Swans Island Brooke Mitts Gloves Knitting Pattern

Swans Island Brooke Mitts: Fingerless Knit Gloves with Stranded Colorwork

What is Being Made

The Brooke Mitts are fingerless knitted gloves designed to keep hands and wrists warm while leaving fingers free for texting, knitting, and other creative activities. These mitts feature a stylish fall wardrobe addition with coordinating potential to pair with the Brooke Cowl pattern. The finished mitts measure 7¼ inches in circumference and 6½ inches in length, offering a comfortable, one-size-fits-most fit.

Knitting Techniques

The Brooke Mitts are constructed using three primary knitting techniques that work together to create both visual interest and structural integrity:

• Seamless Construction: The mitts are worked in the round from the cuff upward, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, finished garment with no side seams.
• Worked in the Round: Using double-pointed needles (dpns), the pattern is knitted continuously in circular rounds, which is the traditional method for creating seamless tubular garments like mittens and gloves.
• Stranded Colorwork: The mitts feature a two-color stranded technique, also known as Fair Isle knitting. This method involves carrying the unused yarn color inside the fabric as you knit with the active color, creating a reversible fabric with floats on the inside. The stranded technique adds visual depth and texture while maintaining the structural integrity of the knit.

Stitches and Pattern Details

The Brooke Mitts employ fundamental knitting stitches combined in a charted pattern for visual impact:

• Knit and Purl Stitches: The pattern uses basic knit stitches on the right side and purl stitches on the wrong side when working in the round, creating a stockinette base for the colorwork.
• Ribbing: The cuff begins with 2 rounds of k1, p1 ribbing (alternating knit and purl stitches), which creates an elastic, fitted edge that hugs the wrist and prevents rolling.
• Diamond Pattern: The main pattern features a 12-stitch repeat diamond motif worked over 12 rounds. The pattern is repeated once in full, then rows 1–3 are worked again to create a cohesive design. The diamond pattern is charted, with the main color (MC) shown as knit stitches on the right side and the contrast color (CC) creating the diamond shape through strategic color placement.
• Thumbhole Division: After the patterned section, the knitter transitions from working in the round to working back and forth in rows to create the thumbhole opening, allowing for a custom fit.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Brooke Mitts are designed to showcase natural, high-quality fibers from Swans Island Natural Colors:

• Main Color (MC): One skein of Swans Island Natural Colors in Seasmoke (color code YW221), consisting of 85% organic merino wool and 15% alpaca in worsted weight. Each skein contains 100 grams and 250 yards of yarn.
• Contrast Color (CC): One skein of Swans Island Natural Colors in Charcoal (color code YW213), consisting of 100% organic merino wool in worsted weight. Each skein contains 100 grams and 250 yards of yarn.
• Yarn Efficiency: One skein of each color provides enough yardage to knit both the Brooke Mitts and the coordinating Brooke Cowl, making this an economical project.

Tools and Notions

• Needles: US Size 7 (4.5 mm) double-pointed needles (dpns), or the size required to achieve proper gauge.
• Notions: One stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends during finishing.

Gauge and Sizing

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit. The pattern calls for 5 stitches by 6½ rounds equaling 1 inch when measured in the Diamond Pattern. Swatching and checking gauge before beginning the project ensures the finished mitts will have the intended 7¼-inch circumference and 6½-inch length. The pattern is designed