Now that the Christmas gifts have been given, I can finally share this pattern! 🙂 These mittens are made for ladies with hands that are slightly larger than an “average” ladies hand. And, if you begin decreasing the top at row 46 (or somewhere around there) instead of round 56, it should fit a “medium”-sized hand quite nicely (and don’t forget to shorten the thumb a bit, as well!)
Of course, all these sizes are relative, which is why I’m using all the quotes. I will just say, this probably would be too big for a “small” ladies hand. As is usual with any project, it may require some experimenting on your part to see what works.
Do not be deceived by the rather lengthy instructions; if you can knit in the round and make cables, this is an easy pattern! I probably could have made the instructions much simpler if I had moved the cable twist by one round. But, this is what I did.
Gingersnap Mittens by Leanne
Women’s Size Medium-Large/Large, or Small/Medium Men’s
Materials needed:
- 1 skien of Comfort by Berroco (or any worsted weight yarn)
- US 5 double-pointed needles
- US 7 double-pointed needles
- Cable needle
- Tapestry needle or crochet hook for weaving in ends
Abbreviations:
CO = cast on
k = knit
p = purl
sl =slip stitch (followed by number of stitches to slip)
12-st LC = slip 6 stitches onto cable needle and hold to front; knit 6 stitches, then knit 6 stitches from cable needle.
12-st RC = slip 6 stitches onto cable needle and hold to back; knit 6 stitches, then knit 6 stitches from cable needle.
m1 = (make one): knit into front of the stitch as usual, keeping the original stitch on the left needle; then knit into the back of the stitch, and slide stitch off the needle; you will now have 2 stitches instead of 1.
pm = place stitch marker
sm= slip maker
k2tog = knit 2 stitches together
k3tog = knit 3 stitches together
RIGHT MITTEN:
With US 5 needles: CO 40 sts
Work 2 x 2 rib (knit two, purl two, repeat) until cuff measures 3″ (about 21 sts) or desired length
Switch to US 7 needles.
Round 1: sl 1, p2, k12, p2, sl 1, knit to end
Round 2: k1, p2, k12, p2, knit to end
Rounds 3 and 5: repeat round 1
Rounds 4, 6 and 8: repeat round 2
Round 7: sl 1, p2, 12-st LC, p2, sl 1, knit to end
Round 9: repeat round 1
Round 10: k1, p2, k12, p2, k6, m1, knit to end
Round 11: sl 1, p2, k12, p2, sl 1, k5, pm, k3, pm knit to end
Round 12: k1, p2, k12, p2, k to marker, sm, m1, m1, k, sm, knit to end
Round 13: Repeat round 1, slipping markers as they come up.
Round 14, 16, 18, 22, and 24: k1, p2, k12, p2, k to marker, sm, m1, knit to last 2 sts before next marker, m1, k1, sm, knit to end
Rounds 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23: repeat round 1, slipping markers when they come up.
Round 20: k1, p2, 12-st LC, p2, k to marker, sm, m1, knit to last 2 sts before next marker, m1, k1, sm, knit to end
Round 25: sl 1, p2, k12, p2, k to marker, remove marker, k1, slip the next 15 sts onto a stitch holder, k1, remove marker, knit to end
Rounds 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 48, 50, 52, and 54: repeat round 2
Round 33: sl 1, p2, 12-st LC, p2, sl1, knit to end
Rounds 27, 29, 31, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, and 55: repeat round 1
Round 46: k1, p2, 12-st LC, p2, knit to end
Round 56: *k6, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 57, 59, 61, 63, and 65: knit
Round 58: *k5, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 60: *k4, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 62: *k3, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 64: *k2, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 66: *k1, k2tog, repeat from * (10 sts remain)
Cut yarn leaving a long tail. To finish, use kitchener stitch or run tail through all stitches. Weave in the end.
Thumb:
Divide sts evenly onto 3 needles (size US 7). From right side, join yarn and pick up/knit 3 sts along the inner edge of the hand (where the gap is). Knit round. Place marker at beginning.
Next round: k3tog, k to end of round
Continue knitting rounds evenly until thumb is correct length (about 16-18 rounds)
Next round: k2tog, repeat.
Cut yarn leaving long tail. Run tail through stitches. Tie off and weave in end.
LEFT MITTEN:
With US 5 needles: CO 40 sts
Work 2 x 2 rib until cuff measures 3″ (about 21 sts) or desired length
Switch to US 7 needles.
