Oh... Tequila!

Look, a free pattern! This is my extremely, incredibly, enormously modified version of fetching from knitty. Basically, the cables are the same and the thumb's the same, but that's it. My gift to you. Use it for a last second late Christmas gift, because these babies are FAST, or make them for yourself to celebrate the end of Christmas knitting!

Fetchingly Cute Mittens

Yarn: One skein Patons sws (110 yards/ 80 grams) in a color of your choice. I choose Natural Navy.

Needles: Set of 4 size 8 dpns or size needed to obtain gauge.

Gauge: 5 sts/in before washing. 6 rows/inch.

Pattern Notes: C4B: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle (or spare double-point needle) and hold to back of work; k2, k2 from cable needle. C4F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle (or spare double-point needle) and hold to front of work; k2, k2 from cable needle.

Pattern: Cast on 35 stitches. (I prefer long tail but it's up to you really.) Divide between 3 needles, placing 10 sts on the first, 15 on the second, and 10 on the last. Join to work in the round, being careful, of course, not to twist.

Work four rounds in 4 by 1 ribbing, meaning of course, knit four, purl one.

Next round: for the left mitten, work C4B across entire round. For the right mitten, work C4F across entire round.

Work five rounds 4 by 1 ribbing. Then work cable round. Repeat the last six rounds once more.

Work one round 4 by 1 ribbing.

Next round: knit all stitches. Continue knitting until it's long enough to suit you. I knit fifteen rounds.

Next round: Using waste yarn, knit 5 stitches. Then slip those five back to the left needle. Knit those five stitches and the rest of the round with the working yarn.

Continue knitting in st st until it reaches the top of your pinky. For me that was 16 rounds (That is, 15 plus the round immediately after the thumb hole). At this point, the directions are different for each mitten.

For the right mitten: Readjust your stitches so there are 8 stitches on the first two needles, and 17 on the third needle. Knit a couple rounds of decrease* one round, knit one round plain. Then knit several rounds of just decreases until you have 19 stitches altogether. The last decrease round, work all of the decreases EXCEPT the very last one, so that you have 16 stitches (you need the stitch count to be even.)

For the left mitten: Readjust your needles as follows; slip the first five stitches from the first needle to the third needle. then slip four stitches from the second needle to the first, and two stitches from the third needle to the second. Sounds complicated, but you should end up with the five stitches that line up with the thumb stitches on needle three, and the needles should have 9, 8, and 18 stitches on them. Now do the same decreases you did for the right mitten.

*I did my decreases just lie a sock toe. Basically, set your stitches up like I said on the needles, and then on the decrease rounds k1, ssk, knit to the end of the needle. Second needle: knit to last three sts, k2tog, k1. Third needle, k1, ssk, knit to last three, k2tog, k1. I did a decrease round, a plain round (just knit them all), then I repeated those two rounds. After that I decreased every round until there were 16 sts left altogether.


You should now have 16 stitches on your needles. Slip the four stitches from needle two onto needle one. Then graft the stitches together. If you don't know how to graft, or do kitchener stitch, go here and scroll down for a video.

Thumb: Carefully remove waste yarn and place resulting live sts on two double-point needles; there will be 5 sts below the opening and 4 sts above. Attach yarn and k the 5 sts on lower needle; using a second needle, pick up and k 2 sts in space between upper and lower needle, k first 2 sts from upper needle; using a third needle, k remaining 2 sts from upper needle and pick up and k 2 sts in space between this needle and lower needle. 13 sts. Knit until the thumb is almost long enough (about half an inch shorter than thumb is what they say, but I say wait until the thumb is actually long enough... otherwise it'll end up too short). Then work one round of k1, k2tog around (knit the last stitch.) Break yarn, leaving about 8 inches for the tail. Pull yarn through remaining stitches, and weave in on the inside of thumb.

Weave in your other ends. I wash my sws in wool wash, which takes away any ichyness. Lay flat to dry. When they're done, celebrate! Yay!

Hope Everyone had a safe and fun Holiday!