Blue Sky Fibers Olga's Mittens Knitting Pattern

Blue Sky Fibers Olga's Mittens

What is Being Made

Olga's Mittens are a pair of women's mittens designed by Rachel Russ, available in sizes Small/Medium and Medium/Large. These are Old World inspired Fair Isle mittens featuring an easy peasant thumb construction and a distinctive Latvian loop stitch cuff. The mittens combine traditional stranded colorwork techniques with a charming textured cuff detail, making them both functional and decorative for keeping hands warm during cold weather.

Techniques Used

This knitting pattern employs several advanced techniques suitable for intermediate-level knitters. The mittens are worked in the round using double-pointed needles, which allows for seamless construction. The pattern features stranded colorwork (Fair Isle), a technique where two colors of yarn are carried across the inside of the work to create patterned designs on the exterior. Additionally, the cuff utilizes the Latvian loop stitch, a decorative stitch technique that creates long loops extending from the fabric, adding texture and visual interest to the finished mittens.

Stitches Used

• Latvian Loop Stitch: A specialty stitch worked over any number of stitches, requiring the yarn to be wrapped around the left index finger to create long loops that are then secured through stitches on the needle. This stitch forms the textured cuff.
• Stranded colorwork stitches: Used throughout the body of the mittens to create the Fair Isle pattern, involving knitting with two colors simultaneously while carrying the unused color inside the work.
• Standard knit and purl stitches: Form the foundation of the mittens, worked in conjunction with the colorwork and specialty stitches.

Materials and Tools

The mittens are knitted using Blue Sky Fibers Sport Weight yarn, a fine-weight yarn suitable for detailed colorwork. The pattern calls for one hank each of a main color (MC) and contrasting color (CC) in the Sport Weight line, with the photo sample shown in Sport Weight Taupe #505 (MC) and Melange Cinnamon #804 (CC). Each hank contains 50 grams and approximately 110 yards of yarn. Knitters will need Size 6 (4 mm) double-pointed needles (or straight needles as an optional alternative), along with a tapestry needle for finishing, stitch markers to track rounds, and waste yarn or a small stitch holder for managing stitches during construction. The pattern recommends blocking the finished mittens using the wet block method with a yardstick or wooden utensil to even out stitches and shape the mittens properly.

Pattern Format

This is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern provided by Blue Sky Fibers, designed for intermediate-level knitters. The pattern includes detailed instructions for both right and left mittens, with cast-on instructions using straight needles or two double-pointed needles, followed by conversion to working in the round across four double-pointed needles. Finishing instructions include specific blocking techniques to achieve an even, professional appearance in the completed mittens.