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. UnknownApril 27, 2017 at 11:27 AM

    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. UnknownOctober 3, 2018 at 1:39 PM

      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. HarryNovember 16, 2018 at 12:20 AM

    I don’t understand???

    ReplyDelete
  3. JoyDecember 31, 2020 at 9:44 AM

    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. UnknownJanuary 4, 2021 at 11:36 AM

      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. AnonymousJanuary 16, 2022 at 11:21 AM

      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. AnonymousJanuary 16, 2022 at 11:22 AM

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

      Delete
  4. JoelleFebruary 14, 2022 at 6:09 PM

    What happens whit the 14, 16, 18, 20 rows?

    ReplyDelete

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