Poinsettias, better known as Euphorbia pulcherrima to us botany nerds, are standard fixtures of the Holiday season. Unfortunately, so is bitterly cold weather. This set is designed with heat-retention as a primary goal to keep your little flowers cosy and warm over the Holidays. Smaller needles with worsted weight wool and the use of ribbed cuffs on Nordic-inspired mittens keeps cold air away from little fingers. The mittens are held together by an I-cord that is built into them instead of just being tacked on, so they are unmisplaceable! And the snowflake edging on the cuffs will remind the wearer of the cold they are not feeling!SIZE
Child [Adult] (shown in size Child)
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Mittens: Hand circumference 6[9] inches.
Hat: Head circumference 18 [22] inches.
Hat: Head circumference 18 [22] inches.
MATERIALS
Cascade Yarns Cascade 220, 1[2] skeins of main colour, less than 50 yard of contrast colour #1, less than 10 yards of contrast colours #2 and #3.
Main Colour: Shown in #8010
Contrast Colour #1: Shown in #2413
Contrast Colour #2: Shown in #7270
Contrast Colour #3: Shown in #4002
Contrast Colour #2: Shown in #7270
Contrast Colour #3: Shown in #4002
1 set of 3 US #3/3.25mm double-point needles
1 set of 3 US #2/2.75mm double-point needles
1 US #D/3 / 3.25mm crochet hook
About 6 inches of waste yarn
Tapestry needle
GAUGE
6 sts/8.5 rows = 1" in stockinette stitch
SPECIALISED TECHNIQUES
A step-by-step tutorial of the magic cast on can be found at:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html
Instructions for basic crochet stitches can be found:
http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/?q=node/28
Instructions for the Backward Loop Cast On can be found:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/FEATfall05TT.html
INTARSIA PATTERN:
PATTERN
HAT
With larger needles, CO 8 sts using the using the backward loop cast on method in MC. (3 sts on each of needles #1 and #2, 2 sts on needle #3)
Round 1 (and all odd rounds): Knit. (8 sts)
Round 2: Kfb eight times (16 sts)
Round 4:[Kfb, Knit 1] eight times (24 sts)
Round 6: [Kfb, Knit 2] eight times (32 sts)
Round 8: [Kfb, Knit 3] eight times (40 sts)
Round 10: [Kfb, Knit 4] eight times (48 sts)
Round 12: [Kfb, Knit 5] eight times (56 sts)
Round 14: [Kfb, Knit 6] eight times (64 sts)
Round 16: [Kfb, Knit 7] eight times (72 sts)
Round 18: [Kfb, Knit 8] eight times (80 sts)
Round 20: [Kfb, Knit 9] eight times (88 sts)
Round 22: [Kfb, Knit 10] eight times (96 sts)
Round 24: [Kfb, Knit 11] eight times (104 sts)
Adult size only:
Round 26: [Kfb, Knit 12] eight times (112 sts)
Round 28: [Kfb, Knit 13] eight times (120 sts)
Both sizes:
Knit next 3.5” (5.5”) even.
Switch to smaller needles, Start Ribbing
Row 1: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 2: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 3: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 4:(K1, P1) repeat around.
Bind off in K1, P1 pattern.
MITTENS
Using the larger needles, CO on 20[28] stitches using magic cast on (10 sts on each of needles #1 and #2).
Round 1 (and all odd rounds): Knit.
Round 2: [Kfb, Knit 8[12], Kfb] twice (24, 32 sts)
Round 4: [Kfb, Knit 10[14], Kfb] twice (28, 36 sts)
Round 6: [Kfb, Knit 12[16], Kfb] twice (32, 40 sts)
Round 8: [Kfb, Knit 14[18], Kfb] twice (36, 44 sts)
Round 10: [Kfb, Knit 16[20], Kfb] twice (40, 48 sts)
Round 12: [Kfb, Knit 18[22], Kfb] twice (44, 52 sts)
Adult size only:
Round 14: [Kfb, Knit 24, kfb] twice (56 sts)
Both sizes:
Knit next 20 [30] rounds even.
Thumb placement:
Knit the 22[28] sts of needle #1. Knit 1 (left mitten) or Knit 14[17] (right mitten). Knit next 7[10] stitches using waste yarn. Move these stitches back to the left needle (assuming right-handedness). Knit the 7[10] stitches again with MC. Continue to end of needle.
Knit next 10[25] rows even.
Cuff:
Switch to smaller needles. Work K1, P1 ribbing for 20[30] rounds.
Left mitten:
BO to last stitch of needle #2. [Kfb] twice into last stitch and first stitch of next round (48, 58 sts).
Right mitten:
Work 21[27] stitches in ribbing pattern. [Kfb] twice. BO 42[54] stitches. Both mittens: Use the remaining 4 stitches to form an (optional) I-cord for 12[30] inches. Keep the 4 live stitches on a holder.
Thumb:
Carefully remove waste yarn. Pick up 7[10] stitches from above and below the thumbhole (14, 20 sts) and knit 12[24] rounds.
Round 13[25]: [SSK, Knit 3[8], K2tog] twice
Round 14[26]: Knit
Round 15[27]: [SSK, Knit 1[6], K2tog] twice
Adult size only:
Round 28: Knit
Round 29: [SSK, Knit 4, K2tog] twice
Round 30: Knit
Round 31: [SSK, Knit 2, K2tog] twice
Graft remaining 6[8] stitches together.
