Rowan Bykle Mittens Knitting Pattern

Rowan Bykle Mittens by Arne & Carlos

What is Being Made

The Rowan Bykle Mittens are a pair of fitted hand coverings designed to fit an average woman's or man's hand. These mittens feature a classic construction worked from the cuff upward, with a divided thumb opening for practical wear and a tapered top for a comfortable fit.

Craft and Construction Method

These mittens are created using the knitting craft. The project employs a bottom-up construction method, meaning the mittens are worked starting from the cuff and progressing toward the fingertips. The mittens are worked in the round using circular needles, which creates seamless tubular fabric ideal for fitted garments. This technique eliminates the need for seaming and ensures consistent tension throughout the piece.

Techniques Used

The Bykle Mittens incorporate stranded colorwork, a technique where two colors of yarn are carried across the back of the work to create a patterned design on the front. The pattern is worked from a chart, allowing knitters to follow the color placement visually. Additional shaping techniques include increases worked using M1R (make one right) and M1L (make one left) methods to expand the hand area, and decreases using slip-stitch-knit-pass-slipped-stitch (sl 1, K1, psso) and knit-two-together (K2tog) methods to taper the top of the mittens for a fitted finish.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The mittens are primarily worked in stockinette stitch, the fundamental knit stitch that creates a smooth, V-textured fabric. The stranded colorwork pattern is integrated into the stockinette base, creating a two-color design that runs throughout the hand and cuff sections. Decreases are strategically placed in a symmetrical pattern to shape the crown of each mitten, reducing from 50 or 62 stitches down to 10 stitches at the top, where the remaining stitches are bound off to close the mitten.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Bykle Mittens are knitted using Rowan Alpaca Soft DK yarn, a lightweight double-knit weight yarn that provides softness and warmth. Two colorways are specified:

• Classic Brown (204) – 12 x 50-gram balls for both sizes
• Autumn Gold (220) – 11 x 50-gram balls for both sizes

The project requires two sets of double-pointed needles: a set of 5 needles in 3¼mm (US 3) size for the ribbed cuff sections, and a set of 5 needles in 4mm (US 6) size for the main body and patterned sections. The 4mm needles are used to achieve the specified tension of 24 stitches and 26 rounds over 10 centimeters in patterned stockinette stitch.

Sizing and Skill Level

The pattern provides instructions for both Small and Large sizes to accommodate different hand dimensions. The project is rated as an intermediate skill level, appropriate for knitters with experience in circular needle techniques, colorwork, and shaping.