How to Knit: Cabled Mittens

I'm not sure what it is, but each winter I find myself in need of new mittens.  It's not that I get sick of my old ones - somehow they just disappear between when I store them away for the summer, and when I go to look for them again when it gets cold.  Of course, I can't complain too much, because that simply means that I get to knit a new pair, and see what kind of design I can come up with for the year.

These particular mittens are based off the Fingerless Mitts pattern from last year, but are a bit more complex, given that not only is there quite a bit of cabling, there's also a bit of shaping involved with the thumb.  On their own they're not the warmest, but next week I'll be posting a basic mitten pattern that I like to use as a lining.  The added layer makes them much warmer, and I would highly recommend doing that.  I think they've turned out beautifully, though, and I hope you agree!

Materials
  • 1 Skein Baby Bee Sweet Delight in Naked
  • Size 7 knitting needles
  • Yarn needle
  • Cable needle
Stitch Glossary
CB4: sl 2 sts to cn and hold to back, k2, then k2 from cn.
CF4: sl 2 sts to cn and hold to front, k2, then k2 from cn.

Right Mitten
Cast on 48 sts.
Rows 1-10: (k2, p2) across.
Row 11 (RS): knit.
Row 12 (and all WS rows): purl.
Row 13: k1, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, k23.
Row 15: k3, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k25.
Row 17: k5, C4B, k8, C4F, k27.
Row 19: k3, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k25.
Row 21: k1, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, k23.
Thumb Gusset
Row 1: k1, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, kfb, kfb, k21.
Row 3: k3, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k2, kfb, k2, kfb, k21.
Row 5: k5, C4F, k8, C4B, k4, kfb, k4, kfb, k21.
Row 7: k3, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k2, kfb, k6, kfb, k21.
Row 9: k1, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, kfb, k8, kfb, k21.
Row 11: k1, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, kfb, k10, kfb, k21.
Thumb
Row 1: k3, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k2, kfb, k12, kfb, turn.
Row 2: p15, turn.
Row 3: k15, turn.
Repeat Rows 2-3 4 times.
Row 4: p2tog 7 times, k1, turn.
Row 5: k2tog 4 times.
Break yarn, thread tail through remaining sts and pull tight.
Hand
Row 1: k remaining 21 sts on palm of hand.
Row 2: p21, m1, p26.
Row 3: k5, C4B, k8, C4F, k27.
Row 4 (and all WS rows): purl.
Row 5: k3, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k25.
Row 7: k1, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, k23.
Row 9: k1, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, k23.
Row 11: k3, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k25.
Row 13: k5, C4F, k8, C4B, k27.
Row 15: k3, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k25.
Row 17: k1, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, k23.
Top of Mitten
Row 1: ssk, k7, C4B, C4F, k7, k2tog, k22.
Row 3: ssk, k4, C4B, k4, C4F, k4, k2tog, k22.
Row 5: ssk, k1, C4B, k8, C4F, k1, k2tog, ssk, k18, k2tog.
Row 7: ssk, k2, C4F, k4, C4B, k2, k2tog, ssk, k16, k2tog.
Row 9: ssk, k3, C4F, C4B, k3, k2tog, ssk, k14, k2tog.
Row 11: ssk, k2, C4B, C4F, k2, k2tog, ssk, k12, k2tog.
Row 13: ssk, k10, k2tog, ssk, k10, k2tog.
Bind off remaining 24 sts using Kitchener st.

Left Mitten
Cast on 48 sts.
Rows 1-10: (k2, p2) across.
Row 11 (RS): knit.
Row 12 (and all WS rows): purl.
Row 13: k23, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, k1.
Row 15: k25, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k3.
Row 17: k27, C4B, k8, C4F, k5.
Row 19: k25, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k3.
Row 21: k23, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, k1.
Thumb Gusset
Row 1: k21, kfb, kfb, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, k1.
Row 3: k21, kfb, k2, kfb, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k2, k3.
Row 5: k21, kfb, k4, kfb, C4F, k8, C4B, k4, k5.
Row 7: k21, kfb, k6, kfb, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k2, k3.
Row 9: k21, kfb, k8, kfb, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, k1.
Row 11: k21, kfb, k10, kfb, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, k1.
Thumb
Row 1: k21, kfb, k12, kfb, turn.
Row 2: p15, turn.
Row 3: k15, turn.
Repeat Rows 2-3 4 times.
Row 4: p2tog 7 times, k1, turn.
Row 5: k2tog 4 times.
Break yarn, thread tail through remaining sts and pull tight.
Hand
Row 1: k3, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k3 remaining sts.
Row 2: p26, m1, p21.
Row 3: k27, C4B, k8, C4F, k5.
Row 4 (and all WS rows): purl.
Row 5: k25, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k3.
Row 7: k23, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, k1.
Row 9: k23, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, k1.
Row 11: k25, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k3.
Row 13: k27, C4F, k8, C4B, k5.
Row 15: k25, C4B, C4F, k4, C4B, C4F, k3.
Row 17: k23, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, k1.
Top of Mitten
Row 1: k22, ssk, k7, C4B, C4F, k7, k2tog.
Row 3: k22, ssk, k4, C4B, k4, C4F, k4, k2tog.
Row 5: ssk, k18, k2tog, ssk, k1, C4B, k8, C4F, k1, k2tog.
Row 7: ssk, k16, k2tog, ssk, k2, C4F, k4, C4B, k2, k2tog.
Row 9: ssk, k14, k2tog, ssk, k3, C4F, C4B, k3, k2tog.
Row 11: ssk, k12, k2tog, ssk, k2, C4B, C4F, k2, k2tog.
Row 13: ssk, k10, k2tog, ssk, k10, k2tog.
Bind off remaining 24 sts using Kitchener st.

Finishing
Seam side of mitten and thumb.  Weave in remaining ends.

Comments

  1. Hi Megan,

    I'm trying to knit this for an adult male, and I was wondering how I might be able to adjust this pattern for a larger hand.

    Best,

    Mia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For me, I actually had to scale down this pattern for my mittens and use this exact patter for my husband's hands. I have a copy of my scaled down version if you'd like it, it was trickier to figure out than I thought but I've got it nailed down now.

      Delete
  2. So parts of the left mitten are incorrect. I had to go up to the right one and do it mirrored to do it right. It starts being wrong in the thumb gusset. Row 3: k21, kfb, k2, kfb, C4F, C4B, k4, C4F, C4B, k2, k3. It seems you copied it wrong and one of the knits at the end should be at the front.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also saw that it went wrong at row 3. How did you fix it? What is the new order for row 3 and what comes next ?

      Delete
    2. In row 3 you should do k2 before the first C4F not at the end. The same error is in rows 5 and 7 for row five you do k4 before the cables start and k2 before the cables in row 7. Also on row 1 of the hand it should be k2 at the end not k3

      Delete
    3. Row 3: k21, kfb, k2, kfb, k2, c4f, c4b, k4, c4f, c4b,k3

      Delete
  3. What happens whit the 14, 16, 18, 20 rows?

    ReplyDelete

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