- One yard of waste yarn
Note: I wanted to go ahead and post this pattern, but I
haven’t taken pictures for Figs A-E (this is instructions
on how to attach the thumb). I’ll fix this in the next
couple of weeks.
Finished Measurements:
- 7” wide x 11” tall
Standard Abbreviations:
- k - knit
- sts - stitches
- k2tog - knit two together
- pm - place stitch marker
- c/o - cast on
- p/u - pick up
1: This pattern is set-up for exactly one skein of Cascade 220, but any feltable worsted-weight yarn will do the trick.
Before felting:
After felting:
Main body of mitt:
1. Holding 2 strands of yarn together (you will do this for the entire pattern), cast on
38 sts, and join for knitting in the round.
2. knit 30 rows
3. at beg of next row, k3, k13 with waste yarn (see figures A & B), k to end of round
with the main yarn.
4. knit 15 rows
5. at beg of next row, pm (if you didn’t do this already).
6. k2tog, k15, k2tog, pm, k2tog, k15, k2tog
7. cont. in this way, decreasing 4 sts each rnd (kt2tog, k until two sts before stitch
marker, k2tog) until only 4 sts remain. Swich to dpns when neccessary.
8. break the yarn, and use a tapestry needle to loop through the remaining sts, pull
tight.
Figure A: k13 using waste yarn
Thumb of mitt:
Figure B: k13 using waste yarn
1. using 2 dpns, p/u 30 sts from the location
where you used the waste yarn (15 sts on
each needle). The math: 13 stitches x 2 for
each stitch from step 3 above, and 4 extra
stitches at the edge of each row. See Fig C.
2. Pull out the waste yarn one stitch at a
time. See Figure D.
3. Using circular needle, begin knitting in the
round. See Figure E.
4. k next 12 rows
5. at beg of next row, pm (if didn’t do already).
6. k2tog, k15, k2tog, pm, k2tog, k15, k2tog
7. cont. in this way, decreasing 4 sts each rnd
(kt2tog, k until two sts before stitch marker,
k2tog) until only 4 sts remain.
8. break the yarn, and use a tapestry needle
to loop through the remaining sts, pull tight.
Figure C: Using dpns, p/u 30 sts (15 on top, 15 on
bottom, one extra st on each end to avoid holes).
Figure D: Pull out the waste yarn.
Figure E: Begin knitting with circular needles
Optional I-Cord loop at base of mitt (so you can hang it from a
hook):
1. using a dpn, p/u 3 sts at the base of the oven mitt.
2. knit I-Cord for ~3” (a great tutorial for this is here: http://www.knittinghelp.com/
videos/knitting-tips).
3. You need to attach one end of the I-Cord to the other to make a loop. A couple of
options:
- 3-needle bind-off with: (a) one end of the I-Cord, and (b) three stitches that
you’ll pick up from the base of the oven mitt, to make a loop (this is what I did,
a tutorial for 3-needle bind-off is here: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/
casting-off).
- bind off the I-Cord, and tie the end of the I-Cord to the base of the oven mitt
to make a loop (easier but messier).
Felting:
Throw the whole thing in a washing machine with the smallest load and hottest watter setting. The washing machine should only run through the initial spin cycle. My
washer stops after the initial spin cycle if the lid is left open, but yours may be different, so pay attention. Most felting guides suggest putting the knitted object in a
pillow case and adding something else (jeans, a towel, etc) for extra agitation, and
I did this, though I don’t know if it’s needed. The mitts pictured ran for 12 minutes
and that’s all it took, but this will vary by washing machine.