Beginners Cabled Fingerless Mittens

3906386859_923509d708_zA teaching pattern to take a knitter from learning about cables and knitting to reading graphs while cabling. Knit flat and seamed with thumb hole left in seam.  Two different cabling patterns to choose from, Mirrored Cables or Braided Cables.

Written and graphed instructions.

Short mittens are shown but with extra yardage longer mittens are an easy design option.

Size:  One Size with options for lengthening the mitten.  Ribbed palms allow for a very forgiving fit.

Materials:  Approx 85m of Aran weight yarn, sample was Miski by Mirasol, 5mm US #8 needles and cable hook.

Beaded Pulse Warmers

4014657427_42b059e783_zTraditional Norwegian pulse warmers with modern twist. Plan on 800 size 8/0 glass beads. Beads are pre-strung and placed between purl stitches – a very easy beading technique.

Knit short these are pulse warmers, knit a little longer with a thumb hole they become fingerless mittens.

Two versions of the pulse warmers are in this pattern, one very simple and one a little more complicated. Both use the same bead placement technique with quite different results.

Size – one size, but easily adaptable4014666219_44af9e5594_z

Gauge: Very tight, 36 st in 4 inches in garter st.

Materials:  170m 4-ply yarn.  Samples used Drops Alpaca.  2mm, US #0 needles, straight for the simple mitten or dp’s for the lace version, 600 to 800 beads per pair of pulse warmers or mittens.

Note:  Pre-string enough beads for each item before starting to knit.  As you are knitting slide the beads along your yarn until you need to pull a bead up to the knitting.