Easy Mitten Knitting Pattern

I recently shared a post all about mitts and mittens to knit using sock yarn leftovers. I know using sock yarn for mittens makes it sound like they will take forever, and maybe not even be that warm because the yarn is so thin.

I can tell you that mittens and gloves made with fine yarn are warm because they stay close to your skin, but it is true they can take a long time to knit.

If you want to go in the other direction in terms of yarn weight and speed, you can’t go wrong with some bulky yarn. And using heavier weight yarn is a great way to learn how to knit mittens because you’ll get all the techniques down in a jiffy.

Leelee Knits has a great free pattern for a pair of two-color chunky mittens worked using the magic loop method, which she prefers because she doesn’t like working with double pointed needles (I don’t mind double points but magic loop is a great technique to know — I’m actually knitting a sock using it right now!).

The contrasting color is fun, and great for using up stash, but of course you can make them a solid color if you like. Or go the other way and make them striped. No judgement here.

You’ll work a simple gusset for the thumb, and there is shaping at the top of the mitten and the top of the thumb, but it’s all really easy and these are a great first mitten project, or even a first knitting in the round project if you haven’t tackled that skill before.

And once you’ve got the pattern down, you just might want to knit mittens for everyone on your holiday list. Which is good because everyone can use warmer hands in the winter!

Get the free pattern from Leelee Knits.

[Photo: Leelee Knits]

Free Knitting Pattern – Seedless Columns Mittens

Mighty Mittens: A Choose Your Own Mitten Adventure

As we get into the part of the year with a lot of food-forward holidays, it might be time to start thinking about knitting some new things for your table. While a few of these are more fall/Thanksgiving focused, just changing up the colors would make others work for Christmas, or keep it neutral and use them all year long.

What got me started thinking about this was the lovely and simple Fresh Bread Dishtowel, a free pattern from Purl Soho. Worked in a lovely cotton and linen blend, the towel is mostly stockinette stitch with a bit of texture on the borders.

You could use this same kind of pattern to make anything from placemats to a table runner, but let’s look at some specific patterns for those kinds of projects as well.

The easy moss stitch table runner from Glass Bird Knits is beginner friendly can can easily be modified to fit your table (or, again, to make placemats instead of or in addition to a runner). This version is worked in macrame cord, but you could also use bulky yarn.

Emielle Design has a garter stitch runner pattern that’s made with braided cotton cord for a lot of texture without a lot of work. But be sure to take a lot of breaks when knitting with cord because it can be rough on your hands!

I also love the diamond pattern on the Hamilton Table Runner from Wyndlestraw Designs. It calls for a DK weight cotton and linen blend yarn and comes in three sizes with different widths and lengths. The pattern has both written and charted instructions.

Amy Marie’s Table Pumpkins (on Ravelry) is a fun mosaic knitting pattern that would be great to use as a table runner through the fall and for Thanksgiving. It uses a worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors, and you can make it as long as you like for your table.

The no cable knit placemats from Yarn Culture Studio have a fun faux cable look that would be great for the table through the fall and winter.

Or here’s another pattern from Wyndlestraw Designs, this time for an easy knit and purl stitch placemat pattern that looks different but still good on both sides. It calls for worsted weight cotton and comes in two sizes for placemats, but also has instructions for coasters, a hot pad and a table pad all using the same stitch.

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