The Opal Schafpate Hat & Fingerless Mitts were knit for my mother-in-law as part of her Christmas present. My mother-in-law loves walking and belongs to a couple of walking groups so I thought this would be a useful present for her. She loves to wear subtle colours so I opted for the Opal Schafpate VII Alpine Flower 8903. Choose your favourite opal Schafpate sock yarn in the yarn shop.
This is my Sock Head Slouch Hat No2. It was knit using the shorter length of the Sock Head Slouch Hat designed by Kelly McClure. I knit this hat in the same way as my first Sock Head Slouch Hat not making any changes to the pattern other than knitting the stockinette section of the hat using a 3.25mm circular needle as I tend to be quite a tight knitter. The body section was knit until it measured 7″ and then the directions were followed for decreasing at the crown.
I love the deep section of k2, p2 rib for the folded brim. The hat fits comfortably and the extra fabric is positioned perfectly to keep your ears warm.
The shaping for the crown is perfect. Wonderfully smooth and with no peakiness. This hat is perfect as it is, but it would also be lovely with a pom pom made using contrast yarn. I did think of this but decided that my mother-in-law would probably prefer the hat without a pom pom.
After finishing the hat I’d 38g of my 100g ball of Opal Schafpate sock yarn left. This might have been enough to knit a pair of fingerless mitts to match as they use approximately 35g of sock yarn (although I normally like to allow 45g for matching the yarn pattern) but for these fingerless mitts, I decided that I’d like to use a contrasting yarn for the k1, p1 ribbed cuffs on the mitts. I chose one of my hand dyed Opal Sock Yarns in a lovely mauve that picks up the mauve in the Alpine Flower colourway. In total, the cuffs used 13g of my contrast yarn.
I used the Valentine Fingerless Mitts pattern which fit the hand snugly by continuing a section of the ribbing from the cast-on cuff to the cast-off cuff through the stocking stitch section of the mitts.
Left Fingerless Mitt
Left Mitt Cast On:
Using a 4mm needle and 4 ply Opal Hand Dyed Sock Yarn (Contrast Sock Yarn) cast on 52 stitches loosely. I use a 4mm needle so that the casting on is looser than if I had used the 2.75mm needles. Then change to the 2.75mm needles for knitting the fingerless mitts.
Left Mitt Cuff:
- On the first round of working the k1, p1 rib join into the round taking care not to twist the cast on edge. (13 sts on each DPN needle).
- Work the k1, p1 rib for 14 more rounds, 15 rounds of rib in total.
Left Mitt Wrist:
After finishing the ribbed cuff change to the Opal Schafpate sock yarn for continuing the mitt.
- Next Round: k13, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k14.
- Repeat this round for a further 23 rounds. 24 rounds in total.
Left Mitt Thumb Gusset:
- Set-Up Round: m1, place marker, k13, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k14
- Round 1: knit to marker, slip marker, k13, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k14
- Round 2: m1R, knit to marker, m1L, slip marker, k13, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k14
- Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until there are 21 (thumb) stitches between the marker and the start of the round.
- Then: k21. slip marker, k13, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k14
- Repeat this round 4 more times, a total of 5 rounds. At the end of the 5th round cast on 2 stitches using the backward loop method.
- Next: place the 21 thumb stitches onto a piece of waste yarn and remove the stitch marker.
Left Mitt Continue for Hand:
- Next round: k13, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k16
- Repeat this round 8 more times (9 rounds in total).
Left Mitt The Cuff:
Change to the Contrast Sock Yarn.
- Set Up Round: (p1, k1) 6 times, p2tog, then (k1, p1) 11 times, k1, p2tog, (k1, p1) 7 times, k1
- Continue in p1 k1 Rib for 11 more rounds (12 rounds in total including the set-up round).
- Cast off in rib.
Left and Right Mitt Thumb:
The thumb is worked in exactly the same way for both the left and right fingerless mitts.
- Place the 21 stitches that are on the waste yarn onto 2 dpns.
