May Mittens by Courtney Kelley

May Mittens

Knitting
May 2017
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
28 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches
in colorwork
US 1 - 2.25 mm
US 2 - 2.75 mm
424 yards (388 m)
10.25” (26 cm) total length, 8.5” (21.75 cm) circumference.
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This pattern is available for $7.00 USD
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The May mittens have arrived, and so has warmer weather and the start of gardening season! The inspiration for this pair hails from Sweden’s Bohuslan region, where it is still a chilly 42 degrees fahrenheit today. The little spots of color and the texture of the purls are reminiscent of the hyacinths and daffodils that have been poking their way through our garden beds. 

Courtney has designed a pair of mittens that will make a great introduction to the technique of Bohus knitting, made popular by Emma Jacobsson’s Bohus Stickning Cooperative. The mittens feature a multi-colored corrugated ribbing and the traditional shaping used by many of the mittens on our journey. The Bohus-inspired purls are worked sparingly and in a simple easy to memorize pattern that is perfect for a color work novice ready to flex their skills. 

SPECIFICATIONS
YARN:
 The Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering (90% wool, 10% mohair): dodd wood (MC), buttermere (CC1), helvellyn (CC2), windermere (CC3), and castlerigg (CC4), 1 skein each. (See note on yardage below.)
GAUGE: 28 sts and 32 rnds = 4” (10 cm) in St st on larger needles, after blocking.
NEEDLES:
1 - set US 1 (2.25 mm) dpns.
1 - set US 2 (2.75 mm) dpns.
NOTIONS: Tapestry needle, stitch markers, waste yarn of same gauge for thumb placement.
SIZE: 10.25” (26 cm) total length, 8.5” (21.75 cm) circumference.
SKILLS: Stranded colorwork from charts.

A note on yardage requirements: The mittens require appx. 10 grams (33 yards) of each of the 3 contrast colors. You should have plenty left over of the contrast colors from previous months to complete this pair.

buttermere: October Mittens
helvellyn: February Mittens
windermere: August Mittens
castlerigg: April Mittens

USEFUL TIPS:
• For a tutorial on working from charts, visit our Charts Series here.
• For a tutorial on picking up stitches from waste yarn, visit our tutorial here.