FINISHING
Weave in all loose ends. Graft the two sets of 4 stitches from the I-cords together. Work an optional picot edge around the cuffs as follows: Attach MC, *work sc, ch3, sc in the same stitch. Slip stitch across next 3 stitches. Repeat from * around. At the I-cord, discontinue the picot stitch and instead, work the inner side of the cord in slip stitches.
For the mittens, the poinsettia intarsia is worked by duplicate stitching along needle #1, on rows 14 - 41, between stitches 2 - 20 for the Child size, and on rows 26 -53 between stitches 5 - 23 for the Adult size. It is easier to work it before starting the ribbing on the cuff. For the hat, the intarsia is worked by duplicated stitching along the front of the hat from the 1st row of stockinette above the ribbing to the 28th row.
With larger needles, CO 8 sts using the using the backward loop cast on method in MC. (3 sts on each of needles #1 and #2, 2 sts on needle #3)
Round 1 (and all odd rounds): Knit. (8 sts)
Round 2: Kfb eight times (16 sts)
Round 4:[Kfb, Knit 1] eight times (24 sts)
Round 6: [Kfb, Knit 2] eight times (32 sts)
Round 8: [Kfb, Knit 3] eight times (40 sts)
Round 10: [Kfb, Knit 4] eight times (48 sts)
Round 12: [Kfb, Knit 5] eight times (56 sts)
Round 14: [Kfb, Knit 6] eight times (64 sts)
Round 16: [Kfb, Knit 7] eight times (72 sts)
Round 18: [Kfb, Knit 8] eight times (80 sts)
Round 20: [Kfb, Knit 9] eight times (88 sts)
Round 22: [Kfb, Knit 10] eight times (96 sts)
Round 24: [Kfb, Knit 11] eight times (104 sts)
Adult size only:
Round 26: [Kfb, Knit 12] eight times (112 sts)
Round 28: [Kfb, Knit 13] eight times (120 sts)
Both sizes:
Knit next 3.5” (5.5”) even.
Switch to smaller needles, Start Ribbing
Row 1: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 2: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 3: (K1, P1) repeat around.
Row 4:(K1, P1) repeat around.
Bind off in K1, P1 pattern.
MITTENS
Using the larger needles, CO on 20[28] stitches using magic cast on (10 sts on each of needles #1 and #2).
Round 1 (and all odd rounds): Knit.
Round 2: [Kfb, Knit 8[12], Kfb] twice (24, 32 sts)
Round 4: [Kfb, Knit 10[14], Kfb] twice (28, 36 sts)
Round 6: [Kfb, Knit 12[16], Kfb] twice (32, 40 sts)
Round 8: [Kfb, Knit 14[18], Kfb] twice (36, 44 sts)
Round 10: [Kfb, Knit 16[20], Kfb] twice (40, 48 sts)
Round 12: [Kfb, Knit 18[22], Kfb] twice (44, 52 sts)
Adult size only:
Round 14: [Kfb, Knit 24, kfb] twice (56 sts)
Both sizes:
Knit next 20 [30] rounds even.
Thumb placement:
Knit the 22[28] sts of needle #1. Knit 1 (left mitten) or Knit 14[17] (right mitten). Knit next 7[10] stitches using waste yarn. Move these stitches back to the left needle (assuming right-handedness). Knit the 7[10] stitches again with MC. Continue to end of needle.
Knit next 10[25] rows even.
Cuff:
Switch to smaller needles. Work K1, P1 ribbing for 20[30] rounds.
Left mitten:
BO to last stitch of needle #2. [Kfb] twice into last stitch and first stitch of next round (48, 58 sts).
Right mitten:
Work 21[27] stitches in ribbing pattern. [Kfb] twice. BO 42[54] stitches. Both mittens: Use the remaining 4 stitches to form an (optional) I-cord for 12[30] inches. Keep the 4 live stitches on a holder.
Thumb:
Carefully remove waste yarn. Pick up 7[10] stitches from above and below the thumbhole (14, 20 sts) and knit 12[24] rounds.
Round 13[25]: [SSK, Knit 3[8], K2tog] twice
Round 14[26]: Knit
Round 15[27]: [SSK, Knit 1[6], K2tog] twice
Adult size only:
Round 28: Knit
Round 29: [SSK, Knit 4, K2tog] twice
Round 30: Knit
Round 31: [SSK, Knit 2, K2tog] twice
Graft remaining 6[8] stitches together.
FINISHING
Weave in all loose ends. Graft the two sets of 4 stitches from the I-cords together. Work an optional picot edge around the cuffs as follows: Attach MC, *work sc, ch3, sc in the same stitch. Slip stitch across next 3 stitches. Repeat from * around. At the I-cord, discontinue the picot stitch and instead, work the inner side of the cord in slip stitches.
For the mittens, the poinsettia intarsia is worked by duplicate stitching along needle #1, on rows 14 - 41, between stitches 2 - 20 for the Child size, and on rows 26 -53 between stitches 5 - 23 for the Adult size. It is easier to work it before starting the ribbing on the cuff. For the hat, the intarsia is worked by duplicated stitching along the front of the hat from the 1st row of stockinette above the ribbing to the 28th row.
A PDF of this pattern will be available on Ravelry as soon as possible. In the meantime, please email requests to e.j.hooker@gmail.com
