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]
