The day has melted into the dunes and the stars are blooming in the ink of the night. You put on your mittens to continue your quest in the heart of the desert...

Size

Women

Level

advanced beginner

Material

• 1 skein of BFL Aran by Fleece Artist (100% Blue Faced Leicester; 125g / 185m)
• 1 set of 4.5 mm double-pointed needles
• 1 yarn needle
• 2 reference rings

Notions required

Cast on your stitches, knit stitch, purl stitch, knit with double pointed needles, right and left intercalary increase.

Abbreviations

medical

knit stitch

2 Sets

2 stitches knitted together

m

mesh

Sample

18 sts x 25 rows for 10cm by 10cm with 4.5 mm needles in circular stockinette stitch. Important check sample and adjust needle number if necessary.

Techniques

Left-oriented decrease: Slip the first stitch as if to knit, the second as if to knit, pass the left needle in front of the 2 slipped stitches and knit these 2 stitches together.

Right interlayer increase: Pick up, with the left needle, the yarn between the two stitches from back to front and knit it in the front loop. (the strand is knit twisted.)

Left intercalary increase: Pick up, with the left needle, the yarn between the two stitches from front to back and knit it in the back loop. (the strand is knit twisted).

Realization

With 4.5 mm needles, cast on 36 stitches and distribute them over your set of double-pointed needles. Join in the round, taking care not to twist the stitches.

border

Knit 8 rows in moss stitch as follows:

Row 1: * Knit 1, purl 1 * repeat all the way around.

row 2: * purl 1, knit 1 * repeat all the way around.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 3 more times = 8 knitted rows.

Continue in stockinette st until piece measures 6 cm (including border). Decrease 4 stitches as follows:

decrease row: * 1 stitch, 2 stitches together, 12 stitches, 1 decrease facing left (see explanation above), 1 stitch *, repeat again from * to * = 32 stitches.

Continue in stockinette st until the total height measures 13 cm and decrease 4 stitches as follows:

decrease row: * 1 stitch, 2 stitches together, 10 stitches, 1 decrease facing left (see explanation above), 1 stitch *, repeat again from * to * = 28 stitches.

Continue in stockinette st until piece measures 20 cm.

Begin the thumb gusset as follows:

Preparation row: Knit 14 stitches, place a marker ring, knit a left intercalary increase, place a marker ring and finish the row.

Knit one row.

row 1: Knit 14 stitches, slip the marker ring, knit a right insert increase (cf. Explanation above), knit until the next marker, knit a left insert increase (cf. Explanation above), slip the marker ring and finish the row. (For row 1, you have 3 stitches between the marker rings.)

row 2 and 3: Knit the stitches by slipping the markers as you knit.

Repeat rows 1 to 3 until you have 11 stitches between your marker rings.

Knit an extra row.

On the next row, knit to the first marker, remove the ring, place the next 11 stitches on an auxiliary thread (these stitches are placed on hold and will be knitted at the end to form the thumb), remove the second marker then join your knitting and finish the row.

Continue all in the right place until 9 cm from the opening of the gusset. Then beg the end of the mitten as follows:

row 1: * 1 stitch, 2 stitches together, 9 stitches, 1 decrease facing left * repeat one more time = 24 stitches.

rg 2 and 3: All right side up.

row 4: * 1 stitch, 2 stitches together, 7 stitches, 1 decrease facing left * repeat one more time = 20 stitches.

rg 5 and 6: All right side up.

row 7: * 1 stitch, 2 stitches together, 5 stitches, 1 decrease facing left * repeat one more time = 16 stitches.

row 8: Right side up.

Place the first 8 stitches on one needle, the next 8 on a second and sew the mitten in grafting.

Thumb

Take the 11 stitches left on hold for the thumb and distribute them over 3 needles. Join a new thread and knit a row, picking up at the end of the row 2 stitches between the thumb and the hand = 13 stitches. On the next row, knit 11 stitches then 2 stitches together = 12 stitches.

Knit in stockinette st until 5 cm from the gusset opening. Then begin the decreases with the tip of the thumb as follows:

row 1: * 2 stitches, 2 stitches together * 3 times = 9 stitches.

Knit 1 row.

row 3: * 1 stitch, 2 stitches together * 3 times = 6 stitches.

On the next row, pass the yarn through the remaining 6 stitches.

Finishes

Tuck in all the wires. Block by hand washing and lay flat to dry. Knit a second mitten.