Knitting New Mittens and Gloves: Warm and Adorn Your Hands in 28 Innovative Ways

176 Pages·2008·4.88 MB·English

by  Robin Melanson

For my parents

Published in 2008 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Text copyright © 2008 by Robin Melanson
Photographs copyright © 2008 by Tyllie Barbosa

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical,
electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission
from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Melanson, Robin.
Knitting new mittens and gloves : warm and adorn your
hands in 28 innovative ways / Robin Melanson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-4532-6835-3
1. Knitting--Patterns. 2. Mittens. 3. Gloves. I. Title.
TT825.M413 2008
746.43'2041--dc22

2007019273

Editors: Melanie Falick and Liana Allday
Designer: Sarah Von Dreele
Production Manager: Jacquie Poirier

The text of this book was composed in Futura
and Janson.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
115 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
www.hnabooks.com
Knitting New
Mittens & Gloves
WARM AND ADORN YOUR HANDS IN 28 INNOVATIVE WAYS
ROBIN MELANSON
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TYLLIE BARBOSA
PHOTO-STYLING BY KELLY McKAIG
STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book | Stewart, Tabori & Chang | New York
Table of Contents
Introduction
Accomplice
Aethelwyne
Ålesund
Alternating Current
Blackthorn
Box Pleats
Brünnhilde
Ceangaltas
Chevalier
Driver
Evening Light
Filigree
Glaistig
Golden Bracelets
Gothic
Gretel
Houndstooth Miscellany
Jack-in-the-Box
Negative Space
Plush
Poppy
Rusalka
Sheltie
Snug
Standard Deviation
Strata
Tapisserie
Welig
Selecting Materials
Special Techniques
Abbreviations
Index of Projects by Yarn Weight
Sources for Supplies
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Introduction
When the possibility of writing a book of new mitten and
glove patterns was presented to me, I was immediately
intrigued as I consider myself a mitten and glove
aficionado of sorts. I grew up in Cape Breton, on
Canada’s Atlantic coast, where winters tend to be harsh
and mittens and gloves are essential in everyone’s
wardrobes. I recognized right away that this would be a
wonderful opportunity for me to explore new avenues of
design and to share my enthusiasm for these humble
items.

Like many knitters, I am especially drawn to mittens and gloves because
they are useful, generally quick to make, small enough to carry around while
being worked on and to work on even in warm weather without discomfort, and
don’t require a lot of yarn. They are also a great project on which to experiment
—to try out new techniques or yarns that can be applied later to larger
endeavors. Since I prefer not to knit the same project over and over again, I’m
always stimulated by a fresh challenge and by the opportunity to view something
familiar with a new perspective. When I accepted the opportunity to work on this
book, I set the following goal: to redefine how mittens and gloves are made and
worn by experimenting with and mixing and matching traditional and
nontraditional techniques and influences. On the pages that follow are the
results. For example, on page 91 is Negative Space, a design inspired by a
unique but rarely seen Norwegian folk mitten with a cutaway palm. On page 115
is Standard Deviation, influenced by a combination of the hotel carpeting in the
The Shining
horror movie and my love of stranded colorwork and
Norwegian wool. For Gothic on page 73, I challenged the utilitarian boundary of
the glove: This design is intended as a purely decorative accessory rather than a
winter essential.

As you may have already guessed by scanning the project list on page 4 or
the photos or descriptive passages throughout the book, I have a passion for
Celtic language and art that always seems to make its way to the surface,
whether it is the direct inspiration for a design—like Golden Bracelets (page 69)
or Ceangaltas (page 41)—or an influence in my choice of colors, buttons, or
project names. I have also spent a lot of time reading medieval European
literature, Norse and Icelandic sagas, and Early Irish heroic cycles. Often I am
inspired by a name, a character, or an interesting description, or even just by
thinking about a particular era in history. I follow fashion with interest but not
slavishly; I pay the most attention to avant-garde runway shows with models
sprouting antlers or donning designs incorporating futuristic shapes with