How to make mittens

Techniques to make you an expert

Mittens can be knitted flat (sewing up the seam at the end) or in the round (worked on a set of DPNs). They usually have a ribbed cu , a straight hand part and a separate thumb section. Here we explain a few methods of knitting thumbs and tops for you to try…

THUMBS

We explain two common ways to work the thumb for your mittens… THE GUSSET THUMB After you have finished the cuff work a few rows in pattern then place stitch markers either side of one or two stitches to mark your thumb.

1 Work to the first marker, slip the marker and then work a M1L. 2 Work to the second marker, then work a M1R.

3 Work 1 or 2 rounds/rows straight between increase rows and repeat Steps 1 and 2 until your pattern tells you have enough sts for a thumb.

4 On the next round/row, work to the first marker and use a needle to thread a piece of waste yarn through the thumb stitches.

5 Using the backward loop method, cast on 1 or 2 stitches across the gap, where the thumb stitches are, pulling tightly . 6 Carry on knitting to close the gap and complete the mitten body as per pattern. Finishing your gusset thumb With RS facing and double-pointed needles, place the held thumb stitches on 3 DPNs. Pick up and knit 1 st from where the palm meets the held sts, knit across the thumb sts on hold, pick up and knit 1 st from where held stitches meet palm. PM for beg of round.

Next round Ssk, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog. [2 thumb sts dec’d]

7 Knit every round until the thumb measures 5cm, or 0.5cm less than the finished thumb length.

8 Next round (dec) *K2tog; rep from * until you have 6 thumb sts. Break yarn and thread through remaining sts. Fasten off.

THE AFTERTHOUGHT THUMB Cast on 28 sts. Work 10 rows in st st.

1 Next row (RS) K11, K next 6 sts using waste yarn, slip sts back to LH needle and K again using main yarn, K11 to end.

Work 10 rows in st st. Cast off. Finishing your afterthought thumb

2 With RS facing, undo waste yarn and place the live sts above and below where the waste yarn was onto 2 DPNs held parallel.

3 Joining in an extra DPN as you go, *pick up and knit a stitch before the live stitches and then knit across the live stitches on the bottom, pick up and knit another stitch at the end of the live stitches, knit across the live stitches on the top. You should now have your original stitch count, plus 2, on 3 DPNs. 4 Knit every round until thumb measures 5cm, or 0.5cm less than finished thumb length. Next round (dec) *K2tog: rep from * until you have 6 thumb sts. Break and thread through rem sts. Fasten off.