Valley Yarns Cheshire Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Cheshire Mittens: Warm Winter Hand Knits with Cable Twist Detail

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Cheshire is a pair of knitted mittens designed by Julie Turjoman, offering essential winter warmth with stylish appeal. These mittens feature an attractive cable twist pattern running up the back of the hand, making them suitable for both men and women. Available in three sizes—Small, Medium, and Large—with finished hand circumferences of 7, 8, and 9 inches respectively, the Cheshire mittens combine practical functionality with aesthetic design for cold-weather protection from autumn frost through the iciest winter days.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Cheshire mittens are constructed using several intermediate-level knitting techniques that create a polished, professional finish:

• Worked in the Round: The mittens are knitted circularly using double-pointed needles (dpns) or the Magic Loop technique with a 40-inch circular needle, eliminating the need for seaming and creating seamless construction.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The mittens are worked from the cuff upward, beginning with a ribbed cuff and progressing toward the hand and fingers.
• Cable Twist Pattern: A 14-stitch cable twist panel is worked up the back of the hand, measuring 3 inches wide when blocked. This decorative element requires cable manipulation and creates visual interest.
• Seamless Construction: The in-the-round method eliminates seams entirely, resulting in a smooth, continuous fabric with no visible joins.
• Ribbed Cuffs: The mittens begin with a knit-one-through-back-loop, purl-one (K1 tbl/P1) ribbed cuff that provides stretch and a finished appearance.
• Thumb Gussets: Strategic increases create a shaped thumb gusset, allowing the mittens to fit comfortably around the hand while accommodating the thumb.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Cheshire mittens utilize fundamental and decorative knitting stitches appropriate for intermediate knitters:

• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch throughout the mittens, creating a smooth, classic fabric. Gauge is established at 16 stitches and 24 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch using the larger needles, blocked.
• Ribbing: The K1 tbl/P1 rib cuff provides elasticity and a polished edge. Knitters are instructed to pull tightly on the first stitch of each double-pointed needle to avoid gaps in the ribbed section.
• Cable Twist Pattern: A specialized 14-stitch panel featuring cable twists that add textural and visual dimension to the back of the hand.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Cheshire mittens are knitted with Valley Yarns Berkshire, a premium blend of 85% Merino Wool and 15% Baby Alpaca. Two skeins are required, with each skein weighing 100 grams and containing 141 yards. The yarn is shown in color (30) Caribbean Blue. This fiber blend creates a dense, heat-retaining fabric while maintaining softness and visual appeal.

Needles: The pattern requires two needle sizes. Larger US size 9 (5.50 mm) double-pointed needles or 40-inch circular needles (for Magic Loop technique) are used for the main body of the mittens. Smaller US size 7 (4.50 mm) double-pointed needles or 40-inch circular needles are used for the ribbed cuff. Knitters should select the needle size that allows them to achieve the specified gauge.

Additional Materials: Stitch markers, locking stitch markers, waste yarn or a stitch holder (for holding stitches during thumb gusset shaping), and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends complete the project requirements.

Pattern Overview and Construction Details

The Cheshire mittens follow a logical construction sequence beginning with the cuff. Using the Long-Tail cast-on method, knitters cast on 28, 32, or 36 stitches depending on size. These stitches are divided across three double-pointed needles: the first needle holds 14, 16, or 18 stitches (where the cable twist pattern will be worked on the back of the hand), while the second and third needles each hold 7, 8, or 9