Embroidery is a really simple and quick way to add additional embellishment to your finished knitting. The July Mittens feature a riot of embroidery on the top of the hand, including chain stitched stems and “spider web” flowers. Below are two separate photo tutorials for working each technique! BEFORE YOU BEGIN: 1 / Embroidering on knit fabric…
Category: Year of Mittens
Year of Mittens: July Mittens
It’s here! The final mitten in the Year of Mittens. We can hardly believe a year has gone by! So much has changed here at Kelbourne Woolens over the last year and it has been both amazing and wonderful – and if we’re being honest, a little stressful! – to mark the beginning of each…
Year of Mittens: June Mittens
The June Mittens are here, and this design is definitely my favorite pair thus far! The June Mittens feature stranded colorwork and showcase a nice variety of banded and all-over patterns. The mittens begin with a provisional cast on, followed by a folded cuff, then the body of is worked in a series of geometric…
A Brief History of the Bohus Stickning Cooperative
The Swedish workshop founded by Emma Jacobsson with humble beginnings as the Bohuslän Domestic Industry became the Bohus Stickning cooperative in 1939. Best known for its beautiful hand knitted items known for their attention to detail, innovative design and color, and exacting standards of craftsmanship, the cooperative was active through 1969 and continues to be…
Year of Mittens: May Mittens
The May mittens have arrived, and so has warmer weather and the start of gardening season! The inspiration for this pair hails from Sweden’s Bohuslan region, where it is still a chilly 42 degrees fahrenheit today. The little spots of color and the texture of the purls are reminiscent of the hyacinths and daffodils that…
Year of Mittens: April Mittens
No fooling – the April Mittens are here! Inspired by the ingenious way the Irish Mittens we picked up on our yarn-designing trip back in 2015 were constructed, the April Mittens are knit in two halves: the back of the hand and the palm. The pieces are then joined around the edge using a crocheted slipped…
Year Of Mittens: Prolific Knitters
We hope to see some mitten-loving people knit all 12 mittens as part of the Year of Mittens, so today we’re highlighting a couple prolific knitters on Ravelry who have been busy knittin’ mittens! Ravelry user Teal has knit every mitten from August – February, we’re hoping to see March pop up in her Ravelry…
Latvian Braid
The Latvian Braid is a spectacular knitting technique that creates the look of a twist or rope embedded into your knitting. Unlike the Estonian (or Vikkel/Lateral) braid, the Latvian Braid is worked in a three round process and is typically worked in two colors. In order to function properly using two colors, it must be…
Year of Mittens: March Mittens
We have March Mittens mosiac madness here at KW headquarters! This mitten uses traditional color work to produce a modern motif inspired by simple but stunning Moroccan tiles. To add to the rich, visual patterning of the mitten, the cuff is accented with Latvian braids leaning counter to each other, hemming in a simple and…
Double Decreases Across Repeats
The February Mitten features an all over leaf lace pattern worked in the round. In order to work the pattern seamlessly, there are centered double decreases that utilize stitches at the beginning and end of the round. This tutorial shows how to process the central double decrease (CDD) while still maintaining proper stitch count and maintaining…
February Mitten Lining
The February Mitten cuff is a modified leaf lace edging by Nancy Bush. Worked horizontally, the edging is joined in a circle with a 3-Needle Bind Off and the stitches are then picked up in the straight (flat) side in order to work the hand. The stitches for the outer layer and lining are both…
Year Of Mittens: February Mittens
We have a double mitten for the second month of the year! The February Mitten is here! The February Mitten is an all-over leaf-lace mitten, lined in a bright contrast color. This month we have a few new challenges lined up in order to keep things interesting. The payoff for working twice as hard is a…
Year of Mittens Roundup
It’s almost time to release the February Mitten pattern. In the meantime, we’ve found some beautiful finished mittens over on Ravelry, and here are a few of our favorites knit in The Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering. We hope this will inspire you to clear off your needles for the next mitten pattern coming this week. …
Sew As You Go
The Sew-As-You-Go method allows the knitter to join an edge of their fabric to live stitches to create a hem or pleat. For those of you who are machine knitters, this technique should look familiar as it is often used in machine knitting to join two pieces of fabric to create a seam, pleat, cuff,…
Year of Mittens: January Mittens
