How to knit mittens

A step-by-step tutorial for a colorwork mitten pattern, explaining every single step

Winter is coming, as they say, and what could be better to keep you warm than some hand-knitted mittens, right? But how do you actually knit them – especially the thumb? Well, I have your back! This tutorial & pattern will guide you through all the important steps and won’t leave you hanging.

These mittens can be knitted in one color or using the Fair-Isle technique. The instructions will stay more or less the same. Beginners, who don’t know how to read charts yet, might want to leave the colorwork for later.

If you want the tech-edited PDF with 15 pages with a detailed size guide and full of detailed instructions, high-resolution pictures, charts, and additional notes, you can get it in two places:

• Buy it on Ravelry
• Buy it in my Etsy shop

Important: Subscribers of my Patreon account will receive this pattern for free.

Materials you need to knit mittens

Note: I earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this article.

For colorwork mittens, I recommend a rustic, slightly fluffy sheep wool yarn that can keep you warm on a cold day. Polyester is typically a good vegan alternative for colorwork as well. If you are willing to do your own calculations, you can use anything from lace to worsted-weight yarn. Here is what I used for my samples

• I used the Rauma “3-Trads Strikkegarn” (50g = 108 m / 118 yds) in the colors light grey, dark grey, and dark orange (103, 114, 177). For size M, I needed 48 g in light grey (color A), 30 g in dark grey (color B), and 15 g in orange(color C).
• Double-pointed needle set size 3.5 mm (US size 4) or circular needles of the same size. I am using the KnitPro Nova circulars
• A tapestry needle and scissors
• Measuring tape
• (optional) Stitch markers

Note: Typically, floats are easier to manage using circulars and the traveling magic loop technique. The thumb and the very tip of the mittens are typically a bit easier to knit with dpns. Since the instructions will be the same regardless, I leave the decision up to you.

Sizing

Before you can start knitting, you need to knit a swatch. And then there are two ways to approach this pattern. First, you can buy the pattern, try to meet my gauge, and follow my cast-on recommendation for sizes XS/S/M/L that are available in the pdf.

Here in this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to make your own calculations using a men’s size M as a sample.

Step 1: Knit a swatch

Please knit a swatch using the exact same yarn and needles you want to use for your mittens like so:

• Cast-on 25 st
• Row 1-25: work across according to the Fair Isle chart (see above). I swatch flat, but you could also do it in the round for more accuracy.
• Bind-off loosely

Step 2: Wash and block your swatch

Next, you need to block your swatch (here’s a tutorial showing you how). The important step
is that, as you pin your swatch to your blocking mat, you stretch the fabric to the point where the colorwork looks nice and balanced but is not yet overstretched. The fabric should look exactly like you want your finished mittens to look.

Step 3: Measure your swatch

Once dry and while still on the blocking mat, take a tape measure and count 10 stitches horizontally and measure how wide those 10 stitches are. Then pick a slightly different spot
and measure another 10 stitches. Then use the average value of these two measurements to calculate your gauge. E.g.:

• Measurement no1: 10 stitches = 4.4 cm
• Measurement no2: 10 stitches = 4.6 cm
  => 4.5 cm

Step 4: Measure your hand

You only need two measurements:

• The circumference of your thumb right at the base,
• and the circumference of your hand right above your thumb.

You can adjust the length of your mittens on the fly. There’s no need to calculate that. If you are knitting mittens as a gift, you would also need the total length of their hand and the length of their thumb.

Important: Factor in roughly 1-2 cm of positive ease. So if your hand has a circumference of 21 cm, go with 22 or 23 cm. Most people will want a little bit of extra room so they can wiggle their fingers around. The finished fabric will not be very stretchy.

Step 5: Calculate your gauge

Your stitch gauge is calculated by dividing the number of stitches by the width that you measured. E.g.:

• 4.5 cm ÷ 10 st = 0.45 cm/st

Step 6: Calculate your cast-on

A) In the last step, you only need to divide the circumference of your hand (plus any positive ease you want to add) by the stitch gauge. E.g.:

• (21 cm + 1cm) ÷ 0.45 cm/st = 48.88 st

Since you cannot knit fractional stitches, and the repeat needs to work out, you have to round that number to the nearest number divisible by 4.

• E.g.: 48 st

Note: When in doubt, I’d always round up. A mitten that is too tight will always feel uncomfortable, while a bit more positive ease will not be the end of the world. However, please be careful. If you already added 2 cm of positive ease and you are now rounding up 3 stitches, that might already be a bit too much.

B) You also need to divide the girth of your thumb by your stitch gauge. The result will tell you how many stitches you need for the thumb. E.g.:

• 9 cm ÷ 0.45 cm/st = 20 st

This number needs to be rounded up to the next number divisible by two, because the pattern for the thumb has a 2-stitch repeat.

