Rowan Snogmann Mittens Knitting Pattern

Rowan Snogmann Mittens by Arne & Carlos

Project Overview

The Rowan Snogmann Mittens are a pair of knitted mittens designed by Arne & Carlos, available in both small and large sizes to fit average women's and men's hands. These mittens showcase colorwork patterning combined with classic mitten shaping, making them an intermediate-level knitting project suitable for crafters with some experience in stranded colorwork and circular knitting techniques.

What Is Being Made

These are warm, insulated mittens constructed using a two-color stranded knitting technique. The mittens feature a decorative patterned body worked in contrasting colors, with a thumb gusset that is divided and worked separately. The finished mittens are designed to provide full hand coverage with a fitted construction.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Worked in the Round: The mittens are knitted circularly using a set of five double-pointed needles, creating seamless tubes for both the hand and thumb sections.
• Stranded Colorwork: A two-color Fair Isle or stranded knitting technique is employed throughout the patterned sections, with color changes worked across multiple rounds following a chart.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The mittens are worked from the cuff upward, beginning with the ribbed cuff and progressing toward the fingertips.
• Thumb Gusset Shaping: Increases are strategically placed to create a gusset that accommodates the thumb, with stitches later held on a stitch holder while the main mitten body continues.
• Decrease Shaping: The top of the mitten is shaped using paired decreases (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over, and knit 2 together) worked in a symmetrical pattern to create a fitted crown.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the patterned sections, creating a smooth, flat fabric ideal for displaying colorwork.
• Ribbing: Used for the cuff to provide elasticity and a finished edge.
• Make One Left (M1L): An increase stitch created by picking up the horizontal loop before the next stitch from the front and knitting into the back of it, used for gusset shaping.
• Make One Right (M1R): An increase stitch created by picking up the horizontal loop before the next stitch from behind and knitting into the front of it, used for gusset shaping.
• Slip 1, Knit 1, Pass Slipped Stitch Over (sl 1, K1, psso): A left-leaning decrease used in the crown shaping.
• Knit 2 Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used in the crown shaping.
• Chart-Based Patterning: The mittens follow a detailed chart for stranded colorwork, with specific rounds indicated for each size.

Materials

Yarn: The mittens are knitted using Rowan Alpaca Soft DK, a lightweight double-knit weight yarn that provides warmth and softness. Two colors are used: Naples Blue (color 221) and Off White (color 221). The small size requires 2 x 50gm balls total, while the large size requires 2 x 50gm balls total, with specific yardage allocated to each color.

Needles: The project uses sets of five double-pointed needles in two sizes. Size 3¼mm (US 3, UK no. 10) needles are used for the ribbed cuff, while size 4mm (US 6, UK no. 8) needles are used for the main patterned sections and shaping. Double-pointed needles allow for seamless circular knitting in the round.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 24 stitches and 26 rounds over 10 centimeters, measured over patterned stockinette stitch using 4mm (US 6) needles. This gauge is essential for achieving the correct finished size. The mittens are available in two sizes: small and large, accommodating different hand sizes with adjusted stitch counts and round counts throughout the pattern.

Pattern Structure

The mittens are constructed in several stages: the cuff is worked in ribbing for elasticity, followed by