. . . Knitting In Progress. . .Schoolhouse Press Knit Alongs

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Latvian Mittens Book : $25

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Fringed Sun Mitten Kit

Satakieli

Invisible Threads

Archived Knit Alongs available here; Winter 08 Hats and Fall 07 Christmas Stocking

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Knitting In Progress: Latvian Mittens Start Date May 2, 2008

Fringed Sun Latvian Mittens from Vidzeme

(with Lizbeth Upitis, author of Latvian Mittens pictured at left)

Our Knit Along will focus on the knitting of a traditional pair of Latvian Mittens (Latvian Mitten from Vidzeme, Fringed with Braid), as pictured in Latvian Mittens: Traditional Designs and Techniques by Lizbeth Upitis and the topic of Spring/Summer 08 Vogue article by Meg Swansen and Lizbeth Upitis. Instructions for the mitten, along with technical instruction and photos will be posted here.

Traditional Finnish Satakieli wool for the mittens can be purchased by clicking the link for the Fringed Sun Mitten kit; double pointed needles, US size 0 are needed as well. Or, if you are not an intermediate/advanced knitter and wish to knit along as practice before you purchase a kit, use whatever wool is in your stash which will yield a fine gauge (see gauge specifics below). If you are not purchasing the kit, you'll need about 3.5 oz. of a main color (360 yards), and 2 oz (180 yds) each of 5 additional colors.

Materials: Fringed Sun Mitten Kit, 1 set of 5 dp needles, size 0/2mm; click product name to go to order page. Or if you wish to order all full skeins go to Satakieli page. (Kit includes 1 skein navy blue 696 (A), 1/2 skeins of each coordinating color including white 001 (B), light blue 631 (C), violet 534 (D), turquoise 770 (E) bright green 873 (F).)

Gauge: 19 stitches/20 rounds per 2 inches over colored pattern.

Size: Adult: Small (Medium, Large, X-Large) for 7 (8, 9, 10)” palm circumference. To fit between these sizes, decrease needle size to 00/1.75mm

Knit Along Schedule:

May 2 – gauge talk, cast on and fringe

May 3 – braid over fringe and chart, plus instructions when to stop for the thumb hole

May 9 – thumb hole, cast on and knit to length discussion

May 16 – top decreases, pick up and knit thumb, decrease thumb

May 19 – left mitten and finishing

May 2, 2008

Session I: Gauge, Cast on and Fringe

Three simple sentences comprise the entire first session’s instructions for these Latvian mittens. No sweat, right? Well, sort of…

The bane and the beauty of Latvian mittens coexist as do Yang and Yin.

The most challenging techniques of most mittens are generally within the first few rounds of knitting. Add to that the fact that you are trying to control five rebellious needles, who seem to be dancing to “Slip Sliding Away”, and you may want to chuck yarn, needles, instructions, Lizbeth and computer into the corner… of the garage or basement.

But these very infuriating techniques are actually small, low barriers – like the threshold to a Chinese home. They appear at the beginning of this knitting engagement, when your energy and interest are generally strongest. By the time you knit the palm, you are in a comfortable rhythm that is briefly interrupted by the thumb trick, then slides by into decreases for a swift and comfortable finish.

Please take a deep breath. Exhale fully,
Take another.
Remember how exciting it is when you have mastered a new technique.
Give yourself a couple of hours in a quiet space.
Let’s begin.

Colors:Navy Blue(A), White (B), Light Blue (C), Violet (D),Turquoise (E) Bright Green (F)

RIGHT MITTEN
With C over your thumb (border color) and A around index finger (stitch color), Latvian cast on (see below) 72 (80, 88, 96) stitches.
Round 1 Purl with A.
Round 2 Turn your work 180 degrees so the inside of the mitten faces you. Work first round of fringe with A.

That’s it!

Detailed instructions for the cast on and fringe follow. At the conclusion of this session, you have three loops of yarn around the needle at each stitch.

Remember to breathe while you work the fringe and take a walk or pat yourself on the back when you are done with the first fringe round.

I’ll see you here tomorrow!

Lizbeth

LATVIAN CAST-ON

Latvians generally use what is called “long-tailed cast-on”, except with two different yarns of two different colors. One is an accent color for a border and the second is the color of the first round.

Hold two needles together in your right hand. (Two needles give an easier tensioned cast-on stitch.) With both yarns, form a slip-knot to keep them on the needles, leaving 6-8” tails (Fig.1-Cast On) and tighten (Fig.2-Cast On) Do not count slip-knot as a stitch.

Border-colored yarn *(dark) wraps back to front around thumb; stitch yarn (light) wraps front to back around left index finger. (Fig. 3)

Needles travel under front (dark, thumb) yarn, over, behind and under back (light, index finger) yarn. Needles then pass through the opening made in the front (dark, border) yarn. (Fig. 4)

Release thumb yarn and tension stitch on needles while reinserting thumb into front (dark, border) yarn as for Fig. 5-Cast On.*

Repeat between *s for number of stitches necessary. Do not count slip stitch at the beginning.
Remove one needle from cast-on stitches; release slip knot, distribute stitches evenly on four dpns. Knitting begins with fifth needle. Be certain there is no twist in cast-on row. Exchange position of first and last stitches you cast on to form a cross and close the round. Tighten by pulling tails.

