Atria Mittens Knitting Pattern

Atria Mittens in Berroco Catena

What is Being Made

The Atria Mittens are a pair of knitted hand coverings designed by Amy Palmer. These mittens feature a distinctive construction method using an I-Cord band as the foundation, with the hand portion picked up and knit from the I-Cord edge. The mittens are available in three sizes with finished hand circumferences of 7", 8", and 9", and adjustable lengths ranging from 9½" to 10½". The design includes an afterthought thumb placement technique for a comfortable, custom fit.

Techniques Used

The Atria Mittens employ several intermediate-level knitting techniques that create visual interest and structural integrity. The construction begins with an I-Cord band, a tubular cord created by working stitches back and forth on double-pointed needles without turning the work between rows. This I-Cord serves as the decorative and functional base of the mittens, measuring between 20" and 22" depending on size.

The hand portion is created using the pick-up and knit method, where stitches are picked up along one edge of the completed I-Cord between marked points. The pattern then transitions to circular knitting using double-pointed needles, working in the round to create seamless fabric. The thumb is constructed using the afterthought thumb technique, where waste yarn is used as a placeholder during the initial hand knitting, and the thumb stitches are later worked separately from the picked-up stitches around the thumb opening. This method allows for precise thumb placement and sizing without the complexity of simultaneous thumb shaping.

Stitches Used

The Atria Mittens are worked primarily in Stockinette Stitch (St st), the foundational stitch for these mittens. Stockinette Stitch creates a smooth, classic fabric with a distinctive V-pattern on the right side and horizontal bumps on the wrong side. This stitch is worked in the round, meaning knit stitches are worked on every round to maintain the smooth appearance throughout the hand and thumb sections.

Materials and Yarn

The Atria Mittens are designed to be knitted with Berroco Catena yarn. The pattern calls for 1 ball (50 grams) of Berroco Catena in color #5491 Rodin, which provides sufficient yardage for the complete pair of mittens across all three sizes.

The needles required include one set of four double-pointed needles (dpns) in size 9 (5.50 mm) and one set in size 10 (6.00 mm), or the size necessary to obtain the correct gauge. The pattern specifies a gauge of 17 stitches and 21 rounds equal 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch on the larger needles. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished mittens match the intended measurements.

Additional notions required include waste yarn in a contrasting color to mark the thumb stitches during the afterthought thumb process, removable stitch markers to indicate the beginning of rounds and thumb placement points, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends upon completion.

Difficulty Level

The Atria Mittens are classified as an Intermediate skill level project. This rating reflects the combination of techniques involved: while Stockinette Stitch itself is fundamental, the use of I-Cord construction, picking up stitches, circular knitting on double-pointed needles, and the afterthought thumb method require comfort with multiple knitting techniques and the ability to manage stitches across multiple needles simultaneously.