Somerset Hills Fingerless Mitts Mittens Knitting Pattern

Somerset Hills Fingerless Mitts in Juniper Moon Tenzing

What is Being Made

The Somerset Hills Fingerless Mitts are a pair of feminine, adjustable hand coverings designed to keep wrists and hands warm while leaving fingers free for dexterity and tactile work. These mitts feature a decorative knotted tie that serves both aesthetic and functional purposes, allowing the wearer to adjust the fit to their individual hand size. The finished length measures 7 inches (18 cm) and stretches to accommodate hands up to 8½ inches (21 cm) in circumference, making them a one-size-fits-most accessory.

Techniques Used

The Somerset Hills Fingerless Mitts employ several key knitting techniques that create both visual interest and functional design. The project begins with flat knitting for the decorative tie, which is intentionally worked in Reverse Stockinette stitch to allow the fabric to naturally curl inward, creating an elegant finished edge without additional binding off. The tie ends are tapered through strategic decreasing, which provides a graceful, refined appearance.

The construction transitions from flat to circular knitting as stitches are decreased and then joined to work in the round for the main body of the mitts. This technique change allows for seamless construction of the mitt body and ensures a comfortable, smooth fit around the hand. The circular knitting method can be accomplished using double-pointed needles, two circular needles, or a single circular needle, depending on the knitter's preference.

Cable knitting is featured as a decorative element that accentuates the top of each mitt, adding textural depth and visual sophistication to the design. The cable work is balanced by smooth Stockinette stitch that comprises the remainder of the mitt, creating a harmonious interplay between textured and smooth fabric surfaces.

Stitches Used

The Somerset Hills Fingerless Mitts utilize a focused selection of stitches appropriate for creating refined, wearable accessories:

• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the main body of the mitts, creating a smooth, classic fabric with a neat appearance on the right side.
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch: Used for the decorative tie at the beginning of the project, this stitch is intentionally chosen for its natural curling properties, which create a finished edge without additional finishing work.
• Cable Six Back (C6B): A cable stitch that involves slipping 6 stitches to a cable needle and holding them to the back of the work while knitting the next 6 stitches, then working the held stitches. This creates a cable that twists to the back.
• Cable Six Front (C6F): A complementary cable stitch that holds 6 stitches to the front of the work before working the cable, creating a cable that twists to the front.
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease used to shape the mitts and taper the tie ends gracefully.
• Knit Left Loop (KLL) and Knit Right Loop (KRL): Lifted increases that add stitches while maintaining the fabric's visual continuity, used strategically throughout the pattern for shaping.

Materials: Yarn, Needles, and Notions

The Somerset Hills Fingerless Mitts are designed to be completed with minimal yardage, requiring only 1 ball of Juniper Moon Farm Tenzing yarn. The pattern calls for the yarn in color #8 Scarlet, though the design would be adaptable to other colors within the Tenzing line. Juniper Moon Farm Tenzing is a premium yarn choice that provides excellent stitch definition, particularly important for showcasing the cable work and crisp Stockinette stitch sections.

The project requires US 5 (3.75 mm) needles in two configurations: straight or circular needles for working the flat tie section, and double-pointed needles, two circular needles, or a single circular needle for working the mitt body in the round. The needle size is selected to achieve the specified gauge of 20 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in Stockinette stitch worked in the round.

Essential notions for completing the Somerset Hills Fingerless Mitts include stitch markers to denote the beginning of rounds and pattern repeats, a cable needle for managing the cable stitches, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and any necessary seaming.