FRINGE

Fringe is formed looking at the inside of mitten, knitting back on the stitches just worked. Turn your work 180 degrees to look at the inside.
Round 1 WS *Wind yarn loosely around index finger three times. Knit all three strands as if a single stitch. The three winds of yarn now on the needle produce a double-looped fringe.

May 3, 2008

Session II: Braid Over Fringe and chart, plus instructions when to stop for the thumb hole

Hello mitten knitters,

Hope you completed the first round of fringe, slept well and now have time and a place to sit quietly for finishing the fringe, the braid and to begin knitting from the chart.

There are now 240-288 loops of yarn for the fringe around your needles. You will work off each 3 strands of fringe as if they are a single stitch AND at the same time, work the first round of braid. So your knitting will combine Fig.3-Fringe (below left) with Fig.1-Braid (below right).

Fringe Round 2 is Braid Round 1. Turn mitten back to look at the outside of mitten.

Before beginning the braid, pull out a couple of yards of both yarns and gently push the twist from the first round away from your knitting.

BRAID

Work first and second rounds of braid with Colors A and C. In the first braid round, work all three loops of yarn over needle as if they are a single stitch. Triple strands of yarn from the fringe show between the braid rows upon completion of the second round of fringe.

Round 1 Bring both yarns forward, purl 1 A, * drop A and bring C over it to purl 1 C, drop C and bring A over C to purl 1 A*, repeat between *s for round. Keep yarns alternating and always bring the next yarn to purl over the last stitch. The two strands twist when working Round 1.

Round 2 Keep both yarns forward, *bring A under C and purl 1 A, lift A to bring C under A to purl 1 C*, repeat for the round. The last stitch of this round releases the last twist from Round 1.

CUFF PATTERN

The Latvian Mitten Chart begins here, on round 5. (Chart PDF with color code is below.)

LATVIAN MITTEN CHART (Refresh your page so you see the most recent version of the chart.)

Treat yourself to a cup of tea. You have my permission (and encouragement) to plop the mittens into a tote and take a walk or sit in the sun or before the TV from now on. The rest is a breeze – at least by comparison.

Work pattern from chart until end of cuff pattern, round 31. Cut colors D, E and F, leaving 6” tails. Check gauge and size of mitten; if cuff is too large or small for palm, adjust needle size here.
Small and Medium: Work to end of second C colored palm pattern.
Large and X-Large: Work to end of second B colored palm pattern.
Thumb is made on an all A round in all sizes.

Fringe Trick: After several rounds or upon completion of mitten, insert the fifth needle through a group of stitches and pull down to secure and even the fringe.

Enjoy your week or so of knitting - until you’re ready for the thumb hole, then come on back for the next visit.
See you then.

May 9, 2008

(Note: It's important to refresh your page each time you begin; you may also want to reprint your chart as there was a small correction and a new version has been posted.)

Session III: Latvian Mittens - Thumb Hole

Probably the most satisfying placement for the thumb hole is when the top of the cuff pattern (Round 30 on chart) is at the wrist line and the palm pattern is at the bottom knuckle of the thumb. Since we all have an intuitive awareness of the shape of the hand, the cuff line simply feels “right” when the wrist and cuff align.

But this is your mitten. You are in charge. Put the thumb anywhere you please! There was a genre of mittens from the Kurzeme district of Latvia with thumbs leaping out of the cuff – as if playing hide-and-seek. (See photos 1e and 2c in the Latvian Mittens book.)

Right Thumb Hole
Work in pattern across two needles.
*On third needle, knit 1; using backward loop, cast on 16 (18, 20, 22) stitches.

Using blunt sewing needle, transfer the same number of stitches as you just cast on from left needle to holding thread.

The photos below show stitches cast on for the thumb hole, but on the left palm. On the “thumb needle”, there is one stitch knit before the cast on stitches and one left to be knit after. You always cast on the number of stitches on each needle, less two.

(a closer look)

Be certain there is no twist in the cast-on stitches, then knit 1 stitch remaining from left needle .*
Work fourth needle in pattern.
Continue in pattern for 7(8, 9, 10) sun pattern repeats or until length to beginning of nail of middle finger. Stop after a solid A row.

Generally the distance from thumb hole to top decreases is a square, and since the gauge for these mittens is also nearly square, the number of rows knit is nearly the same as the number of stitches on two needles.

Have fun with the palm of your first mitten. I suspect that the pattern is becoming comfortable to knit, and you are really enjoying this delightful, portable piece of art.

I’ll catch you next week for the top decreases and knitting the thumb.

Wishing you all warm hands and hearts,

Lizbeth