And that’s already it. Now you have all the details to knit mittens that fit!

The mitten pattern & chart

The mitten construction is a fairly simple 5-step process. First, you knit a cuff, then you add increases in one place to create a gusset. Then, you put these gusset stitches on hold while you finish the palm and tip of your mittens. And in the last step, you pick up the gusset stitches to finish the thumb.

The following instructions are for a men’s size M as an example. Please refer to your own calculations to make your mittens fit perfectly. Here is a detailed chart I used for your convenience. If this is a bit too confusing for you, simply focus on the repeat in the pink box.

For advanced knitters only: To optimize the color transition between the thumb gusset and the main motif, I also included this detailed sketch for the placement (and color) of the increases. Round 1-6 chart the instructions provided on page 7. Please note how the location and type of the increases deviate in rounds 8 and 17 (see below) compared to the chart.

This is done to improve the color transition between the thumb gusset and the main motif, and to avoid black lines that are two stitches wide as much as possible. The green lines represent the position of your two stitch markers and frame your gusset.

Please understand that those are just suggestions. Depending on the total length of your gusset and your total stitch count (maybe you are knitting with a finer yarn), a different distribution might look even neater.

If you want to knit these mittens in one color only, then simply work across whenever it says “knit according to the chart.”

1. The Cuff

Cast on 48 stitches or however many you’ve calculated with a long tail cast-on using color A. Consider casting on one additional stitch to join in the round in a super invisible way.

Experienced knitters may also pick a tubular cast-on for an invisible edge. I typically cast on
in pattern (by alternating between casting on 2 stitches the normal way, and two purlwise).

• Cuff round 1: *k2, p2* place a beginning of the round marker
• Round 2: *k2, p2*
• Round 3: *k2, p2*

Continue knitting the 2×2 rib for 12 cm / 4.7 in for a folded cuff. For me, this equals 40 rounds. Feel free to knit a shorter or longer cuff. If you don’t want to fold your cuff, stop when your fabric is around 5 cm / 2 inches long.

2. The gusset

Please be aware that your hands are not identical. For a perfect fit, you will have to knit a left and a right mitten, where the placement for the thumb is slightly different:

• Gusset round 1a (right mitten): k2, place marker, k3, pm, knit to end of round.
• Round 2a (right mitten): k2, slip marker, join in color B and k3 in B, sm start colorwork and continue according to the chart. (see above)

• Gusset round 1b (left mitten): knit across until you have 5 stitches before the end of the round, pm, k3, pm, join in color B, and start knitting across according to the chart. (see above)
• Round 2b (left mitten): Knit across according to the chart until you come to the first marker, sm, k3 in color b, sm, k2.

From here, continue as follows (the instructions are written in a way that they work for both sides, but you will have to pay attention to the placement of your stitch markers!).

• Round 3: Knit across according to the chart until you come to the first marker, sm, k1 (in color A), KLL (B), k1 (A), KRL (B), k1 (A), sm, finish round according to the chart. (50 stitches)
• Round 4: Knit across according to the chart.
• Round 5: Knit across according to the chart until you come to the first marker, sm, k1 (A), KLL (A), knit all stitches in the color they appear (so B, A, B), KRL (A), k1 (A), finish round according to the chart. (52 stitches)
• Round 6: Knit across according to the chart.
• Round 7: Knit across according to the chart until you come to the first marker, sm, k1 (A), KLL (B), knit all stitches in the color they appear, KRL (B), k1 (A), finish round according to the chart. (54 stitches)
• Round 48: Work across according to the chart.

From here, repeat increasing every second round until the gusset has enough stitches to accommodate your thumb minus 3 stitches.

• E.g., I need 20 st – 3 st = 17 st

(In my example, you should have 62 stitches total on your needles.)

3. The Palm

Once your gusset has enough stitches to accommodate your thumb (minus the mentioned 3 st), continue working across in pattern without any further increases until the fabric barely covers the gap between thumb and index finger. When you try on your work in progress, make sure that the transition between ribbing and colorwork sits right on your wrists. For my hands, this is after 60 rounds total.

• Palm round 1: Work across until you come to the first stitch marker. Remove the marker and slip all gusset stitches to a stitch holder (e.g., use some scrap yarn and a tapestry needle and pull it through all those stitches), and remove the second marker as well
  
  Next, turn your project around so the wrong side is facing you. Place a marker, then cast on 5 stitches using the knitted cast-on purlwise and color A. Trap color B on the backside every 2 stitches to drag it along. Place another marker on the other side, and turn the project back to the right side.
  
