I’m doing my third year of Project 365 (taking and sharing one picture a day everyday) with a fabulous group of people on Facebook. Not only have I met a great group of people all over the world, but I also have a new pool of people to make mittens for! The first recipient, Deborah, looked at all my past mittens and was drawn to Falling Leaves for both the colors and design. Well you know me, I don’t want to knit the same pattern again, so I came up with a new design for her.

I named these Birdwatching because I have hidden a little bird in the middle of the vine and berries pattern.

I struggled with finding the right way to do colors in the vines. At first I tried a variegated yarn with nice bright fall colors and lots of variation. I loved the colors, but the detail in the pattern basically disappeared. Then, I tried a variegated yarn, Knit One Crochet Too Kettle Tweed, in a palette that was a little softer with colors that were closer in tone to each other.

It was definitely better, but still not the look I was hoping for. Finally, I tried the version I ended up knitting which uses three different colors to do the different vines along the mitten. Deborah decided she like them best too. Knitting the color work in three colors like this did mean I had to work three colors at a time for a few rows when one vine was ending and another was starting. Really, my dream yarn for the color work would have been a yarn long color changes like Knit Picks Chroma, but I couldn’t find something exactly like I wanted color-wise.

Birdwatching Mittens

Download the Birdwatching Mittens Pattern and Charts

This pattern contains three charts, one for each hand so the pattern is mirrored with the bird facing the thumb and a third chart with options to make the mitten hand and thumb longer. I knit these up for someone with a longer than average hand for the width, so my pictures are all of the longer version.

Size: 7.2” wide x 7” long, not including 3”cuff. (It is important to get gauge to get the stated size.)
(I have also included charts to make a 7.5” long mitten and a longer thumb.)

Gauge: 10 stitches and 12 rows per inch

Supplies:

• 325yds/71g fingering weight yarn, 195 yds/42g for MC, 130yds/28g for CC, scrap black for bird’s eye. I used Knit Picks Palette in Hazelnut (MC), 56yds/12g Turmeric, 37yds/8g Marsala, and 37yds/8g Pimento. (Amounts are based on making the longer mittens.)
• Four size 1 double-pointed needles or size needed to get gauge
• Three stitch makers
• Scrap yarn
• Tapestry needle

I am the only person who has knit or edited this pattern, so if you find any errors please let me know.