Round 1: k10, sl 1, p2, k12, p2, sl 1, knit to end
Round 2: k11, p2, k12, p2, knit to end
Rounds 3 and 5: repeat round 1
Rounds 4, 6 and 8: repeat round 2
Round 7: k10, sl 1, p2, 12-st RC, p2, sl 1, knit to end
Round 9: repeat round 1
Round 10: k3, m1, k7, p2, k12, p2, knit to end
Round 11: k3, pm, k3, pm, k5, sl 1, p2, k12, p2, knit to end
Round 12: k3, sm, m1, m1, k, sm, k6, p2, k12, p2, knit to end
Round 13: k14 (slipping markers as they come up), sl 1, p2, k12, p2, knit to end
Round 14, 16, 18, 22, and 24: k3, sm, m1, knit to last 2 sts before next marker, m1, k1, sm, k6, p2, k12, p2, k to end
Round 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23: k3, sm, knit to next marker, sm, k5, sl 1, p2, k12, p2, sl 1, knit to end
Round 20: k3, sm, m1, knit to last 2 sts before next marker, m1, k1, sm, k6, p2, 12-st RC, p2, knit to end
Round 25: k3, remove marker, k1, slip the next 15 sts onto a stitch holder, k1, remove marker, k5, sl 1, p2, k12, p2, sl 1, knit to end
Rounds 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 48, 50, 52, and 54: repeat round 2
Round 33: k10, sl 1, p2, 12-st RC, p2, s1, knit to end
Rounds 27, 29, 31, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, and 55: repeat round 1
Round 46: k11, p2, 12-st RC, p2, knit to end
Round 56: *k6, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 57, 59, 61, 63, and 65: knit
Round 58: *k5, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 60: *k4, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 62: *k3, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 64: *k2, k2tog, repeat from *
Round 66: *k1, k2tog, repeat from * (10 sts remain)
Cut yarn leaving a long tail. To finish, use kitchener stitch or run tail through all stitches. Weave in the end.
Thumb: Work the same as right-hand (above).
prairiesque 
Hello:
Thank you so much for putting the Gingersnap pattern up. Beautiful work.
Have a happy new year!!
I love them Leanne! I’m on row 46 on my right mitten– they look really good! I’m so glad I came back and read your notes about the hand sizes because it is getting REALLY large! I’ve been posting pictures to Ravelry of the progress I’ve been making!
Happy New Year!
(You can find me on Ravelry as thisiskricky)
Oh, that is awesome, Krissy! 😀 I can’t wait see them!! I’m glad you caught the note. I am wondering if I shouldn’t have put “large” somewhere in the title…it would be easy to miss! Also, the size 7 needles I was using are sort of a “small” 7…they were sold as 7, are 7 according to one needle gauge I have, but fit into the 6 hole of another gauge! So this may have made mine slightly tighter. Anyway, I’m going to check out your progress right now! 🙂
I’m glad I came back to your blog yet again to learn about your needle sizing! You know, sometimes I wonder the same thing about some of the needles I’ve got (some look larger than what they say they are) I really need to buy one of those gauge checkers- I see them all of the time and I just haven’t picked one up… I probably should! I’ve been using some size 7 Clover bamboo needles I picked up the other night! Even if they’re a little big right now- I’m loving how they’re coming out! It’s such a detailed pattern- which is good because the last time I attempted a thumb gusset I got what my mom calls “cast finger” because it looked like a cast– it was horrible, but true!
These mittens are lovely! I stumbled on them because WordPress has linked to my blog from this post, but I’m so glad it did, they look wonderful. Thanks for the pattern, I’ll definitely try it 🙂
Lovely mitts.
Thank you for
the pattern.
Thank you all!! 😀 I am glad to help contribute whenever I can…hopefully a new knit pattern will be up within the next month or so!
When you slip the stitch before purl 2, is the yarn in front or back? I’m new to knitting the round. The cuffs came out great- no laddering, but the slip stitch shows as a horizontal bar forming next to the cable. It doesn’t look like your picture. Please help-Lorrie
Hi Lorraine,
Thank you for the question! When you slip the stitches at each side of the purl stitches, keep the yarn in the back, same as if you were knitting on the knit side of a piece that is worked flat. I like knitting in the round because if you’re doing stockinette stitch, you knit the “right” side each time without having to worry about purling! (Except, of course, where the reverse stockinette/purl shows up along side the cables.) I hope this helps!
xo,
Leanne
Thank you for the “larger hands” than most patterns offer (you should put the name large in the pattern. I, of course have larger hands than most (I can wear a size large glove- store bought); I stumbled upon a pattern for fingerless gloves for which I used a size 9 instead of 8 needles (after I knitted 3/4 of the palm, I checked it on my hand and it was perfect. Just a thought for some of your other bloggers (also I’m using the Patons yarn). I never blogged here, but trying to get the site for my pattern (to tell them how they need to improve this pat.-I had to do a lot of changes so it would look nice) I found your pattern and I would give it a try.
Beautiful pattern. What is the Berroco # for the color the yarn that was used.
Shooooot! I actually don’t know what color these were done in and don’t have the label anymore. 😦 I checked the Berroco site, but there were a number of colors that looked like they could all be it. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s the Salmonberry Heather (9787). I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Can you use circular needs for this pattern?
It would depend! I know the magic loop method is used for knitting small things on circular needles, but I have never tried this and don’t know how it works, so I’m not sure if this pattern could be adapted to that. I’ve also recently seen some very tiny circular needles that you can use for socks–these should work on the larger part of the hand/wrist, but you would still need double pointed needles to do the thumb, decreases, etc. I hope this is helpful!
Hello! I’ve never commented here before, but I just wanted to say how much I love this pattern! I’ve knit too many pairs of these mittens to count. Thank you!!
Aww, thank you!!! I am so happy to hear that! ❤