BASIC FOUR-NEEDLE MITTEN PATTERN

Materials:  2 to 3 oz of yarn for medium size mittens.  Thicker yarn takes 
more.  7" sock needles in two different sizes for each pair.

for fine yarn-- 1's and 2's
medium--2's and 3's
heavy(standard 4-ply knitting worsted)-- 3's and 4's

Check your gauge!!!  Measure the number of sts you knit per inch in center 
row of sample.  Measure rows per inch, too.  Measure the hand of the person 
for whom mittens are to be made, measuring around joints below the fingers, 
same as measure for glove size.  This measurement multiplied by the number of 
sts you knit per inch equals the number of sts you need to cast on for 
mittens.  

KNIT MITTENS AS FOLLOWS:  Using needles used to get your gauge, cast the 
required number of sts on 3 needles.  Have a multiple of 4 sts on each 
needle, putting the least number on the first needle--(8-12-12)--(12-12-16), 
etc.  Then each needle will begin with a knit st.  Be careful not to twist 
yarn between needles.  Change to smaller size needles and rib the cuffs 
desired length, usually 3".

Increases are made by knitting a new sts on yarn between sts.  Insert rh 
needle from back under yarn between sts.  Lift this yarn up on to lh needle, 
inserting lh needle from the front.  Knit this YO from the back to prevent a 
hole.

ABOVE CUFFS--change back to the needles used to make your st gauge
rnds 1 & 2:  knit
rnd 3:  begin increases for thumb--K3, put a marker on rh needle, increase 1, 
knit 2, increase 1, put a marker on rh needle.  Finish knitting the round.  
Then knit 2 rounds even.  (The number of rnds knitted between increase rnds 
may vary for different mittens, depending on the thickness of yarn used and 
the length of the hand from wrist to above tumb joint).  (May be from 1 to 4 
rounds).

THE AVERAGE THUMB REQUIRES 1/3 of the total number of sts cast on at the 
beginning.  When you have the required number of sts for the thumb, between 
the markers, knit even as many rnds as are needed to give the mitten the 
right length from wrist to where the thumb should begin.  Then knit around to 
the first marker.  Remove the marker.  Sl the sts that are between the 
markers to 2 holders.  Remove the second marker.  Cast on 2 sts above the 
thumb.  These are cast on the needles with the 3 k sts on it.  Finish 
knitting the rnd.  Continue knitting even until mitthen reaches to nail of 
finger next to the little finger.

SHAPED TIP CLOSING--makes a left and right mitten.

FOR LEFT HAND MITTEN:  knit through the first st at left of thumb gusset.  
This st is now the last st of rnds from here on.  Count rnds to this point 
and record # of rnds before decreas begins.  REARRANGE STS--put 1/2 of the 
sts on the first needle, 1/4 of the sts on the second needle, and 1/4 sts on 
the third

NARROW AND CLOSE MITTENS AS FOLLOWS:
rnd 1:  on first needle:  k1, sl 1, k1, psso, k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
        on second needle: k1, sl 1, k1 psso, k to end of needle.
        on third needle:  k to the last 3 sts, k2to, k1
rnd 2: knit even

repeat these 2 round until there are from 16 to 24 sts left in a rnd.  End 
with rnd 1.  Sl sts from the 3rd needle to the second needle.  Sts are now on 
2 needles, same number of sts per, with the yarn on the back needle and at 
the right of it.  Break yarn, leave ~14" for closing with kitchener st.

RIGHT HAND MITTEN:  knit to the first st at right of thumb gusset.  Use this 
st for the first st of your rnds from here on.  Check the number of rnds.  
Rearrange your sts.  narrow and close same as for the left hand mitten.

ROUND TIP CLOSING--EASIEST METHOD--BEST FOR CHILDREN
When mitten reaches below nail of finger next to the little finger, close 
thus:
rnd 1: *k4, k2tog; rpt from* around.  Knit any extra sts until they work in
rnds 2,4,6 & 8:  knit even
rnd 3:  *k3, k2tog; rpt from* around
rnd 5:  *k2, k2tog; rpt from * around
rnd 7:  *k1, k2tog;rpt from * around
rnd 9:  *k2tog; rpt from * around. (This is the last rnd).  Break yarn 
leaving an end long enough to fasten.  Knit this thru each st, pulling up the 
looseness of each st.  Close mitten. 

THUMBS:  Sl the sts from the holders to 2 needles, dividing them evenly.  #1 
is the needle at right above the cuff.  Knit across needle 1 and knit across 
needle 2.  Pick up 2 sts above the thumb.  Pick up 1 st on each side of these 
2 sts.  This is needle 3.  Knit across needle 3.  If thumb is slender 2 sts 
may be taken off next rnd by knitting to the last st on needle 2.  Sl this 
last st to needle 3, then k tog the first 2 sts now on needle 3, knit to the 
last st on needle 3, sl this last st on needle 3 to needle 1, and k tog the 
first 2 sts on needle 1.  continue knitting even rnds until the thumb is long 
enough.  Then close thumb as follows:  rnd 1:*k1, k2tog, rpt from * around.  
K1 rnd even.  Next rnd: *K2tog, rpt from * around.  Break yarn leaving an end 
long enough to fasten.


Some of this got wordy, but I figured that there were knitters at my ability 
level that would appreciate more explaination.  Happy mittens!

Mardi Halvorsen

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