Pinstripes & Chains Mitts

Pinstripes & Chains Mitts by Joy Gerhardt

What is Being Made

Pinstripes & Chains Mitts is a downloadable knitting pattern for a matching set of fingerless mitts designed by Joy Gerhardt. The pattern offers two distinct design options: pinstripe mitts featuring vertical stripes created through slipped-stitch colorwork, and cabled mitts with cable details. This versatile pattern comes in three sizes—small, medium, and large—to fit various hand circumferences, making it an excellent project for stashbusting with leftover sport-weight yarn.

Techniques Used

The pattern showcases two primary knitting techniques that appeal to crafters looking to expand their skills:

• Slipped-Stitch Colorwork: The pinstripe mitts utilize a slipped-stitch technique to create the illusion of vertical pinstripes while working with only one color at a time. This approach makes color knitting less intimidating than traditional stranded colorwork, as it eliminates the need to manage multiple colors simultaneously. The slipped stitches produce a visually striking effect that is less common in knitting than horizontal stripes.
• Cable Knitting: The cabled mitts version incorporates cable techniques, requiring the use of a cable needle to create textured, twisted stitch patterns.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs slipped stitches as the primary stitch technique for creating the pinstripe effect. Cable stitches are used in the alternative cabled mitts design. The gauge is established at 27 stitches and 44 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in the pinstripe pattern, providing a reference point for achieving proper fit.

Materials

Yarn: The pattern calls for Brown Sheep Lanaloft Sports yarn, a sport-weight option offering 145 yards (133 meters) per 50-gram ball. For the pinstripe mitts, you will need one ball each of Dark Magenta (LL85S) for the main color and Japanese Maple (LL18S) for the contrast color. For the cabled mitts version, use one ball each of Manhattan Mist (LL45S) for the main color and Thunder Bay (LL51S) for the contrast color.

Needles and Notions: US 4/3.5mm double-pointed needles are required for working the mitts in the round. Additional supplies include a cable needle for the cabled version, a stitch holder or waste yarn for holding stitches, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as beginner-friendly, making it an accessible introduction to colorwork and cable techniques. The slipped-stitch method used in the pinstripe mitts is designed to demystify color knitting by simplifying the colorwork process, while the cabled option provides an introduction to cable manipulation.