  Then, join in the round again. No special technique is needed to bridge the gap, but try to maintain a nice tension. Finish the round according to the chart. (50 st)
• Round 2: Knit across according to the chart until you have one stitch before the first marker, SSK (remove the marker as you knit it), k3, k2tog (remove the second marker as you knit it), and finish the round according to the chart. (48 st)
• Round 3 – X: From here, continue according to the chart until the fabric covers your pinky finger. Then you can start with the decreases towards the tip.

4. The tip of your mittens

From here, switch to color C and break yarns A and B. In addition to your beginning of the round marker, place a second marker halfway across the round. (E.g. after 24 st)

• Tip round 1: k1, SSK, knit across until three stitches before the second marker, k2tog, k1, sm, k1, SSK, knit to three stitches before the end of the round, k2tog, k1, sm.
• Round 2: knit

Repeat rounds 1 + 2 until only half of your stitches remain (E.g. after 24 st). Then, decrease in every round until only 8 stitches remain.

Break the yarn, leaving a tail of 20 cm or 8 in, and thread the tail onto a tapestry needle. Pull the tapestry needle through the remaining stitches (remove the markers as you go). Then sew over once and pull the tail through to the wrong side.

5. The thumb

In the last step, you need to knit the thumb. Since you are only working across a handful of stitches and there are decreases involved, I recommend continuing with 3+1 double-pointed knitting needles.

Preparation: Slip all stitches back to your knitting needle. Distribute them evenly on two needles.

Note: You start knitting in the gap between those two needles. The pattern comes with a full illustration of this process plus a video tutorial.

• Thumb round 1: Join in color A and B and knit all stitches in the color they appear until you hit the gap. Place a stitch marker one stitch before the gap.
  
  From here, you need to pick up a total of 5 stitches. One directly from the gap, and four from the bridge in between.
  
  As you pick up stitches, continue the 1×1 stripes. However, pick up the first stitch in the same color as the last stitch on the needle. The same applies to the 5th stitch. Pick it up in the same color as the first stitch on the next needle.
  
  Then, knit that stitch, place a marker, and continue in pattern until you reach the end of the round.
• Round 2: Work across until you come to the first marker, sm, SSK, knit across in pattern until you have two stitches before the next marker, k2tog, sm, and finish the round in pattern.

Important: Every 7 rounds, you need to knit all stitches in color A using color C. So you simply continue these “stripes”. Since I cannot predict where you started the thumb, you may have to join in color C in this or one of the following rounds. Here’s how to count rows.
For the left mitten, please remove the second marker. For the right mitten, please remove the first marker of your round.

Then, continue knitting all stitches in the color they appear until the fabric almost covers the tip of your thumb. Only the tip of the nail should be peaking out.

Consider knitting the last round using yarn B and C for a more gradual transition. Next, place another stitch marker directly opposite the other stitch marker.

E.g., my round has 20 stitches, so I place another stitch marker after 10 stitches.

• Thumb tip round 1 (color C): Knit across until you have 3 stitches before the marker, k2tog, k1, sm, ssk, knit across until you have 3 stitches before the next marker, k2tog, k1, sm, ssk, and knit across until the end of the round.

Repeat decreasing in this manner before and after those stitch markers until only 6 stitches remain.

Then, try on your mittens and check whether the thumb fits. In my experience, one round too much or too little can make a big difference. So, consider unraveling these last 3-4 rounds and start decreasing a little earlier or later if you are not satisfied with the fit.

Then, break the yarn, leaving a tail of 20 cm/8 inches, and thread it on a tapestry needle. Pull the yarn through all the stitches (remove the markers as you go). Then, sew over once and hide the tail on the inside.

From here, repeat these instructions one more time to knit the other mitten so you end up with a pair – one for the left, and one for the right hand.

Finishing up

In the last step, you only need to tidy up all the tails. For the cast-on tail, try to weave in the end on the right side (that’s the side that will be on the inside of the cuff when you fold it!). I usually thread it once in each direction through one of the ribs and then cut the excess yarn. I feel that’s the most invisible way to weave in tails for 2×2 ribbing.

I weave in the colorwork tails by piercing right through the purl bumps on the wrong side. You have to push the floats a bit to the side to access the understorey, and then I go diagonally in two different directions.

If you wove in the tails as you went, then you can mostly just cut the yarn, leaving a short little stub. For more details, please check out my weaving in ends tutorial.

Next, you only need to wash and block your mittens. To avoid permanent fold lines, I use special mitten blockers. I do not really block the ribbing. I only lightly stretch it lengthwise.

Then, let it dry for at least 24 hours before you remove the pins (make sure to use rust-free pins!). And that’s it. Your mittens are now ready to wear.

I don’t sew the cuff in place, though you could do so with yarn in the same color and a few well-placed stitches here and there. I leave that decision up to you.

Anyway, that was my mitten pattern. Comment below if you have any questions.