The Mitten Pattern

Oh, wondrous winter! Oh, sparkling snow! Oh, cozy quarters! As the light dims and days seep into long, icy stretches before us, our fingers reach for the greatest creature comforts we can cast on: the simple mitten. Uncomplicated stockinette flanked by basic ribbing, they are both understated and elevated; a classic favorite for the champion knitter and a first-tier challenge for the brave, new one. The colors we’ve chosen here are an homage to perhaps the greatest piece of children’s literature, and one that sparks some of our warmest childhood memories: Jan Brett’s The Mitten. A jaw-dropping depiction of the Ukrainian folktale, the book is filled with intricate folkloric drawings, magical forest creatures and centers around knitting: a fluffy pair of mittens made by a Baba for her spirited grandson.

We’ve incorporated one of our favorite methods here–holding a fingering weight yarn together with a fluffy laceweight–and this one feels both rustic AND luxurious, with a tweedy solid to create textural nuance, and silky Suri alpaca taking the place of mohair. Not only do you have the opportunity to play with color, but holding two yarns together adds both warmth and ease–a heavier weight gauge means this project is quicker to knit. And. We thought that in addition to the basic mitten, we’d also offer both a convertible pair and a fingerless pair that would double up on those days when you need even more finger mobility. Choose the fingerless pair for totally unfettered access, or wear the flip-top pair with the lids down when you want full coverage, flip the tops down when you need to change the radio or turn up the heat or fish that perfect Petoskey stone out of the water.

And as if three options weren’t enough, there’s enough Nuages left from your mittens that to knit a Basic Buzz Hat.  The mittens and the hat both work up at the same gauge and require roughly the same yardage. Purchase an additional skein of Loft to hold along with your leftovers and you’ve got an entire coordinating, cozy set. Choose a different fingering weight yarn and you’ll have a matching-but-not-quite-matchy set.

Looking for the Evergreen Campfire Mug? Find it HERE.