Berroco Star Anise Mittens Knitting Pattern

Berroco Star Anise Mittens

What is Being Made

The Berroco Star Anise mittens are a pair of intermediate-level knitted mittens designed by Amy Christoffers. These mittens are worked seamlessly in the round and finished with a stranded colorwork pattern inspired by the star anise design. Each mitten measures approximately 8½ inches around and 9½ inches long after finishing, making them a standard adult size.

Knitting Techniques

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques that make it suitable for intermediate knitters:

• Seamless construction: The mittens are worked entirely in the round using double-pointed needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a continuous, polished garment
• Bottom-up construction: The mittens are knitted from the cuff upward to the fingertips, allowing for easy fitting adjustments and a traditional mitten shaping approach
• Stranded colorwork: A charted pattern using two colors is worked throughout the main body of the mittens, with the stranded technique carrying unused yarn inside the fabric for a durable, reversible design
• Thumb gusset placement: The thumb is strategically placed using waste yarn as a temporary holder, which is later picked up and worked separately for a custom fit
• Gauge-dependent shaping: The pattern relies on accurate gauge measurement to achieve proper sizing and fit

Stitches Used

The Star Anise mittens utilize fundamental knitting stitches combined with colorwork techniques:

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch throughout the mittens, created by knitting every round when working in the round, providing a smooth, classic fabric base
• Charted pattern stitches: A multi-round stranded colorwork pattern that is repeated twice around the circumference of each mitten, creating the distinctive star anise motif
• Ribbing or textured cuff: The cuff begins with stockinette stitch and includes a purl round to create definition between the cuff and the patterned body

Materials and Tools

Yarn: The pattern calls for two Berroco yarns in a worsted-weight construction:

• Berroco Ultra Wool in colorway #3316 Thyme (main color) – 1 ball of 100 grams
• Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint in colorway #3304 Pink Lemonade (contrast color) – 1 ball of 100 grams

These yarn choices provide durability and warmth suitable for winter mittens, with the handpaint yarn adding visual interest to the stranded colorwork design.

Needles and Notions:

• One set of double-pointed needles in size 2 / 2.75 mm (for the cuff)
• One set of double-pointed needles in size 4 / 3.5 mm (for the main body)
• Waste yarn for holding thumb stitches temporarily
• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends and finishing

Gauge: The pattern is worked to a gauge of 22 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in the charted pattern on the larger needles. Achieving accurate gauge is essential for proper mitten sizing and fit.

Pattern Structure and Construction Details

The mittens follow a traditional bottom-up seamless construction method. The left mitten begins with casting on 48 stitches using the smaller double-pointed needles and the contrast color yarn, then dividing the stitches evenly across three needles and joining to work in the round. After working the cuff in stockinette stitch with a purl round for definition, the main color is joined and the charted stranded colorwork pattern begins. The pattern is worked for two complete repeats around the mitten circumference across 61 rounds, with the thumb gusset inserted at round 28 using waste yarn. This construction method ensures a professional finish with no visible seams and allows for precise shaping throughout the mitten.