Basic Men's Mittens
This pattern was born out of necessity. All of the patterns that I could find for men's mittens were lacking in some way. I didn't like the shaping of the thumb and top of the hand in one; I hated the gusset in another; a third was at just absolutely the wrong gauge. These are a hybrid of all the mitten patterns I've seen - the only real difference is that it's free!
NOTE: These mittens took almost exactly 1 skein of Wool-Ease Heathers (70g; 162yd). If you have the same yardage per skein and want to use just one skein, you'll have to frog your gauge swatch.
Size: Men's M/L (approx 8in/20cm circumference by 8.5in/21cm long, minus cuff)
Gauge: 22sts by 33rows to 4in (10cm)
Materials:
1 skein Lion Wool-Ease Multi-color (80%Acrylic, 20%Wool) Pines Colorway [70g to 162yd]
1 set US5 (3.75mm) double-pointed needles (or however you like doing circular knitting)
2 stitch markers
darning needle
Instructions:
Cast on 44 stitches.
Join, being careful not to twist, and place marker (PM) at beginning of round.
Wrist:
Rounds 1-25: (K1; P1) repeat to end of round.
Round 26: K43; M1; K1
Gusset shaping:
Round 27: K22; PM; M1; K1; M1; PM; K22*
Round 28: K all sts
Rounds 29-30: K all sts
Round 31: K22; M1; K to marker; M1 before marker; K22
Rounds 32-49: Repeat Rounds 29-31 six MORE times (17 sts between markers)
Round 50: K22; Place stitches between markers on holder; CO1 in gap; K22
*NOTE: I did the M1 stitches using a M1L and a M1R for the first and second, respectively. I am told this makes a neater gusset, but I'm not sure I believe it.
Hand body:
Rounds 51-74: K all sts
Round 75: K19; K2tog; K24 (44 sts remain)
Hand top:
Round 76: K1; SSK; K16; K2tog; K1; PM; K1; SSK; K16; K2tog; K1 (40 sts rem)
Round 77: K all sts
Round 78: (K1; SSK; K to 3 before marker; K2tog; K1) twice (36 sts rem)
Rounds 79-86: Repeat rounds 77-78 4 MORE times (20 sts rem after round 86)
Rounds 87-89: Repeat Round 78 3 MORE times (8 sts rem after round 89)
Break yarn, leaving a long tail.
Graft remaining live stitches using Kitchener stitch.
Alternatively, gather remaining stitches through remaining 8 stitches as if closing a hat.
Thumb:
Move live stitches onto double pointed needles.
Round 1: Pick up and knit two stitches over gap (one on either side), then continue knitting thumb stitches (19 sts rem)
Rounds 2-10: K all sts.
Round 11: K2tog over picked up stitches; K17 (18 sts rem)
Rounds 12-16: K all sts.
Round 17: (K1; K2tog) six times (12 sts rem)
Round 18: K2tog six times (6 sts rem)
Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining stitches and pull to gather hole closed.
Sew all yarns securely to inside. Be sure to sew yarn over thumb "crotch" such that any vestigial gaps are closed.
23 comments:
Thank you for sharing your pattern! I too have been struggling with finding men's mittens. I can't wait to cast on!
Hi, I love the look of these mittens, and am wanting to make a matching pair for myself, can anyone help me adjust this pattern? Thanks, ANnMarie
Thank you for the pattern - it looks great and I am looking forward to trying it. One question: What is M1?
Thanks for your help.
I would like to know what M1 and PM mean? Help!
Hi all -
M1 = Make one (increase): This is done by lifting the bar between stitches and knitting into it to make a twist. See the vids at Knitting Help for more info.
PM = Place marker.
Annmarie - I'm working on women's mittens in the same gauge and will hopefully have a pattern up soon. If all else fails I'll calculate changes and add them to the pattern here. Stay tuned!
I'm making mittens using a set of #3 double point needles and am adapting your pattern. I wanted to make a warmer pair and these were the needles I had on hand. thanks for the great note about M1, PM!
Help!! Round 50 says to knit stiches between the markers. But, I can't figure out where two markers have been added. I only have one which marked the beginning of the rounds. - Tom
Oh, never mind, I see above. PM = Place marker.
My father had a stroke several years ago and my mother asked me to purchase him some mittens this year for Christmas since he has difficulty putting on gloves. After searching unsuccessfully on the web for some to buy, I stumbled across your mitten pattern. I just finished knitting the first mitten today and I was thrilled with how nicely it turned out. Thanks so much for sharing this pattern! Also, I believe there is a K1 missing at the end of the instructions for Round 76.
Jodie - So glad I helped with your dad's gift! And thanks for catching the missing K1 - I have such a hard time translating my notes into typed directions, I totally depend on visitors to set me straight. Happy holidays! KT
I am knitting these mittens for my fiance, but I am having trouble with Row 50. How do I CO1 in gap? Thanks in advance.
Gonzo -
The easiest way to cast on a stitch over the gap is to do a backwards loop cast on (sometimes called the "single cast on"). Basically you want to add a new stitch in the space between the stitches before the first thumb gusset marker and after the second marker - leaving the thumb gusset stitches on a holder of some sort.
Here's a page with tutorials for both the long-tail and backwards-loop cast ons: knittinghelp.
-KT
I'm just starting to decrease at the top of the mitt and don't know what SSK means. Help Please
Lori
never mind, I found that link to the how to decreas page. Thanks anyway.
Lori, SSK means "slip slip knit". You'll slip two stitches to your right needle, then insert the left needle into the fronts of both stitches and knit the stitches together. An alternative to this is the "slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over the knit stitch" decrease - both lean to the left instead of to the right. Here's the page in KnittingHelp.com that talks about decreases: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/decreases. KT
This pattern is great! I made my first mitten ever over two days and it's fantastic. Thanks for such clear instructions!!
I am going to try this pattern, but a printable version would be a big help! :)
Thank you for the great pattern.
I'm struggling with Round #78 -- should I have 2 markers on my needles?
Ann
Hi Ann,
Yes, the "PM" abbreviation (found in round 76) stands for "Place Marker". You should have two markers, one at the beginning of the round (that's been there forever) plus one in the middle (that just got placed in round 76).
KT
Thank you for sharing your pattern! It was easy to follow, and I learned a different increase. I repeated the pattern for a lining in Ultra Alpaca, and the resulting mitten is heavenly!
I made a pair of the mittens using the same size needle with a slightly larger yarn. This made the mittens a perfect fit for my big hands. If I make the mittens again, I'll use a smaller needle for the cuff- probably a US-3. As it is, my cuffs came out quite large and bunch up at the bottom of the mittens. Also, the finger end is a little pointy for my taste, although it is rounding out as I wear them in.
Finger ends are hard to figure out - I've tried lots of versions trying not to get them either too pointy or too sharp... glad the yarn sub worked so nicely for you!
I love this simple, detailed pattern and the gauge is just right for the yarn I want to work with. Does the women's version alluded to exist, or can someone offer insight into how to make them smaller?
Thank you!
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