Mystery Revealed: Fair Isle Mitten MKALendar

12 minutes ago5 min read

Today's the last day of January and also the last day the clues for the Fair Isle Mitten MKALendar are available free on my Mighty Networks community. Let's take a look at what last advent's mystery knit-along entailed.

Fair Isle Mitten MKALendar :: colorwork mitten knitting pattern

With the Fair Isle Mitten MKALendar you'll create a pair of colorwork mittens, fingerless mitts, or convertible flip-top mittens in 25 days. The pattern comes in a variety of options and sizes:

3 styles: fingerless mitts, regular mittens, or convertible flip-top mittens
2 cuff options: rolled or folded
2 flip-top edge options: ribbed or folded
2 variations: identical or fraternal twins, and
4 sizes: XS to L, intended to fit from kids to large adults.

Schematic of finished measurements for Fair Isle Mitten MKALendar — Schematic of finished measurements.

If you do all variations, you can get 24 different pairs of hand accessories out of one pattern! Regardless of the option you choose, all styles and variations are worked the same way: they're knit one at a time, in the round, and from the cuff up. Choose a size that comes closest to your (or your recipient's) hand circumference with zero to a small amount of positive ease. Fingerless mitts can be made quite snug but I'd allow a bit more ease for the mittens.

The fingerless mitts contain 10 colorwork charts on each hand, then a bit of twisted ribbing at the top. The mittens contain 12 colorwork charts on each hand and a closed top with shaped decreases, also worked in all-over colorwork.

The flip-top mittens, which I knit for my sample pair, are a cross between the two: ribbing at the top of the fingers (like in the fingerless mitts version) but also a convertible top that can be flipped open for extra hand dexterity or closed for extra warmth. After binding off the top ribbing, new stitches are cast on for the front of the flip top and picked up along the back of hand. Otherwise the flip tops worked the same way as the mitten top.

The thumb construction used in the pattern is a forethought a.k.a. peasant thumb: waste yarn is inserted to mark thumb placement between two colorwork clues. When the mittens are otherwise finished, the waste yarn is unraveled to make an opening and live stitches are picked up all around for the thumb. The thumbs are then worked either in colorwork (regular and flip-top mittens) or in twisted ribbing (fingerless mitts).

To better adjust the fit to your (or your recipient's) hands, thumb position can be adjusted within pattern. In the pattern I've provided instructions on how to measure thumb placement and a handy (pun intended) formula to convert that to when the waste yarn should be inserted, even if your gauge differs from the pattern.

For the daily clues, the pattern consists of 24 colorwork charts that come in two variations: one for a light(er) background and another for a dark(er) background color — that's 48 charts total! Color placements may differ slightly in some charts but the basic motif is the same in both versions. Top decreases and the thumb are separate charts but they share the same polka-dot colorwork motif.

Regardless of how many colors you choose, all individual charts can be worked with just two colors: a background color (BC) and a contrasting color (CC). Some variations are depicted with three colors but you can use even more if you wish. A typical way to use colors in Fair Isle patterns is to highlight the center rounds with an accent color (AC) or two. For a more subtle look, AC can also be a mid-tone color that blends in with the rest.

Color wheel made in 12 different skeins of yarn.

And you don't have to stick to the same three colors for each chart! Your color choices determine whether your socks feature classic or modern interpretations of traditional Fair Isle motifs. Like Fair Isle Advent MKALendar in 2022 and Fair Isle Sock MKALendar in 2023, this one also comes with a primer on color theory to help you choose colors for your socks. The pattern includes examples of seven different color schemes — monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triad, tetrad, and square — and how to apply them to Fair Isle patterns.

For my rainbow gradient sample pair I used 13 different colors plus a charcoal gray to tie it all together. The neutral gray was used in the cuffs and ribbing and as a contrast color on the daily clues. For the tops and thumbs I flipped the colors: they gray was used as a background colors instead. Even though I made the non-matching pair doing all 25 different charts, using the same colors on both mittens gives the pair a strong family resemblance.

Like the two previous advent MKALs, Fair Isle Mitten MKALendar a great project for practicing different skills used in stranded colorwork:

Color handling. Regardless of how many total colors you pick, all rounds in each chart are knit with just two colors so you only have to deal with two yarns at a time.
Holding yarn. If you've ever wanted to give a whirl to those colorwork yarn guides (a.k.a. tension ring or Norwegian knitting thimble), this is a great opportunity.
Catching floats. For the most part the charts contain only short floats that don't need to be caught. For the few longer ones I recommend catching floats on the next round.
Float management. If you struggle with tight floats, you could also try knitting colorwork inside out.

To knit the pattern you'll need fingering-weight yarn in as many colors as you want (at least two) in the following amounts:

for the fingerless mitts: approx. 190 [240, 280, 330] m or 210 [260, 310, 360] yd in total
for the mittens: approx. 230 [280, 340, 390] m or 250 [310, 370, 430] yd in total, or
for the flip-top mittens: approx. 260 [320, 390, 460] m or 280 [350, 420, 500] yd in total

The pattern is ideal for all sorts of fingering-weight leftovers, scraps, half-a skeins, unicorn tails, or advent calendar minis. I used mostly nylon-reinforced sock yarn but there are a few merino singles and other 100% wool yarns in the mix, too.

Like I said at the top of the post, today (January 31) is your last chance to get the free clues for the Fair Isle Mitten MKALendar in my Mighty Networks. A printable PDF with pretty pictures and all the clues combined into one will be available for purchase in my Payhip, LoveCrafts, and Ravelry (seizure warning) pattern shops from February 1 onward.