Butterfly mittens—delicate colorwork with a traditional touch
Butterflies flutter across the surface of these floral-patterned mittens, knitted in stranded colorwork. The thumb is placed using a traditional waste yarn method, making the mittens both timeless and technically rewarding to knit.
Size: One size for women
Butterfly mittens—materials:
- Yarn: Novita Nalle 75 % wool, 25 % polyamide 260 m (280 yds) / 100 g. MC: 1 ball or 40 g Black 099, CC1: 1 ball or 10 g Linen 061, CC2: 1 ball or 20 g Bluenata 304
- Needles: DPNs 3 mm / US 1.5. Adjust needle size if needed to obtain the correct gauge.
- Notions: Darning needle
Gauge: 26 s × 36 rnds = 10 × 10 cm / 4 × 4˝ cm over colorwork using 3 mm / US 1.5 needles (after wet blocking)
Abbreviations:
- CO: cast on
- N: needle
- MC: main color
- CC: contrasts color
- k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
- rnd: round
- st(s): stitch(es)
- SSK: slip, slip, knit; slip one st as if to knit, slip second stitch as if to knit, place the sts back to the left-hand needle in their new orientation and knit them together through the back loops (left-leaning single decrease)
Butterfly mittens—pattern:
The mittens are worked from the cuff up. The chart is worked Stockinette stitch in colorwork. If yarn is unused for more than 5 sts, catch floats by twisting them on the WS.
Cuff
Using MC, CO 52 sts and divide sts onto 4 needles. BOR is between N1 and N4. Then, work 3 cm / 1.25˝ in Rib St (K2, P2) in the round. Continue with MC and knit 1 rnd.
Start working the colorwork pattern by following Rnd 1 of Chart 1 . Work Rnds 1 – 18 of Chart 1.
On the next rnd, place 9 thumb sts indicated in the chart on hold on waste yarn. CO a corresponding number of new sts and continue working the colorwork pattern following the chart.
Start working top decreases on Rnd 57 as indicated in the chart (note that the first decreases are worked in the middle of the chart, not in the beginning of the rnd). Also note that there is 1 st worked with CC2 between the decreases. Once you have 12 on needle, join the sts on the opposite sides of the top together using Kitchener Stitch.
Thumb
Return the 9 held thumb sts on needle and then PUK along the thumb hole edges 1 st from one end, 9 sts from the bottom edge and 1 st from the other end = 20 sts. Start working the colorwork pattern in the round following Chart 2. Divide sts onto 3 needles as follows: 6 sts, 7 sts and 7 sts. When the thumb measures 5 cm / 2˝ or your thumb nail is half-covered, continue with black yarn only and start top decreases worked as follows: Work K2tog in the beginning of each needle until 3 sts left. Cut yarn and draw through the sts.
Work another mitten to match but remember to work the thumb hole at a different position as indicated in Chart 1.
Finishing
Weave in ends on the WS of the work. Dampen the fabric carefully, lay flat in measurements and let dry.
The pattern has been originally published in Beloved Patterns magazine 2/2023.
Download files
Butterfly Mittens Charts(PDF)
Download
