Hilda mittens – FREE PATTERN

Lacemittens „Hilda“

by Kristi Everst

https://undiinblog.wordpress.com/

My name is Kristi and i live in a small country with a rough climate –Estonia. I believe that the weather here is made for knitting and that there’s nothing better than sitting with a hot cup of tea, clews and knitting needles in front of a warm fireplace and listen to the raving snow storm outside.

I started to knit when i was a little girl. Little happy girl, because i had a two wonderful women in my life – my grandmother and her sister. They were very different women, but both talented knitters and it was a joy to sit with them, listen their storys and learn to knit. So, it is obvious that i named my first pattern according my grandaunt Hilda.

Heirloom of our family – woolen Haapsalu scarf, knitted by my grandaunt Hilda (in the right photo).

Hilda mittens – knitted by me (natural white rove, natural white + handdyed wool).

You may use this as a free pattern (for makeing mittens for yourself and as a present, please do not use to knit mittens for sale), but i will be really thankful if you make a little donation to cancer foundation in Estonia: http://kingitudelu.ee/for-benefactors

Beneficiary: SA Hille Tänavsuu Vähiravifond Kingitud Elu

Bank 1: Swedbank
Address: Liivalaia 8, 15040 Tallinn
IBAN: EE212200221059073061
SWIFT/BIC: HABAEE2X

PATTERN:

First of all – those mittens seem do be difficult to knit, but be brave – it is not so difficult at all. You just need to knit instead of 2 mittens 4 mittens.

Material:

For basic mittens you need 100% wool rove + 100% wool 8/2 yarn (I love to use natural colors – lambsbrown, -gray, -white or handdyed yarns).

For lace mittens you need 100% wool 8/2 yarn. (I prefer to use natural white or any other lighter color as the basic mittens yarn – then the result is romantic and gentle).

Needles: size 4 mm (US No 6) for basic mittens, size 5 mm for lace mittens.

In the left photo you see the 100% natural lambsgray rove and 8/2 wool i used to knit my basic mittens in the right photo.

Knitting the basic mittens:

Wrist (cuff):

Worked in the round on double pointed needles. Cast on 40 sts on double pointed needles size 4 mm / US 6 with two yarns rove + 100% wool yarn (10 sts in every needle).

Knit:

1 round K 40, 2 round P 40 (continiue to work same way 5 times).

13 round: slip 1 st as if to K, K 1, K 8 (continiue same in every needle). Now you have 9 sts in every needle (36 sts).

14 round P 36, 15 round K 36 (continue to work same way 5 times).

26 round: slip 1 st as if to K, K 1, K 7 (continiue same in every needle). Now you have 8 sts in every needle (32 sts).

27 round: P 32, 28 round K 32 (continue to work same way 8 times).

 

Now is the wrist ready. If you want you may now change yarns and use different kind of color (but be sure that this is 100% wool).

For excample: Those mittens on the left i knitted this way that wrist is knitted by using rove + dark lilac yarn and after the wrist i changed the lilac to natural white (with same yarn i knitted the lace).

If you continiue knitting with the same color you knitted cuff, then the result will be something like in those mittens on the right picture (basic mittens behinde the lace are yellow). If you want lace to be distinguishable, then i reccomend to continue knitting with same color as the wrist.

If you want really warm mittens, then you may also knit with 2 rove + woolen yarn.

 KNIT (left mitten):

4 rounds K 32

On the 5-th round start to knit thumb gusset. The thumb gusset is in the end of the 2-needle (left mitten) and in the beggining of the 3-needle (right mitten).

5 round: 1-st needle K 8, 2-needle K 5, increase one twisted sts , K 2, increase one twisted sts K 1, 3-needle K 8, 4-needle K 8.

6-7 round: K 34

8 round: 1-st needle K 8, 2-needle K 5, increase one twisted sts, K 4, increase one twisted sts, K 1, 3-needle K 8, 4-needle K 8.

9-10 round: K 36

11 round: 1-st needle K 8, 2-needle K 5, increase one twisted sts, K 6, increase one twisted sts, K 1, 3-needle K 8, 4-needle K 8.

Now you have all 8 sts you need for thumb gusset. Continiue knittig stockinette sts until you reach to thumb gusset. To find the right height try how it suits to your hand.

How to knit thumb gusset:

1 round: 1-needle: K 8, 2-needle K 5, slip the 8 thumb sts on one stitch holder, pick up 4 new sts behind the thumb gusset, K 1 (now you have 10 sts on the 2-needle), 3-needle K 8, 4-needle K 8.

2 round: 1-needle: K 8, 2-needle K 4, slip 1 st as if to K, K 1, K 2, K 2 tog (now you have 8 sts on the 2-needle), 3-needle: K 8, 4-needle K 8.

Continiue with stockinette stitch, until you reach the end of the index finger.

Deacreasing:

If you reached to the end of the index finger start to deacrese your basic mitten.

Decrease in every round:

1-needle: slip 1 st asi f to K, K 1, other sts on the needle K

2-needle: all sts exept two last K, two last sts K 2 tog.

3-needle: slip 1 st asi f to K, K 1, other sts on the needle K

4-needle: all sts exept two last K, two last sts K 2 tog.

Continiue knitting same way until you have one sts in every needle. Then cut the yarn, pull through the loop and fasten.

How to knit thumb:

Slip the 8 thumb sts back to double pointed needles size 4 mm / US 6. Pick up 4 sts behind thumb gusset = 12 sts.

(I like to pick up one extra sts between the 8 thumb sts and 4 sts picked up behind the thumb – it makes then 2 extra sts = 14 sts. I also like to knit thumbs with four needles unstead 5 needles).

Work in stockinette stich in the round for approximatley 6 cm. Then start deacreasing in the beggining of every needle: slip 1 st asi f to K, K 1, other sts on the needle K. Continiue same way until you have one sts in every needle. Then cut the yarn, pull through the loop and fasten.

 

Now is the basic mitten ready and we can start with lace.

How to knit lace covering:

Yarn: 100% 8/2 wool

Needles: 5 mm

I prefer to knit lace covering with 4 needles instead of 5 needles. It is little bit difficult, but the result is much more beautiful.

Knit (left lacemitten):

Pick up 16 stiches with lace yarn in the first side of the mitten on two needls (8+8) and 15 stiches in the back side of the mitten on one needle.

Divide sts on the needles in this way (if you knit with 4 needles):

1-needle: 15 sts (if you decide to knit with 5 needles, divide those sts to two needles 8 to one, 7 to another)

2-needle: 8 sts

3-needle: 7 sts

Start to knit with lace yarn according to chart:

Enjoy your warm mittens in winterdays!