Windblock Mittens with Snug or Ribbed Cuff

Windblock Mittens were developed by Sarah Miller of Miller Sheep Farm in Livermore, Maine, and are a scrumptious spin-off of fleece-stuffed mittens. Sarah’s innovation is to use rovings or Bartlettyarns bulky 4-strand in a continuous strand. A retired chemical engineer, she has designed several mittens and caps based on traditional knitting and has developed her own directions, which she has given me permission to use with minimal changes.

Sarah writes that these mittens were tested on January 30, 1993, at a temperature of minus 3° Fahrenheit with the wind blowing about twenty miles per hour. According to the weatherman, she said, the wind chill factor was minus 40° Fahrenheit.

Sarah uses a traditional Maine two-strand stockinette cuff—usually knitted in vertical stripes. Sarah’s cuff keeps a one-one pull-up but changes the colors horizontally, which creates a really different look. Try it and see.

Technical stuff

Materials. As a spinner and sheep farmer, Sarah had much to say about materials for this mitten. As in most projects, the thrill of touching a wonderful product depends largely on the quality of what goes into it.

Working yarn. Bartlettyarns 2-ply Fisherman yarn or equivalent 52 yds = 1 ounce (10 wpi) worsted weight wool yarn. For one pair, adult size mittens with snug cuff: 2 ounces main color) plus .5 ounces (25 yards) each of 3 contrasting colors for stripes on snug cuff.

Stuffing. 2 ounces Bartlettyarns Fisherman’s Bulky (4-strands of pencil roving, barely spun together) or other bulky wool yarn (Lopi Bulky, Lopi 2-strand doubled), or, add a strand of mohair to a bulky yarn, or for a wonderfully sensual experience in mitten linings, use about 7 yards combed Merino or Correidale tops (a heavy, combed, but unspun roving) split in 6 to 8 strands = 42 to 56 yards. There are many options here, but if simple is best for you, go with Bartlettyarns or Lopi Bulky for stuffing.

Splitting combed tops (combed fleece)

To split merino or other tops lengthwise, pull out several feet of top at a time, securing the rest with an elastic around the ball.

Sit with the ball between your feet and the loose section feeding up between your knees.

Divide the loose length roughly in half, letting one half fall to each side of your legs. Repeat, until the entire ball is split. (If the portion between your hands and the ball gets twisted, lift the secured ball and dangle it to unspin.)

Wind each half into a ball, then repeat the whole process until you have 6 or 8 slivers, each 7 yards long. Wool roving is carded and is not as easy to split evenly as combed top.

The snug cuff, which seems to be a Maine invention. Its ribby look depends on carrying one of 2 strands of yarn ahead on alternating sts, that is, for example, on stitches Numbers 1, 3, 5, 7 . . . and so forth, lining the carried ahead sts up vertically. This pulls up the fabric widthwise, and causes every other st to stand out from the fabric, creating a visual rib without the elasticity of knit-purl ribbing. With the alternating colors shown in chart A, the effect is like Newfoundland Rickrack Stripes (p. 112).

Note: Terms in Italic are explained in Terms and Techniques. Please check out T & T at least once, then refer to it when moving into unknown areas. Abbreviations are explained in the directions.

Directions

Abbreviations. CC, contrasting color; k, knit; MC, main color; p, purl; rnd(s), round(s); SSK, slip, slip, knit; st(s), stitch(es); tog, together; yd(s), yard(s)

1. Cuff. On 3 smaller needles, cast on 32, (36, 36, 40, 40, 44) sts in MC. K 1, p 1 for 5 rnds. K 1 rnd even. Now decide whether you want a ribbed or a snug cuff.

For ribbed cuff. Continue ribbing, with stripes if you wish, 15-20 rnds (3-4 inches).

For snug cuff. Change to larger needles and stockinette.

Rnd 1: Join CC1 and K 1 MC, k 1 CC1 to end of rnd, carrying odd numbered sts ahead (1, 3, 5, etc.). 6 sts from end of rnd, join CC2.

Rnd 2: Weave in MC in the first 6 sts and break off.

Follow Chart A, continually carrying ahead odd numbered sts in each rnd. Join each new color about 6 sts before knitting with it.

The pull-up pattern will be visible by the 4th rnd. Carry unused colors up in a twist at beginning of rnd if they will be used soon.

End with 1 rnd MC.

2. Hand and thumb gore. On larger needles, join stuffing yarn and work following Windblock Chart B, carrying stuffing strand ahead. Work 2 rnds pattern, then start thumb gore (while maintaining pattern).

Without moving first or last st of rnd, redistribute sts on 3 needles with one-quarter on Needle 1, one quarter on Needle 2 and half the sts (back of hand) on Needle 3.

For left mitten, place marker on both sides of 2 sts, 3 sts in from beginning of Needle 1. For right mitten, on both sides of 2 sts, 3 sts from end of Needle 2. This is the base of the thumb gore. Make 1 st inside each marker every 2nd rnd 4, (4, 5, 5, 6, 6) times until there are 10, (10, 12, 12, 14, 14) sts between markers. Work even until thumb gore is 2, (2.2, 2.5 2.5, 2.75, 3) inches long. On a plain rnd, thread yarn needle with fat scrap yarn and place all thumb gore sts on a string. Tie ends of holder yarn together.

4. Hand. Cast on 2 sts by Twisted Make 1 over the thumb hole in MC. 32, (36, 36, 40, 40, 44) sts.

Work even in pattern until mitten just passes tip of little finger or hand is 5, (6, 6.5 6.5, 7.25, 8) inches long (1 inch less than finished hand length).

5. Mitten tip. Dec both sides of mitten (not in middle of palm). At beginning of Needles 1 and 3, k 2 together. At ends of Needles 2 and 3, SSK. Maintain the pattern as best you can, but avoid putting a bulky st at the beginning or end of a needle. Dec every rnd until 16 (18, 18, 20, 20, 22) sts remain (half of original sts).

Break unspun wool with 3-inch tail and stuff it into the mitten. Break working yarn with a tail 4 times as long as the opening at the top of the mitten. Turn mitten inside out and close the tip using 3 needle bind off or Kitchener st.

6. Thumb. Pick up 10, (10, 12, 12, 14, 14) sts from holder onto 2 needles and, on third needle, pick up 6, (6, 8, 8, 6, 6) sts, from top of thumb hole (knitting into backs and fronts of sts) including at least 1 st made by twisting the loop in each corner of thumb hole. K even on 16, (16, 20, 20, 20, 20) sts, in Windblock pattern until thumb is 1.75, 2, (2.25, 2.25, 2.5, 2.75) inches (.25 inch shorter than final thumb).

Dec: [K 1 MC, k 2 tog in stuffing strand] and repeat to end of rnd. Break or cut stuffing strand with 3-inch tail, and tuck inside thumb. Dec around again: K 2 together in MC to end of rnd. Break yarn with 4-inch tail and draw up remaining sts on tail firmly. Finish.