Mitten Class:
Lesson Four
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The pattern says:

"Hand ...Knit across 11 (13, 15) sts. Thread darning needle with one length of scrap yarn, and run through these sts dropping them off the needle. (Tie ends of scrap yarn together to anchor stitches)...knit around mitten back to where you put the sts on scrap yarn...increase 1 st to keep knitting in the round. Put your beginning of the round marker after the st...30 (36,42) sts."

Well, we start the hand, but before that, we need to put our gusset stitches on a holder to be worked on LATER when we do the thumb. So do that. You knit across them FIRST, as it says in the pattern, and then you slip them off the working needle. This leaves you with a gap in the knitting....Work across all the stitches left on the needles and when you come to the GAP...that is just where you MAKE ONE STITCH (put it on your right needle) then work the first stitch on the other side of the GAP and pull the opening closed. At this point, put a marker on the needle to denote the new beginning of the round and count your stitches.

You are now working on the hand and you will:

"Work in the round until the mitten clears your pinky finger or 3 (3.5, 4)" above thumb opening. " Easy enough.

Now we come to the spot where we need to decrease the top down to a few stitches that you can run a length of yarn through and close off. The pattern says:
  • Top Decrease : Round 1: *k 4, k 2 together* repeat around: 25 (30, 35) sts
  • Round 2: k
  • Round 3: *k 3, k2 tog* repeat around: 20 (24, 28) sts
  • Round 4: k
  • Round 5 and the rest...proceed as above, decreasing every odd round until you have 6 sts left
  • Cut yarn leaving a 12" tail...with darning needle, run yarn through 6 remaining sts twice and pull tight. Weave in end.

Round 1 (if we wrote it out) would mean: k4, k2 tog, k4, k2 tog, k4, k2 tog, k4, k2 tog, k4, k2 tog, but we use the ** to shorten the directions.

It is very helpful to chant your way through the counting while you knit.......don't let anyone talk to you while you work your first mitten tip. This is part of the "mantra" appeal of knitting....one can isolate oneself in the midst of noise by being forced to keep track.

There is an error in the directions, for you will find that when you reduce your sts down, you will have

  • Cut yarn leaving a 12" tail...with darning needle, run yarn through 5(6,7) remaining sts twice and pull tight. Weave in end.

Our LAST Lesson will be picking up stitches and the thumb!

So..knit on with confidence and holler if you have any questions!


This material ©1999 Claudia Krisniski