Hand Knit Mittens

Yarn: About 4 ounces for worsted weight unlined mittens.  
Equipment:

• 2 sets of double pointed needles.  Use mm needles for the fair isle pattern and  mm needles for the roll trim.
  
• 1 set of long needles for cast on.  These should be the same diameter as the larger diameter double pointed needles-- or larger if you tend to cast on tightly. 
  
• Tapestry needle, scissors, a small amount of crochet cotton.
  

Mitten: Make 2.  The second should mirror the first. (I'll indicate the steps that are different.)

Note: I provide both round counts and lengths. Most knitters will use the lengths; round counts are useful to know if you want to come incorporate your own fancy fair-isle design. To do that, draw the  mitten shape out on graph paper, and chart in the colors.  Norwegian mittens often include fancy snowflakes etc. However, I don't know how many stitches will be in your mitten, so I suggest a simple pattern that looks nice no matter how many stitches are in your mitten. 

1. Roll Cuff:
1. Begin with color 1 (green in illustrated mitten.)   Cast on stitches on a long, larger diameter needle. Slip first stitch, knit until one stitch remains; slip final stitch. Distribute stitches on evenly on 4 smaller diameter double pointed needles.  Now, place the two slipped stitches next to one another, and knit them together.  ( stitches remain.)   Place a slippable stitch marker to indicate the beginning of the round.   Knit all stitches in rounds until work measures    inches from cast on.  (Approximately rounds).
   
2. On next round, increase stitches distributing increases evenly.   (There are now  stitches.)    Place a second stitch marker half way around to indicate the top and the palm.  The first   stitches are the mitten top, the remaining   stitches are the palm. ) 
   
2. Begin actual mitten
1. Hang a row marker to measure length.
   
2. Change to larger diameter double pointed needles.  Attach second color  yarn.  Follow chart 1 when  knitting stitches on  top of mitten. (The 8 stitch, 8 row pattern repeat is enclosed inside a big square.  Don't worry your mitten is not a multiple of 8,  just stop following chart one when you reach the marker.)   Slip marker. On palm, follow chart 2.  
   
3. Continue until work measures  inches from row marker.   ( RC= from row marker.)
   
4. Thumb opening round.  Knit across top of mitten. Slip marker.  Attach crochet cotton, and knit   stitches.    Break cotton.   Attach another piece of cotton. Turn work, and knit back over stitches knit in crochet cotton.  (You will pull this cotton out later to make the thumb.  The two rows of crochet cotton can be seen on the palm, below and to the right. )  Now, turn work again.  Pick up color you plan to use for thumb. Knit across the stitches knit in crochet cotton, then continue in the two color stripe pattern.  Make sure you leave a long loose float with the second color behind the thumb opening.   (Working the stitches over the thumb opening on a single color makes it easier to pick up stitches for the thumb.  When working second mitten, work the thumb opening at the other edge of the palm.  That is all that is required to mirror the mitten.)
   
5. Knit until mitten measures inches from  row marker.  (RC= from row marker.) If these mittens are for you, stick your hand in and decide if the length seems suitable.  They should be at least long enough to cover your index finger.
   
6. Shape top: [**Slip marker, knit 1, SSK, knit across until 3 stitches remain before marker, k2 tog, k1.** Repeat for on palm side.    (This reduces a total of 4 stitches; two on the top side and two on the palm side.)   Knit rounds.]
7. Repeat step e  times.  ( At this point   stitches are left of the palm and the front of the mitten and RC= since row marker.)
   
3. If you are knitting single thickness mittens, bind off.  Seam top of mitten.  Skip to knitting the thumb. (Step 8)  If you stop here, the mitten will resemble the photo below-- but there will be no lining. My lining is on the left in the picture shown to the right.
   

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4. If you are knitting double thick mittens, you've reached the top of the mitten and will now knit the lining: 
1. Hang a marker.  Pick yarn color for interior. Begin to knit in one color only.
   
2. Knit 1 round.
   
3. [Knit  1 round.  ** Slip marker, k1, M1, knit until 1 stitch remains, M1 k1**. Repeat on underside of palm. ]   
   
4. Repeat step c until there are   stitches.
   
5. Knit straight until lining is the same length from the top to the thumb opening as on the mitten.  Just fold the mitten to see!  The row count from the top marker will probably be RC= . 
   
5. Thumb Opening. 
   
1. Work a thumb opening as in step 2c, but make it 1 stitch smaller so the lining is narrower than the thumb.
   
6. Knit to until the lining length is as long as the mitten length to the top of the roll cuff. The row count will probably be RC= . Bind off.
   
7. The mittens will resemble the picture above and to the right.  When you fold the lining inside the mitten, the rows of crochet cotton should be at the same place.  The thumbs stitches are picked up from the crochet cotton.

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8. Knit thumb: 
1. Use one double pointed needle to pick up stitches in the row above the crochet cotton and another to pick up stitches the row below the crochet cotton.  Just poke the needle through the mitten stitches adjacent to the crochet cotton. Then, pick up an extra stitch from each edge.  This results in   stitches for the thumb. Pull to remove both strands of crochet cotton from thumb opening.   Place a stitch marker at the end of each needle to indicate the sides of the thumb. Distribute stitches over 4 needles.  Attach color of your choice and knit rounds  or thumb measures  inches from base of thumb.)
   
2. [**Slip marker, k1, ssk, knit until there are only 3 stitches left before next marker, k2 tog, k1**. Repeat for. Knit 1 round.]     Repeat the procedure in brackets until stitches remain,
3. Thread one eyed bodkin tool and take stitches off on a thread.  Pull thread tight, and anchor stitches. 
   
4. If you are making lined mittens, knit a thumb on the lining.  However, this  the lining thumb will begin with fewer stitches, and you should  knit 2 fewer rows before you being shaping so the inner thumb is slightly shorter from the outer thumb.
   
9. Finish:
   
1. If the mitten is lined, push the lining into the mitten with knit side on outside, and seam the first row of fair-isle knitting to the final row of the lining. (This leaves the decorative roll trim single thickness.) Seam top of mitten closed.  If you like, tack the lining thumb to the mitten thumb.  If the  mitten is unlined, you will want to snip the float at the inside base of the thumb and weave in the lose ends.  Tidy a nd weave in all  loose ends, steam or block as appropriate for you yarn.  Wear. 
   
2. If you need another mitten, make another one putting thumb on the opposite side. (This means, on step 2d, work nearly all the way across the palm and then work the thumb opening.)