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Vintage Checked Mittens

January 19, 2015 2 Comments

Vintage Checked Mittens at HandsOccupied.com

My grandmother knitted these mittens for my mom when she was a teen. When I was home for Christmas, my mom said I could have them, and I was obviously excited, particularly because my mom’s mom is the woman who taught me to knit. These are so special to have and I’m so glad that they happen to fit me as well! They’re really a sweet little set of mittens with a basic checked motif, and I absolutely love the color. The yarn feels like it’s mostly acrylic, which might be why they’re in such good shape. The icing on the cake is their fabulous color, which is probably thanks to their being made in the mid-70s. Trends in the 60s and 70s led to some really fantastic colors that you’d be hard pressed to come across in 2015.

Vintage Checked Mittens at HandsOccupied.com

These checked mittens are great if you have relatively small hands or are making them for a teen. You can also experiment with a slightly larger yarn for a slightly larger mitten if you’re feeling adventurous or are confident in calculating your own gauge.

Vintage Checked Mittens at HandsOccupied.com

Vintage Checked Mittens Pattern

Gauge – approx. 6 sts/inch & 7 rows/inch

Supplies

sport weight yarn that works with the listed gauge
size 4 circular knitting needles or double pointed needles
stitch holder (scrap yarn or a safety pin works)
tapestry needle or crochet hook for weaving in ends

Abbreviations

CO – cast on
k – knit
p – purl
sts – stitches
k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
p2tog – purl 2 stitches together
kfb – knit front and back (tutorial)
m1 – make 1 (tutorial)
m1p – make 1 purl stitch (tutorial)
(x sts) – the number of stitches that should be in the row after an increase or decrease row

Pattern

Note: This was reverse engineered from the mittens shown, so some of the repeats are a little off and the increases used are a little less common than you might see in other mitten patterns today. Like many of the knit objects I’ve inherited from my grandmothers, these were likely just whipped up one day as a gift or fun little snow day project. I triple checked the math to make sure this pattern works and the increases/decreases are placed as symmetrically as possible around the mitten.

CO 36 sts

The cuff
1-23. k2, p2 around

Shape thumb gusset
24. kfb twice, (p3, k3) 5 times, p3, k1 (38 sts)
25-27.
 k4, (p3, k3) 5 times, p3, k1
28. p1, k6, (p3, k3) 5 times, p1
29. p1, k3, m1p, (k3, p3) 5 times, k3, p1, m1p (40 sts)
30. 
p1, k3, p1, (k3, p3) 5 times, k3, p2
31. k3, p1, m1p, p1, (k3, p3) 5 times, k3, p1, m1p, p1 (42 sts)
32-34.
(p3, k3) 7 times
35. p3, k2, m1, k1, (p3, k3) 5 times, p3, k2, m1, k1 (44 sts)
36-39.
k3, p4, (k3, p3) 5 times, k3, p4
40. Place 7 sts on a stitch holder. (p3, k3) 6 times, then add last st to holder. (36 sts remain for working mitten body) 

Knit body of mitten and reduce for fingertips
41-43. (p3, k3) 6 times
44-46. (k3, p3) 6 times
47-49. (p3, k3) 6 times
50-55. Repeat rows 44 through 49 once again.
56-58. Repeat rows 44-46.
59. (k2, k2tog, p2) 6 times (30 sts)
60. (p3, k2) 6 times
61. (p1, p2tog, k2) 6 times (24 sts)
62. 
(p2, k2) 6 times
63. (p2, k2tog) 6 times (18 sts)
64. (p2, k1) 6 times
65. (p2tog, k1) 6 times (12 sts)

Break yarn and draw tail through. Weave in tail to finish.

Knit the thumb
Pick up 8 sts from holder and pick up 7 additional sts. (15 sts)
1-4. 
(k3, p3) twice, k3
5-8. (p3, k3) twice, p3
9-12. Repeat rows 1-4.
13. (p1, p2tog, k1, k2tog) twice, p1, p2tog (10 sts)
14. (p2, k2) twice, p2
15. (p2tog, k2tog) twice, p2tog (5 sts) 

Break yarn and draw tail through. Weave in all ends to finish.

Vintage Checked Mittens at HandsOccupied.com

Filed Under: Free Patterns, Inspiration, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: free pattern, knitting pattern, mittens, mittens pattern, vintage knitting pattern, vintage patterns

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Judy

    January 19, 2015 at 9:49 am

    These are so cute! Thank you for sharing your instructions. I particularly like the continued pattern on the thumbs. Isn’t the heritage of knitting wonderful?! Might be a bit snug for my medium hands so will use worsted weight yarn to up the gauge. Thanks again. Judy

    Reply

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  1. Hello, Friday! Link Roundup | Hello Little Home says:
    January 23, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    […] knitters! These Vintage Checked Mittens from Hands Occupied are adorable, and you’ll love the sweet story behind […]

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admitte Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admittedly insane) intarsia project. One day, this will be a seamed sweater, but today is not that day. 🧶 
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Yarn: @universal_yarn’s Fibra Natura Cobblestone in Antarctica & Dragon’s Breath 
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Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for e Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for easier continental style knitting. With this purling method, the working yarn says tensioned (held) at the back of your knitting at all times. For many knitters, always holding the yarn at the back helps with tension issues, as well as feeling a little more comfortable. 
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Have you ever encountered this style of purling before? If you’ve tried it, have you found it helps with your purl tension and knitting speed? I’m curious.
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For a written tutorial, visit handsoccupied-dot-com. For video, you guessed it, You2be. Both of these platforms allow for longer, more in-depth versions of this tutorial, including full transcripts, alt text & the ability to pause, slow down or speed up at will. (Like if you really want to learn this, I recommend using a platform that doesn’t keep your hands occupied. Thinking of putting this in all my captions these days tbh - shout out to you if you made it this far. 🙌🏻😂)
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Have you ever tried this style of purl? . All thi Have you ever tried this style of purl? 
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All this recent talk about throwing vs. continental style knitting made it clear many people struggle with purling in continental knitting. Turns out that Norway may have the answer! In Norwegian purling, the working yarn stays tensioned at the back at all times, helping with speed and tension. 🤯
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Head to the bl0g (🔗 in bi0) for a more in-depth look at how to work a Norwegian purl stitch, including a photo tutorial with animated GIF & a video tutorial. Wrapping your mind around how to work a stitch you’re familiar with in a totally new way can be confusing, so I tried to give a few options for clarity. 🤙🏻 Video is also on You2be. 
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#handsoccupied #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #norwegianpurling #continentalknitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitterofinstagram #knitters
It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or reintroduced myself, so here goes! I’m Heidi Gustad, a craft book author, pattern designer, and tutorial creator who specializes in yarn crafts. Lately, I’ve been focused on releasing quality knitting videos and related blog posts to help teach things like the difference between provisional cast ons and how to fix common knitting mistakes. Next week I’m shooting requested crochet and latch hook videos, so h👀kers, your time is coming! And if you ever have tutorial requests, please let me know. ☺️
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TLDR: I’m Heidi. I design & teach yarn crafts. You can find tutorials on my blog (est. 2010) & You2be. I also have several knitting & crochet patterns + a book about latch hook available. / All of these can be found on my website, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Contine Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Continental or English Style? Here’s a quick overview of the differences between the two most common knitting styles, including a side by side comparison. (A good one to save for future reference. 👍🏻) 
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