Making Mittens Without a Pattern

Have you ever wanted to create a pair of mittens without relying on a pattern? Maybe you have a hat pattern and would like to make a matching set of mittens, or you have the perfect yarn but can’t find the right pattern for your desired yarn weight. No matter the reason, this video will show you how to make a simple pair of half-double crochet mittens using any weight yarn! You’ll need a couple of skeins of yarn, a hook size that produces a fairly dense fabric, and a few stitch markers (with one marker being distinct from the others). For reference, Brenda is using a G hook (4.0mm) and heavy worsted (or aran weight) wool yarn.

Brenda starts by explaining that a gauge swatch isn’t necessary for this project. Instead, you should start stitching and evaluate the fabric as you go to ensure it’s dense enough to block out the cold. She begins by chaining enough stitches for the cuff length, then works back and forth in half-double crochet through the back loop to form a rectangular ribbed cuff. Once the cuff reaches the right length to fit around the wrist, she slip stitches the edges together to create a tube.

Next, Brenda shows how to work in the round along the top of the cuff. She works half-double crochet in continuous rounds without joining, using a stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round. As Brenda continues working in the round, she demonstrates how to shape the thumb gusset with planned increases. Once the gusset is tall enough for the thumb, Brenda skips stitches to form the thumb opening, with the number of stitches skipped corresponding to the number of increases made for the gusset. After dividing for the thumb, several rounds are worked for the hand length. When the mitten reaches the pinky, it’s time to shape the top by making decreases every round, ensuring they are evenly spaced.

After decreasing for the top of the mitten, the middle finger should just peek out from the top. Brenda finishes the mitten with a final round of even stitches and demonstrates how to close the top. Finally, she explains how to pick up the stitches for the thumb and how long to work the thumb before closing it up.