I saw many pairs of mittens in patterns similar to this in a craft market in Vilnius over ten years ago, and I had to recreate them. I bought a couple of pairs from the vendor and discovered that they were knit with two strands of yarn held together. The yarn felt like a popular brand of wool yarn made in Lithuania and carried in many shops around the country. They are knit quite tightly to block wind and weather. Because they are so firm, it is easy to go up a needle size or two to create larger mittens.

These mittens are worked from the cuff up using a decorative technique that is called the “Bulgarian cast on” in old Lithuanian knitting books. They also feature Baltic Braids and colorwork on the cuff, and an easy two-color pattern on the hand. A few purls add texture and interest to the knitting. The thumb opening is made by setting aside stitches to form a hole where the thumb is added. The finger tips are pointed in a northern-European folk-art style. The motif reminds me of Vinca Jaio Dark Red flower blossoms.