Moon Bloom Mitts

Moon Bloom Mitts by Laura Reinbach

What is Being Made

Moon Bloom Mitts are a pair of knitted gloves designed by Laura Reinbach. These mitts are available in three adult sizes—Small, Medium, and Large—with finished circumferences of 6.5 inches (16.5 cm), 7.25 inches (18.5 cm), and 8 inches (20 cm) respectively. The mitts measure 7 inches (18 cm) in length for sizes Small and Medium, and 7.5 inches (19 cm) for size Large. This is a beginner-friendly knitting project suitable for crafters new to the medium.

Techniques Used

Moon Bloom Mitts employ fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for beginners. The pattern utilizes cast-on methods to establish stitches on the needles and incorporates increases to shape the mitts as they are knitted. Two specific increase techniques are featured: m1l (make 1 left slanting), which involves inserting the left needle under the strand between needles from front to back and knitting through the back loop, and m1r (make 1 right slanting), which inserts the needle under the strand from back to front and knits through the front loop. These increases are worked strategically throughout the pattern to create shaping. The pattern also includes marker placement to help track pattern repeats and construction points.

Stitches Used

The stitch vocabulary for Moon Bloom Mitts is kept simple and beginner-appropriate. The primary stitches are knit (k) and purl (p), the two fundamental stitches in knitting. These basic stitches form the foundation of the mitt fabric. The pattern integrates the increase stitches m1l and m1r as described above to add shaping without requiring more complex stitch techniques.

Materials and Tools

Moon Bloom Mitts are knitted using DK weight yarn, also known as light worsted weight. The pattern calls for two coordinating yarn colors from Harrisville Designs' American Cormo and Wool blends. The primary color is Harrisville Designs nightshades DK (250 yards per 100g), requiring 1 skein. The secondary color is Harrisville Designs daylights DK (250 yards per 100g), also requiring 1 skein. Additional yarn in two contrast colors (C1 and C2) totals 50 to 70 yards each. Knitting is worked on US 5 (3.7 mm) double-pointed needles (dpns), which are the appropriate needle size for DK weight yarn and allow for the seamless, circular construction typical of mitt and glove patterns.