Onagre
Notes
Onagre is a pair of botanically inspired colourwork mittens. Knitted in fingering weight
with adjustable gauge, they feature a two-colour motif with some floats to catch but that
can still fit an adventurous beginner. With a triangle top and an afterthought thumb
inserted without a gusset, they ressemble the shape of traditional Latvian mittens.
The pattern provides help on the colourwork method as well as on how to calculate your
gauge to get a different fit.
Use the hashtag #onagremittens to share your project.
Pattern, pictures and notes © Audrey Borrego. This pattern is for personal use only, please do not sell knit
items made from it. You can contact me via Ravelry (Yarnflakes) with any questions.
Yarn :
You will need two colours of fingering weight yarn in the following amounts :
MC : 160 m – 175 yds
CC : 120 m – 132 yds
Sample was knit with By Night Dyes Sirius dyed with Henna (MC) and Logwood (CC).
Needles :
2 mm (US 0) needles
or size required to get the right gauge
Gauge :
34 st x 37 rounds per 10 cm – 4" in stranded knitting stitch after blocking
Size :
Finished circumference : 21.5 cm - 8 ½"
Finished length from cuff to top : 24 cm – 9 ½"
Finished length from thumb position to top : 14 cm – 5 ½"
You can get a slightly different size by working at a different gauge, whether you still use
fingering or choose to knit with a different yarn weight. A tighter gauge will make smaller
mittens while a looser gauge will make larger ones.
Measure your hand at its widest point (under the fingers). For a comfortable fit, make a
size with up to 5 cm - 2" positive ease. For a snugger fit, you can get closer to your actual
measurements.
Here is the formula to determine at what gauge you need to work for the desired
circumference :
730 / desired circumference in cm – " = number of st you need per 10 cm – 4"
Notions :
Tapestry needle and scissors
Stitch marker
Scrap yarn to place thumb stitches on hold
Row counter recommended
Techniques used :
Stranded knitting with two colours and floats to catch
Simple thumb with no gusset
Triangular shape mitten and thumb top with simple decreases
Pattern provides charts and written instructions
2
Abbreviations :
– st : stitch
– rnd : round
– CO : cast-on
– MC : main colour / CC : contrast colour
– m : marker / pm : place marker
– BOR : beginning of the round
– k : knit stitch / p : purl stitch
– m1R : make 1 right, lift the bar between the stitches onto the left needle from back to
front, knit through the front loop (1 st inc)
– ktbl : knit the next st through its back loop
– k2tog : knit 2 stitches together (1 st dec)
– ssk : slip the next 2 stitches knitwise and knit them together through their back loop
(1 st dec)
– *-* : repeat instructions between asterisks
Colourwork :
Catching floats : in fingering weight, you can catch floats when skipping more than 6
stitches. You may do it more often if you prefer, just make sure not to catch a float in the
same place in two consecutive rounds.
Colour dominance : CC will form the motifs while MC will be the background colour. To
have consistent colour dominance : hold CC to the left and always carry it under MC
without twisting the strands.
Reading charts :
Knitting in the round, always read the Chart from right to left.
3
Cuff : Top of the mitten :
Using MC, CO 54 st, using a stretchy cast- On rnd 58, start decreasing for the top of
on method like the German Twisted Cast- the mitten as shown on the chart.
on. When you've knitted rnd 73, cut the
(German Twisted Cast-on tutorial by Very working yarns and pull them through the
Pink Knits) remaining 10 st to close the top the mitten.
Join to work in the round and pm for BOR.
rnds 1 to 4 : *k4tbl, p2* to end Thumb :
rnd 5 : *k3, m1R* to end You will pick up the 15 st that you've cast-on
on the palm, the 15 st put on hold and 2
72 st extra st at each corner.
You will find the chart for the right thumb
Work rnds 1 to 20 of the cuff chart on page on page 8 and for the left thumb on page 9.
5. The cuff is the same for both mittens.
Following rnd 1 of the thumb chart :
You can try on the mitten at this point. It Pick up and knit 15 st from the st that you
should go comfortably over your entire cast-on on the palm (st 1 to 15 of the chart).
hand. Pick up and knit 2 st in the corner with CC
(st 16 and 17 of the chart).
To finish the cuff, using MC : Knit across the 15 st that you put on hold,
rnd 1 : knit still following rnd 1 of the thumb chart (st
rnds 2, 3 : purl 18 to 32 of the chart).
rnd 4 : k1, m1R, knit to end Pick up and knit another 2 st in the other
corner with CC (st 33 and 34 of the chart).
73 st
PM for BOR.
Mitten body : 34 st
Start working the mitten chart.
You will find the chart for the right mitten Knit the rest of the thumb chart, decreasing
page 6 and for the left mitten page 7. as show from rnd 23.
Close the top of the thumb like you did for
Thumb hole : the top of the mitten.
You are going to leave a hole for the thumb.
On rnd 17, knit until you've reached the
stitches marked with a red line on the chart. Finishing :
Place those 15 stitches on hold and cast-on Weave in all ends and gently block the
15 new stitches, using the backwards loop mittens.
cast-on, as follows :
right mitten : 4 MC, 1 CC, 2 MC, 1 CC, 2
MC, 1 CC, 3 MC, 1 CC
left mitten : 2 MC, 1 CC, 2 MC, 1 CC, 3 MC, 1
CC, 2 MC, 1 CC, 2 MC
(Backwards Loop Cast-on tutorial by Very
Pink Knits)
This way you have set up the colours in the
right place for the next round (rnd 18).
You can thread a piece of scrap yarn in
those new 15 st : it will make it easier to
pick them up later.
4
CUFF CHART
5
RIGHT MITTEN
6
LEFT MITTEN
7
RIGHT THUMB
8
LEFT THUMB
9
Thank you
for choosing a Yarnflakes pattern !
I hope you enjoyed your project and will love the finished piece. If you have any
questions or suggestions, please contact me on Ravelry (Yarnflakes).
I love to see you knit my designs. If you want to share pictures of your progress you
can join me on my Ravelry group : www.ravelry.com/discuss/yarnflakes and tag me
on Instagram @yarnflakes.
Find more designs :
www.ravelry.com/designers/audrey-borrego
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