Blue Sky Fibers Sporty Mitts Mittens Knitting Pattern

Blue Sky Fibers Sporty Mitts: Free Knitting Pattern

What Is Being Made

The Sporty Mitts are a pair of knitted mittens designed by Colleen Powley. This one-size-fits-most pattern creates mittens measuring 7¼ inches in diameter (unstretched) at the top and 7¼ inches in length. The mittens feature colorwork stripes and a functional thumb gusset for comfortable wear.

Craft and Skill Level

This is an Advanced Beginner level knitting project. While the pattern incorporates intermediate techniques such as colorwork and jogless stripes, the overall construction remains accessible to knitters developing their skills beyond basic stockinette stitch projects.

Techniques Used

The Sporty Mitts employ several key knitting techniques:

• Jogless Stripes: A color-change method designed to minimize the visual "jog" that occurs when transitioning between colors in the round. This technique involves working the first round in the new color, then on the following round, slipping the beginning-of-round marker, inserting the right needle from back to front into the stitch below the first stitch on the left needle, and slipping that stitch onto the left needle before knitting it together with the next stitch.
• Colorwork Chart: The mittens feature a colorwork pattern worked in stockinette stitch, beginning on round 29 and continuing to the top.
• Thumb Gusset: An increase-based construction method that creates shaping for the thumb. The gusset is created simultaneously with the colorwork pattern using make-one increases (m1R and m1L) on alternating rounds, expanding from 2 stitches between markers to 4 stitches and continuing as needed.
• In-the-Round Construction: The mittens are knitted in the round using double-pointed needles, eliminating the need for seaming.
• Waste Yarn Thumb: The thumb stitches are held on waste yarn during the main mitten construction and worked separately afterward, with stitches picked up at the gusset opening to complete the thumb.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches appropriate for an Advanced Beginner level:

• Knit (K): The primary stitch used throughout the cuff and main body in stockinette stitch.
• Make One Right (M1R) and Make One Left (M1L): Increase stitches used to shape the thumb gusset. M1L is created by inserting the left needle from front to back under the running thread between stitches and knitting through the back loop.
• Slip Stitch (sl): Used in the jogless stripe technique and for managing stitch markers.
• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary fabric structure, created by knitting all stitches in the round.
• Bind Off (BO): Applied loosely at the completion of the mittens to finish all stitches.

Materials and Gauge

The Sporty Mitts pattern calls for Blue Sky Sport Weight or Melange yarn in three colors. The materials list specifies 1 hank each of main color (MC), contrast color 1 (CC1), and contrast color 2 (CC2), with each hank weighing 50 grams and providing 110 yards of yardage. The photo shown uses the color combination of Cappuccino #540 (MC), Hibiscus #538 (CC1), and Buttercup #537 (CC2).

The pattern requires Size 3 (3.25 mm) double-pointed needles, or the size needed to obtain the specified gauge. Additional notions include 3 stitch markers and waste yarn for holding thumb stitches during construction.

The gauge is 13 stitches and 18 rounds equals 2 inches in stockinette stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished dimensions of 7¼ inches in diameter and length.

Pattern Structure

The Sporty Mitts are constructed in the following sequence: Cast on 48 stitches in the main color, divided evenly across four double-pointed needles (12 stitches per needle). After joining in the round and working 5 rounds even, knit for