Handtak — Black-Moss Colourwork Mittens Knitting Kit

Handtak — handshake. Védís Jónsdóttir’s women’s mittens from Ístex’s Lopi 29, in their black-moss version: narrow stranded bands of crosses, zigzags and dots in nine earthy Léttlopi colours — light ash, light beige, murky, frostbite, rust, stone blue and mimosa on a black cuff and lower hand — rising to a solid brown-green moor top and thumb tip. Both mittens are the same, with a thumb gusset and a thumb knitted from its own small chart. The pattern’s mustard (9264) is no longer made; this kit has 1703 mimosa in its place.

Included

• Icelandic Léttlopi wool yarn — 9 balls, one of each colour — the pattern gives no amounts (it says “use leftovers”), so one ball of each is our choice (see the FAQ)
• Knitting pattern in English (PDF) — emailed right after purchase
• ADDI knitting needles — only if you choose the kit with needles

Léttlopi — 50 g balls · one size — the pattern lists no amounts; see the FAQ
A 0059 Black — 1
B 0054 Light Ash Heather — 1
C 1420 Murky — 1
D 1703 Mimosa (in place of 9264 mustard) — 1
E 1417 Frostbite — 1
F 1416 Moor — 1
G 9427 Rust Heather — 1
H 9418 Stone Blue Heather — 1
I 0086 Light Beige Heather — 1

Size
One size — women’s. The pattern gives no measurements. By our calculation the hand is about 22 cm (8¾″) round and the mitten about 24 cm (9½″) long, including 5 cm of rib at the wrist.

Gauge
18 sts × 24 rows = 10 cm (4″) in stocking stitch on 4.5 mm needles.

Needles used in the pattern (included when you choose the kit with needles)
3.5 mm (US 4) double-pointed needles for the rib
4.5 mm (US 7) double-pointed needles for the hand and the thumb

Not included
A little scrap yarn to hold the thumb stitches, and a tapestry needle for drawing the tops together and weaving in the ends.

How it is knitted
Each mitten is knitted in the round on double-pointed needles. 36 stitches are cast on in black and knitted in K1, P1 rib on 3.5 mm for 5 cm; on 4.5 mm the hand is increased to 40 stitches and knitted from a 46-round chart of narrow stranded bands — crosses, zigzags and dots. At the side of the hand a thumb gusset is increased 2 stitches every other round, 8 times, to 56 stitches; the 16 thumb stitches go onto scrap yarn and the hand goes on to a solid moor top, decreased 4 stitches a round down to 8 (see the FAQ) and drawn together. The thumb is picked up last — the 16 stitches plus 2 from the hand, 18 in all — knitted from its own 17-round chart and decreased to 6. The two mittens are the same.

Design: Védís Jónsdóttir — pattern from Lopi No. 29 (no. 20), Ístex.

Genuine Ístex lopi — the same wool Icelanders knit with, spun in Iceland from the fleece of Icelandic sheep. No substitutes.

Care of the finished garment — air out between wears; hand wash cool and dry flat. Full care guide

Shipping — DHL Express worldwide, fully tracked. Rates & times

US & Canada duties — collected at checkout; nothing to pay on delivery. How it works

Returns — unused kits in original condition; see our return policy.