March KALFH #1: North Country Mitts
You know when you see a pattern and you're like "Awwww... I love that. Imma make that NEXT!". And then you forget. And then a friend rolls up wearing it. And then that same friend GIFTS you that project... like already knitted?! Yeah... that's knit-shaming.
Of course, I'm kidding. There's no shame in any knitting. This is just exactly what happened to me at Christmastime this past year. And as soon as I put on the pair of North Country Mitts I was gifted, I was hooked, and had to make myself a pair. Immediately!
North Country Mitts by Andrea Mowry
These little cuties are the first in this months trio of "Quick Knits" and you won't be disappointed you made these. They're so stinkin' cute, you won't be able to put them down once you cast-on.
A note on sizing!
These mitts are designed for one size - a fairly average size women's hand would fit nicely into these mitts. I don't often block mitts (the HORROR!) but these ones did well with blocking. My knit-shaming friend who gave me these mitts, knit two pairs as per the pattern and was able to block them out to two different sizes. There's some flexibility in the pattern once these babies get wet.
As for the blocking - and I recommend it on these mitts to let that chevron pattern shine - here's where I'm gonna name drop on you! I recommend that you check out Burning Impressions 2 on Etsy and order a pair of mitt blockers from her (if you don't already have a set). I had to borrow blockers from the very friend who gifted me my mitts, and now I'm hooked. I immediately went online and ordered a pair. There's a bit of a wait on the ordering right now since her blockers have become so popular, but it's worth it!
With all that said...
I think it would be reasonably simple to adjust the sizing of the pattern since the garter-stitch chevron is worked only across the top of the hand and is based on the width of the mitt. To adjust for sizing you have to take 2 things into consideration:
- You need to keep an odd number of stitches on the front and back of the pattern so that the chevron has a center stitch.
- If you need a size larger than noted in the pattern, you'll likely need to work the thumb shaping increases one more time so that the thumb gusset is a little larger.
And that's about it. Pretty easy.
Actual notes on the pattern!
My first note, however biased it may seem, is that I definitely recommend using the Magic Loop method. DPNs can be used but I think tracking the stitch counts will be far easier over 2 needles, than 4. Just my two cents, but there it is.
Secondarily, after working the ribbed cuff, I recommend you work one Round even (all knit sts) before beginning the thumb gusset. Just a personal preference for the m1's on the first rnd of the gusset.
My last "instruction" or note, has to do with this very first round of the gusset shaping. I had to read it a few times to clarify in my head what was happening. It's not incorrect, just for the way my brain works, it's a bit tricky to sort out all of the markers and increases. So here's how I broke it down for myself:
NOTE! You likely don't have a BOR marker in place just yet. I find that when I'm using Magic Loop or DPNs, placing a marker for the beginning of round is unnecessary. It just falls off and the tail is there as a signpost that you've finished the round. In this case, however, we will place 3 markers.
- Rnd 1 (Inc Rnd) Step 1: At the beginning of your first needle (i.e.: before you work the round), m1L, then place a marker. This first marker will be considered the BOR marker.
- Rnd 1 (Inc Rnd) Step 2: Knit to the end of your last needle. You will have 1 more stitch on your Front needle than the Back (or 1 more on Needle 1 than Needles 2-4) if working DPNs.
- Rnd 1 (Inc Rnd) Step 3: After the last stitch you just knit, place a marker. This will be your BOT (beginning of thumb) marker. After this marker, m1R. Your stitch count will now be even on your Front and Back needles (or needles 1 and 4 for DPN users).
- Rnd 1 (Inc Rnd) Step 4: CLIP a removable marker between the two M1 sts (above your cast-on tail which indicates beginning of round). This will be your EOR marker.
In this image above, the SILVER marker on the needle closest to the bottom of the image, is the BOR marker. The PINK RING marker on the needle closest to the top of the image, is the BOT marker. The ORANGE REMOVABLE marker is clipped to the row below and is the EOR marker.
Believe it or not...
You've just worked the trickiest part of the mitt. No, for serious. That first gusset round, which you will have to work a second time on the Right mitt, is the trickiest part. Just wrapping my head around the 3 markers was the hardest part for me. But now that I've done it a couple of times, and written it all out, it makes perfect sense.
One last note!
I do recommend that you be cautious with your bind off. Many of us, especially those of us who get really excited when a project is wrapping up (*cough* me! *cough*) tend to bind off very tightly. I definitely recommend going up a couple of needle sizes for the top of the mitt cuff if you know you have a tight bind off. For the thumb, I'd recommend checking out Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. Its nice and loose and can be worked at your regular tension on your project needles (i.e.: you don't need to go up a needle size).
Keep in touch!
Thanks for knitting along with me on these adorable mitts! If you're on social media, feel free to tag #unapologeticknitter (or use @notsorryknitter on IG) so I can see your amazing creations!