How to Knit Mittens With Double Pointed Needles
Mittens are useful, yet frequently lost, making a mitten knitter a busy knitter. They make good gifts for people of all ages, and can be made with remnants of yarn. Mittens are traditionally knit on double-pointed needles, and this method is still popular among knitters. Their size makes them ideal for testing out techniques and yarns, and their high visibility means all your hard work will be seen. Hand-knit mittens are a way to make a gift that is useful and beautiful.
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Things You'll Need
- Yarn
- Double-pointed needles
- Stitch markers
- Stitch holder
- Measuring tape
- Yarn needle
Instructions
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Taking Measurements
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1
Measure the hand from where you would like the cuff to begin to the wrist bone, from the wrist bone to the tip of the pinky, from the wrist bone to the tip of the middle finger, and the length of the thumb.
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2
Knit a 4-inch-by-4-inch gauge swatch. For items knit in the round, you knit one row, slide the knitting to the other end of the needle, drape the yarn loosely across the back side of the work, and knit the next row. This produces a stockinette stitch without purling.
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3
Measure your swatch. Write down your stitch and row gauge.
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4
Multiply your stitch gauge by your wrist circumference. This is the number of stitches you will need to cast on. Multiply the cuff length by the row gauge to get the number of rows needed for the cuff. Multiply the hand length and thumb length by your row gauge to get the number of rows of knitting needed for the hand and thumb. Multiply the wrist to pinky length by your row gauge to get the row number at which you will begin your decreases to taper the mitten.
Knitting the Mitten
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5
Cast on loosely using a long tail or other stretchy cast on method. Divide the stitches evenly between the needles. Join the stitches in the round, being careful not to twist. Knit in a knit two, purl two ribbing until the cuff is as long as you like.
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6
Divide the number of your cast on stitches by four. Increase one stitch each time you've knit this number of stitches. If you've cast on 40 stitches, you will increase one stitch every 10 stitches. Place a marker at the beginning of your round.
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7
Increase one stitch at the end and beginning of each round, until you have 10% more stitches than you started with. Slip the 10% extra stitches onto a stitch holder. These will be used for your thumb. Place a marker at the beginning of the stitches for your hand. Increase one stitch and continue knitting in the round. Knit until the wrist to pinky length is reached.
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8
Decrease one stitch every four stitches. Knit one round plain. Decrease one stitch every three stitches. Knit one round plain. Alternate plain knitting and decreasing rows until six stitches remain on two needles. Use the yarn needle to stitch the end of the mitten shut.
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9
Slip the thumb stitches onto two needles. Knit the stitches and increase two stitches on each needle. Knit even until the thumb length is reached. Decrease every other stitch, then decrease every stitch. Use the yarn needle to stitch the end of the thumb shut.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If all your thumb stitches are on one needle, and you have enough needles to continue knitting with, you can simply let those stitches remain on the needle while you work the hand.
Kitchener stitch, also known as grafting, creates a seamless join to the end of your mittens.
References
- Photo Credit Mittens image by Veniamin Kraskov from Fotolia.com
