Adam’s Mitten Pattern

Mock Rib Mitten Pattern for CSM’s

by Adam Mielke

Instructions for making mittens on circular sock knitting machines.

Foreword:

Before you start read the instructions completely. It will be helpful if you have a good understanding of how CSM’s work. You will need to be able to knit a heel and a suitable ribbed or hemmed top.

Your cylinder should have marks at the halfway point on each side, such as you use for knitting the heel. As you face the machine the mark on the right will be called the “right halfway mark” and likewise the mark on the left will be called the “left halfway mark”.

Wherever the instructions say to do certain number of rounds you will see two numbers in parentheses. For example (2030). The first number is for a woman’s size mitten and the second is for a man’s size mitten. Use a looser tension for the man’s size and a tighter tension for the woman’s size.

Note: This pattern is designed using a sport weight yarn on a 60-needle cylinder. Due to the variations in yarns and machines, the figures given here may not be correct for all applications. For example, when the pattern says to do 40 rounds you might have to do 35. You will need to develop your own figures to fit your yarn and machine.

To knit the mitten.

Start by knitting the cuff of your choice. The cuff should be between two and three inches in length. Then knit (2025) rounds stopping with the yarn carrier in the front.

To knit the thumb.

Pull up the back 36 needles starting with the fourth needle behind the halfway mark.  (Note: I have found it better to knit distinct right- and left-hand mittens. To knit a right mitten start by pulling up the fourth needle behind the right halfway mark. To do a left mitten you do the same, except on left side of the cylinder.) You should now have 24 needles remaining in service. Place the yarn over the take-up spring. Now using a heel-hook or some other method to weight the thumb stitches, knit back and forth (3338) times. This forms a strip. (Note: When knitting the thumb, take care that you always have the stitches pulled down or the stitches will “jump” off the needles causing a BIG MESS.)   Cut the yarn leaving a five-inch tail and run the work off the needles.

The gusset.

Along each selvedge of the thumb pick up 12 stitches, starting close to the hand. (Note: When picking up the stitches in the gusset you may have to skip some of the stitches on the thumb to make it come out even i.e. skip every fourth stitch.) With those 24 stitches on the needles, and the yarn carrier on the right, thread the yarn through the carrier. Place a two-inch tail of yarn by the first needle in action. Holding the tail of the yarn tight, knit until the carrier is in the front. Push all the needles down into action.

The hand.

Now, knit the hand by knitting (3040) rounds. Finish using a basic heel/toe pattern. Cast off or start the next mitten.

Finishing.

To close the thumb, first unravel 2 rows of knitting and cut the yarn leaving a 15-inch tail. Then, using darning needle, run the thread twice through the stitches and draw the string tight, closing the top. Next, working down to the gusset, join the two sides of the thumb as you would with any flat work. I use a stitch called the mattress or ladder stitch (see p.248 of KNITTER’S HANDBOOK by Montse Stanley).

(Note: It helps to steam the work with a hot iron. This causes the stitches to lay flat, making them easier to work with.)

© 2000, 2014 by Adam D. Mielke