Among my favorite design themes, Harry Potter is undeniably one which keeps appearing as if by magic in my knitwear. The Magickal Quidditch Socks, Amortentia and Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love have been expressions in knit of my love for the wizarding world. Now I can show another small item, the Pomona Mitts, which I designed for The Unofficial Harry Potter Knits Special Issue from Interweave.
Professor Pomona Sprout’s fingerless mitts reflect her personality; earthy, robust, and ready for hard work. Cast on provisionally at the outer edge of the hand, the fingerless Pomona Mitts are worked flat using short rows, then grafted for a seamless finish. The cuff is shaped into a point with increases and decreases, and made to flare with a short row wedge. The finger opening is embellished with a spikey picot edge worked by repeatedly casting on and binding off stitches, and an optional narrow decorative satin ribbon is laced through the eyelets on the back of the hand as embellishment. A rich and tweedy yarn brings depth and texture to the fabric, making a rustic contrast to the sleek and shiny ribbon.
Techniques & Skills Used: provisional CO, cable CO, knit, increasing/ decreasing, short rows, grafting; a link is included to my short row tutorials.
Size: S (M, L); 6 (7, 8.25)” palm circumference; 7 (7.75, 8.75)” length from cuff point to tip. The stretchy garter stitch will fit a wide range of hand sizes; sample shown in size S worn on a 7” circumference hand.
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed DK (50% wool, 25% alpaca, 25% viscose; 191 yards/175m/50g), shown in 154 Ginger; 1 skein.
Other Materials: US 6 (4mm) needles, or size to match gauge; Stitch markers (1 color A, 1 color B); Scrap yarn for provisional CO; Stitch holders (2); Yarn needle; ¼” wide satin ribbon (2 x 1 yd).
Gauge: 22 st and 44 rows/4” in garter stitch. Row gauge determines hand circumference, while stitch gauge determines length in this sideways knit.
See it on Ravelry or on Payhip, to read more or purchase the pattern.
The magazine has some fun pictures channeling Pomona Sprout in the greenhouses (middle pic), using the mitts for a bit of protection with the mandrakes.