I’ve enjoyed knitting with Kingston Tweed yarn by Fibra Natura and am looking forward to sharing my newest creation with you!
Yesterday’s tutorial on the Braid Stitch was fun, I’m sure. But I’m also certain that you’d like to try your hand at using it in a small project, so I thought I’d design some fingerless mitts.
Kingston Tweed keeps your hands toasty and this design lets your fingers access your phone or whatever requires dexterity.
This design would be ideal for an advanced beginner to an intermediate knitter, with some experience making short rows. Learning the Braid Stitch from yesterday’s tutorial is also a must, but a fun one.
To turn a short-row on the knit side, we’ll use Shadow Stitch short rows. We learned how to do these in August, 2020 when we made socks and a summer top with Bamboo Pop Sock yarn.
Purl-side Shadow Stitch (pshst) Slip next stitch purlwise, insert tip of LH needle knitwise into purl bump below the stitch just slipped and lift onto LH needle, purl this loop, slip both stitches together (called twin stitches) knitwise back onto LH needle, turn work, leaving remaining stitches unworked. Avoid tugging or stretching needles tips apart when turning.
Purl twin stitches together (ptwtog) Purl Twin Stitches together as one stitch.
The Braid Stitch covers the hand and base of the fingers. Garter Stitch is used on the cuff.
In the above picture you can see the hand section of the fingerless mitts and a scarf, both knit out of Kingston Tweed yarn. The scarf pattern will be posted tomorrow if you’d like to make the set. Two hanks of each color (Calcite is the taupe and Jasper is the maroon) are enough to make both the mitts and the scarf.
You’ll want to use size 5US [3.75mm] needles or whatever size yields a gauge of 24 sts and 44 rows (22 garter st ridges) per 4” [10cm].
The stitch patterns used are:
Garter Stitch: Knit all rows.
Stockinette Stitch: Knit the right-side rows and purl the wrong-side rows.
Braid Stitch: Worked across multiples of two, see yesterday’s [link back] instructions.
Carry unused yarn colors upside on WS of mitten.
Right-hand Mitten
With Calcite (lighter yarn), cast on 58 stitches.
Row 1: (WS) Wyif, sl 2 sts, purl across to last st, k1.
Row 2: (RS) Wyib, sl 2 sts, k21, pm, k5, pm, Braid st across to last 2 sts, k1, p1.
Row 3: Wyif, sl 2 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] across to marker, sm, p5, sm, knit to last 2 sts, p1, k1.
Rows 4 & 5: Rep Rows 2 & 3.
Row 6: Rep Row 2.
Row 7: Wyif, sl 2 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] across to marker, sm, p1, pshst (see Shadow short rows instructions above), work is now turned leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 8: K1, sm, Braid st across to last 2 sts, k1 p1.
Row 9: Wyif, sl 2 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] across to marker, sm, p1, ptwtog (see above), p3, sm, knit to last 2 sts, change yarn to contrast color (Jasper in this case), p1, k1.
Rows 10-17: With Jasper, rep Rows 2-9, changing to Calcite in last 2 sts of Row 17.
Thumb hole shaping
Row 18: Wyib, sl 2 sts, k21, sm, k5, sm, Braid st twice, bind off 10 sts, Braid st across to last 2 sts, k1, p1.
Row 19: Wyif, sl 2 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] across to bound off sts, cable cast on 10 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] x2, sm, p5, sm, knit to last 2 sts, p1, k1.
Rows 20-25: Rep Rows 4-9, changing to Jasper in last 2 sts of Row 25.
Rows 26-33: Rep Rows 2-9, changing to Calcite in last 2 sts of Row 23.
Rows 34-51: Rep Rows 2 & 3, changing yarn colors every 6 rows.
Row 52: Knit.
Row 53: [P2tog, return st to LH needle] across.
Sew side seam of mitten together and weave in all ends.
Kingston Tweed yarn lives up to its reputation for warm and softness.
Left-hand Mitten
With Calcite (lighter yarn), cast on 58 stitches.
Row 1 (WS) : Wyif, sl 2 sts, purl across to last st, k1.
Row 2 (RS) : Wyib, sl 2 sts, k21, pm, k5, pm, Braid st across to last 2 sts, k1, p1.
Row 3: Wyif, sl 2 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] across to marker, sm, p5, sm, knit to last 2 sts, p1, k1.
Rows 4 & 5: Rep Rows 2 & 3.
Row 6: Rep Row 2.
Row 7: Wyif, sl 2 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] across to marker, sm, p1, pshst (see Shadow short rows instructions above), work is now turned leaving rem sts unworked.
Row 8: K1, sm, Braid st across to last 2 sts, k1 p1.
Row 9 Wyif, sl 2 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] across to marker, sm, p1, ptwtog (see above), p3, sm, knit to last 2 sts, change yarn to contrast color (Jasper in this case), p1, k1.
Rows 10-17: With Jasper, rep Rows 2-9, changing to Calcite in last 2 sts of Row 17.
Rows 80-25: Rep Rows 2-9, changing to Jasper in last 2 sts of Row 25.
Rows 26-33: Rep Rows 2-9, changing to Calcite in last 2 sts of Row 23.
Thumb-hole Shaping
Row 34: Wyib, sl 2 sts, k21, sm, k5, sm, Braid st twice, bind off 10 sts, Braid st across to last 2 sts, k1, p1.
Row 35: Wyif, sl 2 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] across to bound off sts, cable cast on 10 sts, [p1, k2togtbl] x2, sm, p5, sm, knit to last 2 sts, p1, k1.
Rows 36-51: Rep Rows 2 & 3, changing yarn colors every 6 rows.
Row 52: Knit.
Row 53: [P2tog, return st to LH needle] across.
Sew side seam of mitten together and weave in all ends.
Fingers are free to answer those emails.
I hope you enjoyed the Braid Stitch and knitting this quick project out of Kingston Tweed by Fibra Natura. Tomorrow I’ll share the pattern for the coordinating scarf, join me!
One seamed mitten and one unseamed one. The bind off edge trims the thumb opening in a simply elegant way.
