Single Stripe Mittens

Single Stripe Mittens
pictured in size small

Sometimes I buy yarns because they BEG me to bring them home, all puppy dog eyes and soft squishiness. Sometimes I buy yarns because they're on great sale, and I'm my mother's daughter. And sometimes (like this time) I buy yarns because I happen to wander into a LYS in Lithuania and it's so small that I feel like I HAVE to buy something, but they stock almost exclusively Turkish and Italian yarns (so I can't find anything local) and nothing really catches my eye. Such was the case for me recently, until I finally spotted this nice alpaca. And then, of course, I used it for this fun design, which avoids any broken stripes by nestling the color change against a two-stitch stripe up the side rather than placing it at the beginning of the round.

Oh, and as a side note, this yarn is slightly non-standard sized, for recommended needle size and gauge, and you will probably find more yarns that give you 20 stitches per 4 inches on a slightly larger needle. If that's the case, simply adjust your needle size to gauge as needed. :)

Updated February 6, 2021

Sizes: Small Adult (Medium Adult; Large Adult) (the small is for a hand roughly 7 1/2" - 8" in circumference at the base of the thumb and 7" from base of palm to fingertips, and the large for a hand roughly 8 1/2" - 9" in circumference at the base of the thumb and 8" from base of palm to fingertips - and finally, go medium if you're between)

Yarn: Alvita Alpaka (100% Alpaca; 109 yards [100 meters]/50 grams); #90 Brown - one skein (one skein; one to two skeins) (color A) & #10 Ivory – one skein (all sizes) (color B)

One mitten, near a tree. You
can just get a peek at the stripe
down the side...

Needles: one set of double-pointed needles (dpns) in size US 6, one set of dpns in size US 4

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches on size 6 needles

So let's get started! Using your size 4 needles and your color A yarn, then, cast on 40 (40; 44) stitches loosely, distribute between three double pointed needles as follows: 12 stitches on first needle, 16 on second, 12 on third (12 stitches on first, 16 on second, 12 on third; 14 stitches on first, 16 on second, 14 on third) and join in round. Then we'll work some ribbing for the cuff, as follows:

Ribbing Row: * k1, p1; rep from *

Knit this ribbing row until ribbing measures roughly 2" (2.5"; 3"). Transfer work to your size US 6 needles and knit one row around. Clip your yarn tail, since we'll be changing colors halfway through our rounds. Then, we'll begin our color pattern, as follows:

Row 1: using your color B yarn, k19 (k19; k21); then, using your color A yarn, knit until end of round

Row 2: using your color A yarn, k21 (k21; k23); then, using your color B yarn, knit until end of round

Knit rows 1 & 2 six (seven; eight) times. Then we'll begin gusseting in our thumb, as follows:

Gusset Row 1: using color B, k6 (k7; k8), m1l, and knit until end of first needle. Knit across 7 stitches from second needle, switch to your color A yarn, and knit until you have 6 (7; 8) stitches left in round; then, m1r and knit until end of round (+2 stitches)

Gusset Row 2: using color A, knit across first needle and k9 from second needle; then, using color B, knit until end of round

Knit gusset rows 1 - 2 five (six; seven) times, and then knit gusset row 1 once more (you should now have 52 (54; 60) stitches in total). Then, using color A, knit across the first 6 (7; 8) stitches on your first needle, and using a tapestry needle, transfer those stitches and the final 6 (7; 8) stitches from your third needle on to a scrap of yarn to work later as thumb. Then we'll resume our original pattern, rejoining the mitten at the thumb break, although our first and second rows will be swapped like so:

Row 1: using your color A yarn, k21 (k23); then, using your color B yarn, knit until end of round

Row 2: using your color B yarn, k19 (k21); then, using your color A yarn, knit until end of round

Knit rows 1 & 2 until your mitten measures roughly 3.5" (4"; 4.5") from the thumb break and you've just completed a row 1 row. Clip your color B yarn tail. Then we'll work our decrease in color A, as follows. At this point, feel free to rearrange your stitches to suit the decrease, as well (I recommend a 20/10/10 (20/10/10; 22/11/11) split).

Decrease Row 1: (ssk, k18, k2tog) twice (large size only; all other decrease rows will apply to all three sizes) (40 stitches)

Decrease Rows 2 & 3: knit

Decrease Row 4: (ssk, k16, k2tog) twice (36 stitches)

Decrease Rows 5 & 6: knit

Decrease Row 7: (ssk, k14, k2tog) twice (32 stitches)

Decrease Row 8: knit

Decrease Row 9: (ssk, ssk, k8, k2tog, k2tog) twice (24 stitches)

Decrease Row 10: (ssk, ssk, k4, k2tog, k2tog) twice (16 stitches)

Decrease Row 11: (ssk, ssk, k2tog, k2tog) twice (8 stitches)

Knit decrease rows 1 - 11. Clip yarn tail and, using tapestry needle, thread through final 8 stitches and pull tight. Finally, place your 12 (14; 16) thumb stitches back on your size US 6 needles, lining up one of your needle breaks at the gap in the stitches. Then, using your color B yarn, pick up one stitch in the gap (you will pick up another at the end of the row so space your stitch accordingly), knit across the round, and pick up another stitch. Then work as follows:

Thumb Row 1: using color A yarn, knit

Thumb Row 2: using color B yarn, knit

Knit thumb rows 1 & 2 until thumb measures 2" (2.25"; 2.5") and you've just finished thumb row 2. Clip your color B yarn tail and, using your color A yarn, * k2tog * around, so that you have 6 (7; 8) stitches left. Clip yarn tail, thread through remaining stitches, and pull tight. Tuck in ends and make another.