Beulah's Mitts

Beulah's Mitts by Melissa Wehrle

What is Being Made

Beulah's Mitts are a pair of fingerless mittens featuring a decorative cable pattern inspired by spring foliage. These mitts keep hands warm while leaving fingers free for activities like knitting. The design comes in three sizes and is worked in the round using circular needles or the magic loop technique.

Craft and Primary Technique

This project is a knitting pattern designed for intermediate-level knitters. The mitts are constructed using circular needle knitting worked in the round, which creates a seamless, tubular fabric. The pattern incorporates both flat charted sections and increases for shaping, requiring familiarity with reading charts and managing stitch markers.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques Used

• Ribbing: K1, p1 (knit one, purl one) ribbing creates an elastic cuff at the wrist opening, measuring 2 inches (5 centimeters)
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch: Purl all rounds to create a smooth, flat surface that serves as the background for the cable pattern and palm area
• Cable Pattern: A winding, leafy cable motif worked from a 25-row chart that adorns the front of each mitt
• Increases: Make One (M1) increases are used strategically to create the thumb gusset, which is worked over 8 to 9 additional rounds depending on size
• Stitch Marker Placement: Multiple markers organize sections for the charted pattern, palm stitches, and thumb gusset shaping

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Beulah's Mitts are worked with 4-ply yarn weight, which provides a lightweight yet warm fabric suitable for fingerless mitts. The pattern uses circular needles and employs the magic loop technique to work the small circumference in the round without requiring double-pointed needles. Waste yarn is also needed to hold thumb gusset stitches while completing the hand section.

Pattern Details and Construction

The mitts begin with a cast-on of 46, 50, or 54 stitches divided evenly and joined in the round. After the ribbed cuff, the fabric transitions to Reverse Stockinette Stitch with a strategic increase that brings the stitch count to 47, 51, or 55 stitches. The charted leafy cable pattern is then worked across the front of the mitt for 25 rows, while the palm remains in Reverse Stockinette Stitch for comfort and ease of wear. The thumb gusset is created by working paired increases on either side of a marked section over multiple rounds, resulting in 19, 19, or 21 stitches held for the thumb opening. Once the gusset stitches are placed on waste yarn, knitting continues to complete the hand and finger opening.