One of my favorite blogs to check belongs to Karen Barbé. She is a textile designer from Santiago, Chile. Her blog is filled with beautiful photos of her work which ranges from needlework to weaving to screen printing. A few months ago, I read an old blog post in which she used the palm leaf stitch to cover a canvas rug. I loved the texture and plumpness of the stitch when worked in yarn and I wanted to find a way to use it on my knitting. After playing around for a bit, I came up with Olla.

These mittens are quick knit in Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica. They start from cuff and are worked up to the finger tips. The set-up for the palm leaf stitch is knit into the fabric of the mittens so it is easier to embroider later. The thick and thin nature of Wool Clasica works perfectly with this stitch and the result is a beautifully textured leaf pattern. These mittens are easy enough for a beginner and can be made quickly as a last minute gift.

Olla is an old norse name meaning ancestor’s relic. I chose this name because it reminded me of cold places where you might need a nice thick pair of mittens to keep warm.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Hand circumference: 6.57.5, 8.5 inches
Bottom of palm to finger tip: 6.57, 7.5 inches
Cuff length: 4 inches
Thumb length: 3.33.4, 3.6 inches

Yarn
Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica, 100% wool;138 yards/126 meters per 100g skein; 11, 2 skeins
spacer Grey pair uses color 19, Dove.
spacer Blue pair uses color 45, Lapis

Note: The large size mittens use only slightly more than one skein.