New Pattern Release: Two Wrongs Make a Right

Last month, I was looking through Ravelry for a specific type of pattern.  This is why I'm a designer...I'm always looking for something very specific.

This time my criteria was some sort of glove/mitten to give to someone who lives in a warm climate but often visits cold climates.  I didn't want it to be something that would only be worn on winter trips, I wanted it to be something my friend could wear when at home, too.

But what exactly is that?  A medium-weight mitten?  I wasn't happy with that.  I wanted something that was convertible, or was made in layers so it could be something that would actually be really useful in a very cold climate, and also on the cool evenings of a warm climate.

For this particular gift-recipient, the standard "convertible mitten" with a flap over the fingers wasn't going to cut it.  That was just not how this person rolls.  I'm sure you're not shocked that I couldn't find anything else that fit my conditions.                                                                                                                                                                                 So I started imagining it instead.  I decided to go with a simple stockinette mitten paired with decorative fingerless gloves that can go over the mittens or be worn on their own.  I chose a stitch pattern that doesn't contain any holes and doesn't scream "male" or "female".                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               In the end, I was quite happy.  I like the versatility of this design, not only because of the layering, but because the fingerless mitts can be made either as a colorwork project (pictured), or as a texture pattern, using just one color of yarn.  For my sample pair, the colorful yarn is Knit Picks Felici Sport, which, as far as I can tell, has sadly been discontinued.  Good substitutes would be Sport Weight Self-Striping by Quaere Fiber or Momentum Self Striping from String Theory Colorworks.  Another great way to go would be to order two colors of 2ply Sock Yarn from Beaverslide Dry Goods.  The beige color in these fingerless mitts are that yarn in the "natural buff" colorway.  I also have some of the "Hidden Lake" colorway in my stash and I can vouch for the gorgeousness of the color.  It's a "rustic"yarn rather than a buttery-soft one like Malabrigo sock, for example, but it comes in big skeins, it's durable, and the price is right ($15 for about 458 yards!)  I have very sensitive skin and have to wear a layer between my skin and anything I've knit maybe 75% of the time, but I can wear just about anything on my hands without itching or getting hives.  You might be the same - even if your neck/shoulder area gets itchy from some fibers, you may be able to wear just about anything on your hands.  And I don't mean to make it sound like the 2ply sock is the itchiest wool ever invented...it's not.  I just wanted to describe it a little since it's not something you would have a chance to see at most local yarn shops. 

This pattern is written for three sizes: 6.5" (7.75", 9").  Those sizes roughly correspond to Child (Women, Men), but, measuring around the circumference of the palm of your hand, you should pick the circumference that is closest to your own.  Instructions on how to add or subtract circumference stitches are included in the pattern, and modifying the length of the mittens or fingerless gloves is just a matter of knitting more or less rounds than instructed in the pattern.  It's a very easy pattern to modify for a custom fit.

More details as well as a link to purchase the pattern can be found on the pattern page, here!