Winter Sparkle Series - Fingerless Mitts
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Hello friends! Welcome to the third pattern in the Winter Sparkle series - the Winter Sparkle Mitts!
Towards the end of November, when the days started to get real short and dark, I was sitting in my craft room one gloomy afternoon. I felt bleh, you know, lots I should be doing, no motivation to do anything. Yeah, that was me. Up on my shelf, I caught a glimpse of some Winter Nights yarn and thought, heck yes, gimme some sparkle!
The Winter Sparkle patterns are really fun, because they use two yarns held double to create a unique texture and colour look. The Winter Sparkle Mitts work up quickly, making them a great last-minute gift item that you can whip up whenever you need something in a flash. They also pair well with other free patterns from the series, like the Winter Sparkle Ear Warmer.
I used Lion Brand Winter Nights for the sparkly yarn, and paired it with Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca. This gives the cowl warmth and comfort.
The pattern uses the Tunisian Simple Stitch, which is the basic Tunisian crochet stitch. It is the perfect stitch to introduce yourself to the fabulous world of Tunisian crochet!
Materials
Hook - US 10mm, or size needed to meet gauge, and a short cord attached. I love these interchangeable hooks and cords from WeCrochet.
Yarn - Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca (I used the colour Oxford Grey) and Lion Brand Winter Nights (I used the colour Chinchilly). You will need approx. 90 yds of each yarn. You may also combine any two worsted (4) weight yarns, or use a bulky (5) yarn on its own, as long as you can meet gauge.
Notions - scissors, tape measure, yarn needle.
Terminology/Abbreviations
This pattern uses standard US terms as detailed by the Craft Yarn Council:
Ch - chain
St(s) - stitch(es)
Sl st - slip stitch
Inc - increase (pull up a loop in the back bar of the stitch. The next regular tss will be worked in the front bar of the same st, see Special Stitch section)
Tss - Tunisian Simple Stitch (see HERE for an excellent tutorial!)
Lts - Last Tunisian Stitch (insert hook under both bars)
RetP - Return Pass (Ch 1, *yarn over, pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * until 1 loop remains on your hook)
Sizing
Gauge - 4” = 8.5 sts x 8 rows in tss unblocked.
Finished measurements - approximately 8.5" long x 4.5” wide at the thumb.
Notes
Curling at the top and bottom edges of Tunisian crochet is common. See the Finishing section below for blocking instructions to help tame the curl.
These mitts have been designed in one size, to fit a hand that is approximately 8” circumference at the bottom of the fingers. To adjust the size, see the Variations section at the end of the pattern.
Special Stitch
Increase - use this internal increase technique to create a bit of a gusset for your thumb. Work
The top picture shows the detail of the back (1) and front (2) bar of the next st that you will work into.
The bottom picture shows the extra st (1) created for the increase, and the next regular tss st (2) worked into the front bar as per normal.
Pattern Instructions
Row 1. Ch 18. Working in the back bumps (see Picture 1, below), pull up a loop in the second ch from hook, and each ch across. Work a RetP.
Rows 2-5. Tss in each st across, Lts, RetP. (18 sts)
Row 6. Tss 7, inc, tss, inc, tss 8, Lts, RetP. (20 sts)
Rows 7-11. Tss in each st across, Lts, RetP. (20 sts)
Row 12. Tss 7, sl st bind off (see Picture 2, below) next 5, tss 6, Lts. You should have 15 loops on your hook, with 5 sts bound off in the middle. Work a RetP, pinching the two groups of sts together to create the thumb hole where the 5 bound off sts are (see Picture 3, below). (15 sts)
Row 13. Tss 5, inc, tss, inc, tss 7, Lts, RetP. (17 sts)
Rows 14-16. Tss in each st across, Lts, RetP. (17 sts)
Bind off row: Ch 1, *sl st next st. Repeat from * until last st. Insert your hook as for Lts and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through both loops. Fasten off, leaving a 10” tail for seaming.
Finishing
Blocking: You may wish to steam block or wet block your work prior to seaming.
To steam block, pin your work down to mats or another flat surface, taking care not to stretch the fabric. Use an iron or steaming tool, gently pass over the whole piece, applying steam to help relax the fibres. Leave pinned until dry.
To wet block, soak your work in cool water for 15-20 mins. Gently squeeze out excess water (do not wring!) by laying it flat on a towel and rolling it up tight. Lay the wet piece down on mats or a towel, and secure the edges with pins. Take care not to stretch your work; you can use the finished measurements as a guide. Leave pinned until dry.
Seaming: Fold your work so that the two side edges are matched up, with the thumb hole opposite. Seam the edges together using your preferred seaming method (I like to use the Mattress Stitch technique). Weave in all ends.
Variations
To make your mitts narrower or wider, start with fewer or more chain sts in Row 1.
To make your mitts longer down your arm, work more rows before working Row 6.
To make your mitts taller to cover more of your fingers, work more rows after Rows 14-16, before working the bind off row.
Congratulations on finishing your Winter Sparkle Mitts! I hope you have enjoyed this quick and easy Tunisian crochet pattern. Share your pics on social media and tag me @capital.crochet and use the hashtag #WinterSparkleMitts.
You may sell finished items made from this pattern, but please credit me as the designer by linking back to this blog post.
Thank you so much for your support! Make sure to check out the other Winter Sparkle patterns in the series: Ear Warmer, Cowl and Scarf!
If you enjoyed this pattern, I thought you might be interested these similar Tunisian crochet patterns, too! Shown below are the Bonfire Mitts and the Juliet Cowl, both available in my pattern shop, or on Ravelry and Etsy!