Slit mittens
An end of November cold front motivated me to finish a pair of mittens that had been on the needles since spring. I have cold extremities and when it comes to cold weather, the only effective way I have found that keeps at least some blood circulating to the end of my fingers are mittens. Not only that, I also layer my mittens on top of gloves.
When I lived in Iowa years ago, I discovered the type of mittens where one can pull off just the top to let the fingers appear. There is no need to choose between saving one's fingers from frostbite or being able to fetch one's keys and open a car's door. This pattern is one of those. It is designed to accommodate gloves worn underneath.
I went off of this pattern, got rid of the individual fingers and rescaled it to my gauge . The thumb is roomy and the "hand" (mitten measured flat side to side above the thumb) 9.5cm across or 3 3/4 inches.
I don't know what yarn I used, it was some small left over amount in my stash of a soft, purple hairy yarn. It looks slightly smaller than sport weight. With size 7 (4.5 mm) needles, the gauge I obtained is 10 stitches to 2 inches (5 cm) and 12 rows to 2 inches.
Cast on 32 stitches and work 20 rounds in 2/2 ribbing, or more if you want a longer cuff. Mark the beginning of your round.
Next round: k all stitches and increase 4 stitches evenly (k8, make 1, repeat). You should have 36 stitches on the needles. Work 2 rounds even after that.
Left hand
Thumb gusset increase row: K 18, P 1, make 1, K1, place marker, K to end of round.
Next round: work even
Repeat these two rounds, until you have increased a total of 8 stitches. You should have 44 stitches on the needles. Finish with one round worked even.
Next round: work even up to the purl stitch. Place the purl stitch and stitches following, up to the marker, on a stitch holder. Using a provisional cast on, CO 8 stitches and join the round. Place markers around the 8 stitches added. Work one round even. (42 stitches total).
We are going to decrease the 8 stitches added down to 2. At he same time, we set up the palm slit.
Next round: When you reach the 8 stitches, SSK, K4, K2TOG. Now you should have 6 stitches left between the markers. Work one round even. Do another decrease round (SSK, K2, K2TOG, 4 left). Work one round even. Next round: start a 2/2 ribbing on the first 12 stitches of the round (K2,P2). Also perform the last decrease: SSK, K2, 2 left between markers. You can discard the markers at that point, but keep the beginning of round marker. (36 stitches left)
Work an additional 4 rounds in the pattern established.
Next round: BO the ribbed stitches in ribbing.
Continuing to work in the round in st st, CO 14 stitches to replace the ones you bound off, using a provisional cast-on. (38 stitches). Work three rounds even then start decreasing for the tapered top of the mittens.
Decrease round: K2, SSK, K11, K2TOG, K2 (34 stitches)
Work 3 rounds even
Decrease round: K2, SSK, K9, K2TOG, K2 (30 stitches)
Work 2 rounds even
Decrease round: K2, SSK, K7, K2TOG, K2 (26 stitches)
Work 2 rounds even
Decrease round: K2, SSK, K5, K2TOG, K2 (22 stitches)
Work 2 rounds even
Decrease round (different!): K1, SSK, K5, K2TOG, K1 (18 stitches)
Work 1 round even
Last decrease round: K1, SSK, K3, K2TOG, K1 (14 stitches)
BO of the remaining stiches in kitchener stitch, 7 stitches on each needle.
Finishing the slit
Pick up the stitches left on the waste yarn on the palm at the provisional cast on. Work 5 rows in 2/2 ribbing, attaching the ribbing to the mittens by knitting the edge stitches together with stitches picked up from ribbed edge on palm.
Finishing the thumb
Pick up the stitches left on the stitch holder at the thumb, along with the stitches on the waste yarn at the provisional cast on. Join in a round, picking up and twisting additional stitches if necessary to prevent gaps. Knit the picked up stitches together with a neighbor stitch. You should have a total of 18 stitches on the needles when all is said and done. Work even rounds until you reach the base of your thumbnail, then start decreasing (where in the round you start the decrease does not matter, it's a roughly cylindricaly symmetrical decrease process).
*K3, K2TOG* 3 times, K1, K2TOG - 14 stitches left
K one round even
*K2, K2TOG* 3 times, K2 - 11 stitches left
K one round even
K2TOG 5 times, K1 - 6 stitches left
K one round even
Cut yarn leaving a 10 cm (5") tail. Thread the tail through the remaining stitches, secure and tuck away the end.
Right hand
Begin the same as for left hand (cuff, increase row, 2 rows even)
Thumb gusset increase row: K until one stitch shy of the end of the round, purl the last stitch, and make one.
Next round: work even
Repeat these two rounds, until you have increased a total of 8 increases. You should have 44 stitches on the needles. Finish with one round worked even.
