Besides working on the last few pages of my 100 Day Stitch Book (today is Day 87), my take-along handwork project has been all about knitting mittens.
 |
| Five pair of knitted mittens. |
I’ve just finished knitting these five pairs, and one of the fun parts has been the hunt for patterns. I’ve been happily pouring through Ravelry searches for designs that are easy and quick to knit, but still have something fun and interesting. That sweet spot—simple construction with a little something extra—is exactly what I look for.
 |
| Make Nine 2026 tracker with a “Yarn” prompt. |
A Mittens-per-Month goal
When I set my prompts for Make Nine 2026, “Yarn” was again one of the project prompts. My parish has a mittens charity project during the Christmas season, so I considered to pair my Make Nine “Yarn” prompt with the mittens project and set a goal to make one pair a month.
After finishing these mittens, I must admit that this “mitt’n knittin’ thing” had been quite addictive! Pulling out the orphan balls of yarn—from previous projects, stash, and swaps—and applying different color combinations and stitch patterns has been fun. I suspect the fun will continue, so I’ll likely (hopefully) have more than 12 pair by year’s end.
 |
| Orphan yarn balls and leftover scraps are perfect for knitting smaller size mittens and knitting colorwork. |
Experimenting with techniques
It’s been fun rediscovering yarn I’d forgotten about and experimenting with mitten patterns that look intriguing—in techniques, construction, color combinations, and stitch patterns. I’ve tried patterns with:
- color blocking
- round and pointed mitten tops
- stripes in garter stitch
- stripes in ribbing
- corrugated ribbing
- knitting in the round
- two-needle flat knitting
 |
| Using small balls of left-over yarn for color work on a knit-flat pair of mittens. |
It’s been enlightening to compare the pattern designers’ mitten construction approaches, especially when it comes to working the thumb. Some of the flat-knit patterns have surprisingly clever ways of forming and joining the thumb. It’s almost like solving a little origami puzzle as you work through the pattern.
Techniques I want to try are:
- after-thought thumb
- stranded colorwork
- a no-gap mitten pattern
- magic loop
- two-at-a-time
Maybe I’ll pair a colorwork pattern with the after-thought thumb technique. This seems like a great combination, especially for colorwork, since it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the pattern.
Have knitting, will travel
Mittens have lately become a favorite take-along project. They’re small, portable, and just the right balance of engaging and relaxing—easy to pick up for a few rows whenever I have a spare moment. Those little bits of time add up quickly, and before long, another pair is finished—especially using DK or worsted weight yarn and the smaller child sizes.
 |
| Two colorwork mitten sets. Flat-knitting (left) and in-the-round knitting (right). |
For now, I’m happily staying in “smitten with mittens” mode. I like exploring the different mitten styles, and with so many patterns saved and plenty of yarn left-overs waiting to be used, I see mitten-making continuing through the year.