- Using the Contrast Sock Yarn and starting in the centre of the 2 cast-on stitches, pick up and knit 3 stitches, then knit 5 stitches from the needle. Needle 1 has 8 stitches. Knit the next 10 stitches onto needle 2. Knit 6 stitches onto needle 3, then pick up and knit 2 stitches.
- Then knit 1 round.
- Next round: k1, p1 rib to the end of the round.
- Repeat this for 7 more rounds (8 rounds in total).
- Cast off in rib.
Right Fingerless Mitt
Right Mitt Cuff:
Using a 4mm needle and 4 ply Opal Hand Dyed Sock Yarn (Contrast Sock Yarn) cast on 52 stitches loosely. Note on the right mitt you start with a purl 1 for the ribbing.
- On first round of working the p1, k1 rib join into the round taking care not to twist the cast on edge. (13 sts on each dpn needle).
- Work the p1, k1 rib for 14 more rounds, 15 rounds of rib in total.
Right Mitt Wrist:
After finishing the ribbed cuff change to the Opal Schafpate VII Alpine Flower sock yarn for continuing the mitt.
- Next round: k14, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k13
- Repeat this round for a further 23 rounds. (24 rounds in total).
Right Mitt Thumb Gusset:
- Set up round: m1, place marker, k14, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k13
- Round 1: knit to marker, slip marker, k14, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k13
- Round 2: m1R, knit to marker, m1L, slip marker, k14, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k13
- Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until there are 21 stitches between the marker and the start of the round.
- Then: k21. slip marker, k14, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k13
- Repeat this round 4 more times, a total of 5 rounds. At the end of the 5th round cast on 2 stitches using the backward loop method.
- Next: place the 21 thumb stitches onto a piece of waste yarn and remove the stitch marker.
Right Mitt Continue for Hand:
- Next round: k14, (p1, k1) 12 times, p1, k15
- Repeat this round 8 more times (9 rounds in total).
Right Mitt The Cuff:
Change to the Contrast Sock Yarn.
- Set Up Round: (k1, p1) 6 times, k1, p2tog, then (k1, p1) 11 times, k1, p2tog, (k1, p1) 7 times
- Continue in k1 p1 Rib for 11 more rounds (12 rounds in total including the set-up round).
- Cast off in rib.
- Knit the thumb as for the Left Fingerless Mitt. Then sew in the loose yarn ends. If you have any little gaps where the thumb meets the hand, they can be hidden when sewing in the yarn ends.
This is a lovely coordinating hat and fingerless mitt set and would work using any combination of sock yarn.
Nicolette,
I couldn’t wait till I totally finished my last project to see how my Opal Alpine Flower yarn would look as new socks. I was anxious to see if the colors would look anything like the photos in your post, for at first when I was dividing the ball they didn’t. I have worked just two inches in the cuff ribbing and it does look more like your photos in the post after all. I am very pleased to see the colors come alive with every row I knit. Viewed outdoors the yarn colors are certainly richer.
Thanks for posing two projects using Opal Alpine Flower yarn. I do like the color combinations.
Good knitting! Joyce in Utah
I purchased the Opal’s Alpine Flower 8903 last Fall but my colors in the skein are green, tan/brown and light purple/blue, and gray. The photos of your hat and mitts look blue and mauve, not like my yarn–suppose it’s just the internet? I really like what my Alpine Flower yarn looks like with tan and green, so will get started on a new pair of socks hopefully after I finish some other projects.
Thanks for the pics and the Sock Head Hat and mitts patterns too. Love your KnittingSquirrel site! Joyce
I think the difference in the colour is partly because it was actually sunny the day that Neil photographed me wearing the hat and fingerless mitts. First sunny day we had had in a long time, but gosh it was cold. He was wearing a coat, scarf, hat etc… We usually try to photograph the socks and projects on a dry dull day as the colours always seem truer. At this time of year, well in Ireland it rains a lot, so it is more a case of using every dry opportunity to photograph finished projects. So pleased that you enjoy reading my posts on The Knitting Squirrel. It really means a lot to me! Many thanks, Nicolette