Knitting 202—Felted Mittens

Supplies
•Worsted weight, 100% wool yarn (NOT superwash!) Yardage:
		Children’s Mitts—approx 154 yds
		Women’s Mitts—approx 232 yds
		Men’s Mitts—approx 277 yds
•Size 9 double pointed needles, or size needed to make gauge
	•Yarn Needle
	•Stitch Markers

Gauge
	18 sts + 25 rows = 4"

Notes

	•Instructions are written for older child (woman, man)
	•Instructions are written for three double-point needles.

Abbreviations

•M1R (Make one right slanting): Insert the tip of the left needle, from the back to the front, under the horizontal strand which connects the stitches on the right and left needles. This will form a new loop on the left needle. Knit this loop through the front, which will form a new, right slanting stitch.
•M1L (Make one left slanting): Insert the tip of the left needle, from the front to the back, under the horizontal strand which connects the stitches on the right and left needles. This will form a new loop on the left needle. Knit this loop through the back, which will form a new, left slanting stitch.
•SSK (Slip, slip, knit) Slip two stitches, one at a time, as if to knit. Then slide the left needle through the front of these loops (from the left to the right), and knit them together from this position.
•K2tog (Knit two together): Knit two stitches together as one.

Right Mitten

Cuff	
CO 40 (44, 52) sts. Divide onto three needles. Join, being careful not to twist the stitches, and work in K2, P2 rib for 3.5" (4", 4"). The remainder of the mitten will be worked in st st. 
Knit 2 (4, 6) rounds. Then rearrange the sts onto the three needles as follows: Needle One: 10 (11, 13) sts; Needle Two: 10 (11, 13) sts; Needle Three: 20 (22, 26) sts. 

Thumb Gusset	
	Row One: K3, place marker, M1R, K1, M1L, place marker, K to end of round.
	Row Two: Knit

Cont in this fashion, adding a new stitch just after first marker and again just before second marker on every other round, until there are 9(11, 15) sts bet markers. Knit another round.

Palm
K3, place the sts bet the markers on a holder or piece of scrap yarn, CO 3 sts, K to end of round [42 (46, 54) sts]. Cont knitting in the round until mitten measures 9 ½" (11", 12 3/4"). At this point, transfer one st from the Needle Two to Needle Three. This will give you a total of 21 (23, 27) sts on Needle Three.

Top of Mitten
	Decrease in the following fashion:
•Row One: On Needle One, K1, SSK, K to end of needle. On Needle Two, K until 3 sts rem, K2tog, K1. On Needle Three, K1, SSK, K until 3 sts rem, K2tog, K1.
		•Row Two: Knit
Rep these two rows until a total of 26 (30, 34) sts rem. At this point, dec on every row until 10 sts rem. Transfer all the sts from Needle Two to Needle One. You will have 5 sts on each of the two rem needles. Graft sts tog using the Kitchner method.

Thumb
Pick up the 9 (11, 15) sts from the holder, and divide onto two needles. Knit these sts, and then, with a third needle, pick up 5 sts from back of palm (the three cast on sts, plus one on either side). This will give you a total of 14 (16, 20) sts. K even until thumb measures 2 ½" (3", 3 3/4") in length. Then, transfer sts in the following manner: 
•Children’s Thumb—move 1 st from Needle Two to Needle Three, and 1 st from Needle One to Needle Three, knitting this last st.
•Woman’s Thumb—move 2 sts from Needle Two to Needle Three, and 1 st from Needle One to Needle Three, knitting this last st.
•Man’s Thumb—move 3 sts from Needle Two to Needle Three, and 2 sts from Needle One to Needle Three, knitting these last 2 sts.
Work dec as follows:
Needle One: SSK, K to end; Needle Two: K until 2 sts rem, K2tog; Needle Three: SSK, K until 2 sts rem, K2tog.
	Dec on every row, until 6 (4,4) sts rem. Cut yarn and pull through the 6 (4,4) sts.

Left Mitten
	Work as per right mitten through the cuff.

Thumb Gusset
Row One: K across Needle One, K across Needle Two until 4 sts rem. Then place marker, M1R, K1, M1L, place marker, K3. K across Needle Three.
	Row Two: Knit

Cont. in this fashion, adding a new stitch just after first marker and again just before second marker on every other round until there are 9(11, 15) sts bet markers. Knit another round.

Palm
K across Needle One. K across Needle Two until you come to the first st marker. Place the sts bet the markers on a holder or piece of scrap yarn, CO 3 sts, K to end of round [42 (46, 54) sts]. Cont knitting in the round until mitten measures 9 ½" (11", 12 3/4"). At this point, transfer one st from Needle One to Needle Three, knitting this st. This will give you a total of 21 (23, 27) sts on the third needle. Work top of mitten following instr for right mitten.

Thumb
	Work acc to instr for right thumb, transferring sts in the following manner:
•Children’s Thumb—move 1 st from Needle Two to Needle Three, and 1 st from Needle One to Needle Three, knitting this last st.
•Woman’s Thumb—move 1 st from Needle Two to Needle Three, and 2 sts from Needle One to Needle Three, knitting these last 2 sts.
•Man’s Thumb—move 2 sts from Needle Two to Needle Three, and 3 sts from Needle One to Needle Three, knitting these last 3 sts.
	Finish as per right thumb.

Felting
Wash the mittens in hot, soapy water until they are the appropriate size. Finished length is approx 8 ½" (9", 10"). Rinse in cool water and lay flat to air dry. Do not put them in a clothes dryer.