Next round: work even up to the purl stitch. Place the purl stitch and stitches following, up to the marker, on a stitch holder. Using a provisional cast on, CO 7 stitches and join the round. Place markers around the 7 stitches added.
Continue, mirroring the instructions for the left hand.
Never let your fingers go numb from the cold ever again.
When I lived in Iowa years ago, I discovered the type of mittens where one can pull off just the top to let the fingers appear. There is no need to choose between saving one's fingers from frostbite or being able to fetch one's keys and open a car's door. This pattern is one of those. It is designed to accommodate gloves worn underneath.
I went off of this pattern, got rid of the individual fingers and rescaled it to my gauge . The thumb is roomy and the "hand" (mitten measured flat side to side above the thumb) 9.5cm across or 3 3/4 inches.
I don't know what yarn I used, it was some small left over amount in my stash of a soft, purple hairy yarn. It looks slightly smaller than sport weight. With size 7 (4.5 mm) needles, the gauge I obtained is 10 stitches to 2 inches (5 cm) and 12 rows to 2 inches.
Instructions
Next round: k all stitches and increase 4 stitches evenly (k8, make 1, repeat). You should have 36 stitches on the needles. Work 2 rounds even after that.
Left hand
Thumb gusset increase row: K 18, P 1, make 1, K1, place marker, K to end of round.
Next round: work even
Repeat these two rounds, until you have increased a total of 8 stitches. You should have 44 stitches on the needles. Finish with one round worked even.
Next round: work even up to the purl stitch. Place the purl stitch and stitches following, up to the marker, on a stitch holder. Using a provisional cast on, CO 8 stitches and join the round. Place markers around the 8 stitches added. Work one round even. (42 stitches total).
We are going to decrease the 8 stitches added down to 2. At he same time, we set up the palm slit.
Next round: When you reach the 8 stitches, SSK, K4, K2TOG. Now you should have 6 stitches left between the markers. Work one round even. Do another decrease round (SSK, K2, K2TOG, 4 left). Work one round even. Next round: start a 2/2 ribbing on the first 12 stitches of the round (K2,P2). Also perform the last decrease: SSK, K2, 2 left between markers. You can discard the markers at that point, but keep the beginning of round marker. (36 stitches left)
Work an additional 4 rounds in the pattern established.
Next round: BO the ribbed stitches in ribbing.
Continuing to work in the round in st st, CO 14 stitches to replace the ones you bound off, using a provisional cast-on. (38 stitches). Work three rounds even then start decreasing for the tapered top of the mittens.
Decrease round: K2, SSK, K11, K2TOG, K2 (34 stitches)
Work 3 rounds even
Decrease round: K2, SSK, K9, K2TOG, K2 (30 stitches)
Work 2 rounds even
Decrease round: K2, SSK, K7, K2TOG, K2 (26 stitches)
Work 2 rounds even
Decrease round: K2, SSK, K5, K2TOG, K2 (22 stitches)
Work 2 rounds even
Decrease round (different!): K1, SSK, K5, K2TOG, K1 (18 stitches)
Work 1 round even
Last decrease round: K1, SSK, K3, K2TOG, K1 (14 stitches)
BO of the remaining stiches in kitchener stitch, 7 stitches on each needle.
Finishing the slit
Pick up the stitches left on the waste yarn on the palm at the provisional cast on. Work 5 rows in 2/2 ribbing, attaching the ribbing to the mittens by knitting the edge stitches together with stitches picked up from ribbed edge on palm.
Finishing the thumb
Pick up the stitches left on the stitch holder at the thumb, along with the stitches on the waste yarn at the provisional cast on. Join in a round, picking up and twisting additional stitches if necessary to prevent gaps. Knit the picked up stitches together with a neighbor stitch. You should have a total of 18 stitches on the needles when all is said and done. Work even rounds until you reach the base of your thumbnail, then start decreasing (where in the round you start the decrease does not matter, it's a roughly cylindricaly symmetrical decrease process).
*K3, K2TOG* 3 times, K1, K2TOG - 14 stitches left
K one round even
*K2, K2TOG* 3 times, K2 - 11 stitches left
K one round even
K2TOG 5 times, K1 - 6 stitches left
K one round even
Cut yarn leaving a 10 cm (5") tail. Thread the tail through the remaining stitches, secure and tuck away the end.
Right hand
Begin the same as for left hand (cuff, increase row, 2 rows even)
Thumb gusset increase row: K until one stitch shy of the end of the round, purl the last stitch, and make one.
Next round: work even
Repeat these two rounds, until you have increased a total of 8 increases. You should have 44 stitches on the needles. Finish with one round worked even.
Next round: work even up to the purl stitch. Place the purl stitch and stitches following, up to the marker, on a stitch holder. Using a provisional cast on, CO 7 stitches and join the round. Place markers around the 7 stitches added.
Continue, mirroring the instructions for the left hand.
Never let your fingers go numb from the cold ever again.
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