Felted Mittens

Being one of my favorite winter sports in the past, I decided to try knitting again. After a few baby hats last summer and a vest in the fall, I am now knitting with a passion. I combined a few patterns I found online for these beautiful felted mittens.

I used Freedom Spirit (light worsted) 100% wool in Fire and size 10 double pointed needles.

Knit body:

• CO 50 st and divide on three needles.
• After 30 rounds, place marker after 21 and 24th st.
• Increase one stitch on the inside of each marker every other row, knitting a row between each addition - until you have 13 stitches between markers at row 40. Put the 13 stitches on a holder for thumb.
• Knit rows 41-64 for body or until proportionally time to decrease to shape top (mittens will be large and baggy.)
• K2, k2 together for entire row
  
• Knit next row
• K2, k2 together for entire row
• K next row
• K1, k2 tog for entire row
• K next row
  
• K 2 together until 8 stitches remain.
• Tie yarn through 8 stitches, slip knot and weave into mitten

To shape thumb:

• Place the 13 stitches on holder on 2 needles
• K the 1st stitch from needle 1 and place on needle 3, then knit the rest of needle 1
• Place the last stitch from needle 2 on needle 3, then knit needle 2
• On needle 3, K2 together, k3, slip stitch and knit together - 16 stitches on 3 needles.
• K 10 rows
• K2 , k2 together 4 times.
• Break and tie yarn, weave end down thumb.

To felt mittens: Place mitten in lingerie bag in hot cycle of washing machine - I did not use soap. I only needed to agitate the mittens about 7 minutes until they shrunk to size. Roll the mittens gently length-wise to ring out water, then roll in thick towel to take out additional moisture. Shape mitten (I rolled the bottom edge for a cuff) to desired size and lay flat to dry. Beautiful and warm!

2/11/09 update: Oh, I wish I had found this sooner. A good online tutorial on felting is at http://www.pickupsticksonline.com/felting/felting.php