Happy New Year! We are ringing in 2017 with a new mitten pattern to get you through the chilly January days and nights ahead. January’s mitten features Latvian inspired color work, perfect for a little post-holiday selfish knitting. After the hectic holiday season it’s always nice to work on something that doesn’t require rushing through…
Year of Mittens: December Mitten
December 1st is here! Winter temperatures have finally hit Philadelphia, and we’re delighted to have a new pile of mittens to choose from when braving the colder temperatures. The December Mittens are built for warmth, durability and comfort. Inspired by traditional gansey patterning, the cuff of the mitten begins with a Channel Island Cast On,…
Year of Mittens Roundup
It’s been so fun to see the shared images of your Year of Mittens WIP and FO’s! I recently browsed Instagram and collected a few of my favorites, which you can see below – make sure to click on the individual images for a link to each knitter’s feed! I also loved seeing what else they’ve…
Working From Charts: Alternate Colorways
The vast majority of all of our charted patterns use the colors as shown in the sample. This method of charting colorwork works very well for a variety of reasons: it is easy to look at the sample and the chart together to assist you in the knitting, the chart typically works well if printed…
Year of Mittens: November Mitten
November is the month we start looking towards the holidays and getting together with family. This month’s mitten is inspired by togetherness, warmth, and traditions. As the holidays approach, our attention often turns to knitting for others. The November Mittens are designed for the whole family – a unisex and sporty design perfect for the…
Year of Mittens: October Mitten
A chill is in the air, and our October Mitten is here! The October Mittens are inspired by the dried twig and bud floral decorations that adorn homes in the autumn and winter. The mittens are dense and warm but not too thick. As such, they are perfectly suited for brisk morning walks to school and…
September Mittens Tips + Tricks: Lace Cuff and Perfect Bobbles
As mentioned in Thursday’s post announcing the September Mitten, we have four tips and tricks related to the pattern that you might find helpful. Two are brand new, created specifically for the mitten release! The September Mitten begins with a unique lace cuff that is knit horizontally on two DPNs. This tutorial shows the step…
Year of Mittens: September Mitten
Our second pattern in the Year of Mittens is here, and with it the unofficial return to Fall. (Hooray!) The September Mitten is a Victorian-inspired lace design. Using a small bobble in conjunction with a simple chevron lace, this mitten is beautiful yet easy (and quick!) knit. Perfect for those chilly early mornings that aren’t yet…
Year of Mittens: The Rich History of Aran and Cable Knitting
August is almost over, and we’ve enjoyed seeing everyone’s finished and in-progress mittens. We hope you all have enjoyed working all of those cables! Our August mittens for the Year of Mittens are a richly cabled design, inspired by traditional Irish sweaters, most often referred to as Aran sweaters. While these sweaters are traditionally knit…
Year of Mittens: What Color Did You Choose?
We’ve been in this industry long enough to know that you’ll ALL want to knit it in the same color as the sample, no matter what. Okay, okay…we know that’s not 100% true, but it’s true often enough that we thought it’d be nice to show you some August Mittens knit in a color other…
Swatching and Measuring Gauge in Cable Pattern
The August Mitten features a unique diamond cable flanked by two 4 stitch cables on a reverse stockinette stitch ground. The palm and gusseted thumb are worked in a lovely textured moss stitch. The gauges listed in the August Mitten are as follows: Cable Panel (36 sts) = 3.75” (9.5 cm) on larger needles, after…
August Mittens Tips and Tricks: Cables made Easy
As mentioned in yesterday’s post, there are two older but still incredibly useful tutorials related to the August Mitten pattern that you might find helpful. Both are helpful in effectively creating excellent cables, and will help you not only with the August Mitten, but also in any future knitting endeavors! In conjunction with the release…
Year of Mittens: August Mitten
Its here! The first pattern in the Year of Mittens, the August Mitten! The cables on the August Mitten are inspired by the rich history of intricate stitching that is common in Ireland and the British Isles. Combining The Fibre Co.’s British wool yarn, Cumbria Fingering, in the traditional sea-blue Windermere, and intertwining columns of…
Year of Mittens
We’re delighted to introduce Year of Mittens, a year-long knit-along featuring The Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering! We love knitting mittens, and with the introduction of The Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering, we have a mitten yarn we can really stand behind and believe in. Launching August 1st, we will be releasing a new mitten pattern on the first…