Felted mittens (medium weight yarn)

FELTED MEDIUM WEIGHT MITTS

MATERIALS: 200g worsted/Aran weight wool

6mm double pointed needles.

SIZE: small (medium in brackets) adult sizes.

DIRECTIONS: (make 2)

Cast on 48 stitches and join in the round, distributing stitches evenly on 3 needles.

Knit 12 (16) rounds for the cuff. Purl 2 rounds. Knit 14 (16) rounds to the thumb position. Slip first 10 stitches onto a stitch holder. Cast on 10 stitches in their place and rejoin in the round.

Knit straight for 28 (32) rounds or until mitt is slightly longer than the hand.

Decrease at the top of the mitt:

1^st round: *K6, K2tog. Repeat from * to the end of the round. 42 sts.

2^nd and all even rounds: Knit

3^rd round: *K5, K2tog. Repeat from * to the end of the round. 36 sts.

5^th round: *K4, K2tog. Repeat from * to the end of the round. 30 sts.

Continue decreasing in this manner every 2^nd round having 1 less stitch each time between decreases twice more. 18 sts.

Break yarn and thread onto a darning needle. Slip the stitches onto the darning needle and pass the yarn through all 18 sts twice and tie off securely.

To make thumb:

K10 stitches from the holder and pick up and knit 1 st from side of opening. TURN.

Purl across 11 sts and pick up and knit 1 st from the other side of opening. TURN.

Pick up and knit 10 more stitches from the cast on edge of the thumb opening, join in the round and distribute stitches evenly over the 3 needles. 22 sts.

1^st round and all odd rounds: Knit.

2^nd round: K14, K2tog, K2. 17 sts.

4^th round: K13, K2tog, K2. 16 sts.

6^th round: K12, K2tog, K2. 15 sts.

Knit 11 more rounds even.

Next round: (K1, K2tog) 6 times, K2. 14 sts.

Next round: (K1, K2tog) 4 times, K2tog. 9 sts.

Break yarn and thread onto a darning needle. Slip the stitches onto the darning needle and pass the yarn through all 9 sts twice and tie off securely.

Fulling (felting/shrinking) your mittens.

Place mittens in a protective cloth bag (zippered pillow case cover). Set washing machine to the hottest wash and coldest rinse and lowest water level settings that it allows and run through the entire cycle. You can add some old towels to increase agitation but it generally isn’t necessary.

Remove from machine at the end of the cycle and flatten, shape, stretch (if necessary) and allow to dry flat, (not in the dryer) turning on occasion to allow for better circulation.

Notes: Front loading washing machines are generally too gentle to do a good job of felting. To help with this, try adding a kettle of boiling water to the wash cycle through the liquid detergent opening.

If necessary, the washing process can be done a second time.

Copyright, 2015, Anne Woodall, KnitTraders of Kingston.

Email: shop@knittraders.com www.knittraders.com