Valley Yarns Ivy Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Ivy Mittens

What Is Being Made

Valley Yarns Ivy mittens are a classic cold-weather accessory designed by Julie Turjoman, featuring a raised purl fir tree pattern on the back of the hands to reference the holiday season. These mittens are sized to fit both children and adults, with five size options ranging from extra small (XS) to extra large (XL). The finished mittens accommodate hand circumferences from 5½ inches to 8½ inches and hand lengths from 4½ inches to 8½ inches, making them versatile for gift-giving across the entire family.

Techniques Used

The Ivy mittens are worked bottom-up construction, beginning at the cuff and progressing to the top. The mittens are worked in the round in one piece from cuff to top, creating a seamless garment. A doubled hem is featured at the cuff, created using a purl turning ridge that adds both structure and a finished appearance. Each mitten includes a thumb gusset worked into each hand, allowing for proper shaping and fit around the thumb. The pattern uses the Long-Tail cast-on method to begin the cuff, and knitters can choose between working with double-pointed needles (dpns) or a 40-inch circular needle using the Magic Loop method.

Stitches Used

The Ivy mittens primarily utilize stockinette stitch as the foundation fabric, providing a smooth, classic appearance. The signature design element is created through a simple knit and purl pattern that forms a stylized fir tree motif centered on the back of the hand. The cuff features purl stitches in a turning ridge, which creates the doubled hem structure. This straightforward stitch combination makes the pattern accessible to knitters at the adventurous beginner skill level, as the fir tree design requires only basic knit and purl manipulation without complex colorwork or cable techniques.

Materials and Yarn

Valley Yarns Ivy mittens are designed to be made with Valley Yarns Haydenville, a practical blend of 60% Superwash Merino and 40% Acrylic Microfiber. This fiber composition creates an easy-care, hard-wearing yarn suitable for winter accessories intended to last for generations. The yarn is available in a wide color palette, with the pattern showing examples in 14-Soft Grape, 02-Natural, 15-Lake, and 31-Fawn. Yarn requirements are generous and efficient: smaller sizes require just one 100-gram skein (220 yards), while the two largest sizes require two skeins. This generous yardage means knitters can complete a pair of mittens with minimal yarn waste.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern calls for US size 4 (3.50 mm) needles for the main fabric and US size 3 (3.25 mm) needles for the cuff. Both sizes are available in double-pointed needle or 40-inch circular needle formats, accommodating different knitting preferences. The recommended gauge is 22 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, blocked, using the larger needle. A design note explains that using smaller needles than the yarn ball band recommends results in a denser, extra-warm fabric—an intentional choice that enhances the mittens' insulating properties for cold-weather wear.

Additional Materials

Beyond needles and yarn, knitters will need locking stitch markers to track pattern repeats and construction points, stitch holders or waste yarn for managing stitches during thumb gusset shaping, and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and any finishing work. These basic notions are standard supplies in any knitter's toolkit.