Orry Yarn – Maybole Mittens Knitting Kit
Designed by Tilde Olsen – Orry Yarn
The Maybole Mittens are knitted flat as a single textured rectangle, then folded and seamed with a gap left for the thumb. There is no shaping at all, which is the point: you get a pair of mittens out of knitting a straight piece of fabric.
Three stitch patterns sit one above the other. Rib at the wrist to hold them on, moss stitch across the hand for texture, and a garter edge finished with an Icelandic bind off.
This is the third project in the Orry Mill Yarn School Learn to Knit series, and the one where knit and purl stop being two separate things you can do and start being a way to make fabric behave differently.
The kit is knitted in Orry Yarn Merino DK, our own soft, springy, ethically sourced merino. DK is a step finer than most first yarns, so this is also a gentle move towards the weights most patterns are written for.
Skill Level:
Beginner ★ (1 out of 5)
Knit, purl, and a seam at the end. If you have finished a scarf you can make these.
Sizes:
XS, S, M and L. All four sizes are in the pattern; the kit comes in two bands because only size L needs a second ball.
To fit hand circumference:
- XS: 16cm
- S: 18cm
- M: 20cm
- L: 22cm
The Kit Includes:
- 1 or 2 × 50g balls of Orry Yarn Merino DK in your chosen shade, depending on the size band you pick
- Printed pattern in English, covering all four sizes
You'll Also Need:
- 4mm circular needles. Anything from 40cm to 80cm will work; we find 60cm the most comfortable.
- Wool needle, for the seam and the ends
A note on the needles:
The mittens are worked flat, so you knit back and forth rather than in the round and the cable is only holding stitches, not stretching around anything. That means the length is not critical here, which is unusual and worth saying: use whatever you have between 40cm and 80cm. Straight needles will do the job perfectly well too. We recommend circulars anyway, because the next projects in the series need them and this is a comfortable place to get used to the feel of knitting on a cable.
Techniques used:
- Rib stitch
- Moss stitch
- Garter stitch
- Icelandic bind off
- Seaming, and leaving an opening for the thumb
- Weaving in ends
Why You'll Love It:
- Three stitch patterns learnt in one small project
- No shaping, no increases, no decreases, nothing to count but rows
- A pair finished in a weekend
- Designed for the yarn in the box, not substituted into it
- A tips and modifications section at the back of the pattern, drawn from years of teaching