Pattern for Mom's Mittens

These mittens were adapted from a Leisure Arts pattern leaflet (from 1981) and from the mittens chapter of the Joy of Knitting Companion by Lisa R Myers.

Size: fits me, and I wear a women's size L in gloves.

Yarn: MC = Cascade 220 superwash in 812
CC = Lion Brand Jamie in Lemonade (although Cascade 220 would have worked better).

Needles: size 4 and 5 DPN (US), sets of 5 needles.

Cast on 44 stitches over 4 needles with main color on the size 4 needles. Join, knit in K1P1 rib for 4 rounds. Switch to CC, continue in rib for 3 rounds. Switch back to MC, continuing in rib pattern for 3 rounds. Pick up the CC and work in K1P1 rib for 3 rounds, finally switching back to the main color, working in K1P1 rib for 4 rounds.

Begin using the larger needles and work 8 rounds in stockinette.

Thumb increases: knit 21 stitches, place marker, increase, knit two stitches, increase, place another marker, continue round. Next round (and even rounds) - knit. Odd rounds - continue pattern of increases by increasing just after and then just before stitch markers. Do this until you have 12 stitches between the stitch markers, ending section with an even round. Put the stitches from between the stitch markers on a holder. Knit the next round until you get to the gap with the marker. Cast on two new stitches, then continue the round. You should have 44 stitches on the needles again. Continue knitting rounds of stockinette until the mitten covers the top of your ring finger. You may want to knit another round or two, cause the decreases happen pretty fast.

Decreases: K1 K2tog on first needle, K through 2nd needle, repeat first & second needles for third and fourth needles. (so decrease would happen at stitch 2-3 and stitch 24-25). Now you have 42 stitches on the needles. *K4 K2tog* for one round, *K3 K2tog* for the next round, reducing by 1 between the k2togs until you are left with 7 stitches on the needle. Cut a longish end, thread through needle, and run through the remaining stitches twice around, snug it up and secure it.

Thumb: Take two needles and pick up the stitches on the stitch holder, take a third and pick up about 6 needles from all of the little loopy parts you see. It may help to turn the mitten upside down (but not inside out) for this process. Knit the thumb in rounds of stockinette until you're pretty close to the top of your thumb. Decreases: K1 K2tog around, next round K2tog around. You'll probably have about 6 stitches on the needle. Cut the long end and run it through the 6 stitches, two laps. Secure and weave in. Weave in any loose ends.