I would like to make some double knit mittens - does anyone have a pattern? Can I just start with a tubular cast on and continue to knit a regular mitten?
Thanks!
kms

Thee are mitten patterns in TWINED KNITTING: a Swedish Folkcraft Technique by Birgitta Dandanell, which was published in English by Interweave Press in 1989. I'm thinking that there may have been an experpted pattern in Interweave Knits or Piecework some time ago, too. I have the book, but have not done more than fool around with the technique a bit. Very appealing, though, so someday...

There is a book of Nova Scotian double knit mitten patterns which pops up on eBay from time to time, selling at $12 or so.

Jude

I too would like to make some double knit mittens and here is what I'm going to try - I ran this by the person who has been teaching classes at my lys and she thought it would work. After I do the ribbing I'm going to increase in each stitch to get the number of stitches needed for double knitting. Then just knit the mittens as you would with "regular" mittens. Using the second strand of yarn for the double knit. I think this would work - haven't had time to try it yet.

Please report back and say how well it works.

It may be awhile before I get a chance to do the mittens. Right now I'm involved with a group that is trying to use up stash and in a week or two I start a class where we will be making a shawl. You know that old saying "so many books so little time"? Well I have both so many books/much yarn and not enough time to get everything I want to do done.

Perhaps the new double-knitting book in process at Schoolhouse Press (due out sometime soon) will have a mitten pattern?

You'd want to be careful with your increases (thumb) and decreases (top), making sure both faces match. And I suspect working 2 strands or double-rounds in the confined space of the thumb-tube might be fiddly.

When I didn't know about the actual technique of double knitting I made some pretty satisfactory double mittens and gloves by finishing one, picking up stitches around the top of the ribbing and knitting a duplicate glove or mitten from those stitches then stuffing it inside the original. It worked fairly well and was not much more of a fiddle than actual double knitting.

I made some double knit mittens for my grandchildren this Christmas. I just followed my regular mitten pattern, but
1. doubled the number of sts after the ribbing.
2. the first round of stockinette was k 1 sl 1.
3. the next round of stockinette was p the sl sts and sl the k sts. Repeat rows 2 and 3 for the double knit stockinette pattern.
4. About every 4th p 1 sl 1 row, I would k every 4th k st (which would otherwise be slipped). This would give stability to the fabric.
5. At each increase, inc the p row first, then the k row on the next round. Same for decreasing.

I made the mittens out of 100% wool. The kids went sledding and said their hands stayed warm and dry the whole time! If you do a nice job of weaving in the ends, the mittens are reversible. Also, I make the thumbs so that there is no right or left. Lots easier for little kids.

If you have trouble remembering which is a k row and which is a p row, you might want to use a pattern for mittens knitted flat and seamed. Then you always k 1 sl 1.

Switching between 2 colors (if you work both layers simultaneously) also "stabilizes" the fabric, as the strands are shared between the layers.

I have just finished a two-colour double knit hat. I only did it because a memeber of our kntting club had a magazine with the pattern, and I had to admit I had never made anything using the technique.


I am really please with the result, but wow! You really have to WANT to do it.

Best wishes, John

I want to start some mittens pretty soon and would like to make them double the right way instead of my previous makeshift. My big question right now is about the thumb gusset. That seems tricky. Any advice?

I can't see that the thumb gusset would be a problem. Just remember to increase in both parts of the knitting, and slip one increased stitch like a cable, so that the stitches on the needle still go font/back/front/back

When the gusset is big enough cast on 2 sts at each end and continue up the thumb in double-knitting, and decrease in the usual double-knitting way. Draw the remaining stitches together, sew up the thumb seam. Pick up 4 sts at the base of the thumb and continue front-&-backing along the rest of the row.

You really have to WANT to do this techinque. It is VERY time-consuming.

Best wishes, John

I experimented with the double knit mittens and was not happy with the result. The thumb gusset really was not a problem, but keeping the inside at a reasonable tension was. I agree with John that you really have to want to do it that way. The only other double knit fabric I ever made was a baby blanket in two colors with patterns. The contrasting colors made the patterns on each side and stabilized the fabric as well. The difference was that it was flat and much easier to control the tensions on both sides. For my mittens I think I will revert to my old technique. It's really not much more trouble.

very nice pattern here
http://fog.org/~douglask/dmitten.html