Toddler Mittens

I'm getting close to the end of my pregnancy, and I haven't been feeling so motivated to work on my sewing projects lately.  Instead I've spent a few evenings with my knitting.  You already saw how I redid a little red hat, but in our winter gear was also one lonely mitten that was just the right size for Kid 2 and had a matching hat.  I knit this set years ago, and sometime along the way one of the mittens went missing.  I am not a very experienced knitter, but I can knit simple things, and mittens fall into this category for me.  Knitting mittens for small people is a nice project because it doesn't use up a lot of yarn or time.  Both are pluses for me.

This is a pattern I made up as I went along, so I am happy to share it with you.  Please let me know about any problems so that I can fix them.  As I said, I am not an experencienced knitter, and there is probably a better way to knit mittens, but this is what I did and they turned out rather well.

Click "read more" for the full pattern. 

Toddler Mitten Pattern 

(sized 2T)

Supplies:

• Set of size 5 double pointed needles
• 1 ball of sport weight yarn (I used Patons Classic Wool Yarn.  One ball will be more than enough for 2 little mittens, but buy two contrasting colours for stripes.)
• Large safety pin
• Yarn needle for weaving in your ends

Gauge: 1" = 5 (stockinette) stitches

Pattern:

Cuff (add rows for a longer cuff)
Cast on 25 stitches onto 3 needles by K3, P2 (with blue)
Rows 1-13: K3, P2
(switch to grey)

Main Part
Rows 14-17: K
(switch to blue)
Row 18: K
Row 19: K 20, hold last 5 on a safety pin*
Row 20: P 20 (reverse direction instead of going all the way around)
Row 21: K 20
(switch to grey)
Row 22: Cast on 5 P, P 20
Row 23-25: P (at this point you are knitting back on the round again)
(switch to blue)
Row 26-29: P
(switch to grey)
Row 30-32: P
Row 33: P 23 P2Tog

Decrease Rows
Divide onto 4 needles (6 on each)
(switch to blue)
Row 34: P (24)
Row 35: P2Tog, P8, 2 P2Tog, P8, P2Tog
Row 36: P2Tog, P6, 2 P2Tog, P6, P2Tog
Row 37: P2Tog, P4, 2 P2Tog, P4, P2Tog
Row 38: P2Tog, P2, 2 P2Tog, P2, P2Tog
You will have 8 stitches left, cut your yarn and thread it through the loops.  Pull tight to close.  Knot the top closed.  

Thumb
Using 5 needles
#1 put on the 5 held stitches (from the safety pin)
#2 pick up 2 along the side
#3 pick up the 5 cast on stitches
#4 pick up 2 along the side
Row 1-2: P (blue)
Switch to grey
Row 3-7: P
Switch to blue
Row 8-12 P
You will have 8 stitches left, cut your yarn and thread it through the loops.  Pull tight to close.  Knot the top closed. 

Weave in any loose ends.  Knit an I-cord from one mitten to the other (to keep from loosing one mitten).  If knitting an I-cord mystifies you, I love this tutorial from the Purl Bee. 

*Instructions are for knitting a left mitten.  To knit a right mitten (which you will want to do when you finish your left), at row 19, hold 5 on a safety pin at the beginning of the row instead of at the end.  Everything else is the same.