Hayward Mitts knitting pattern

Designed for Issue Three of John Arbon Textiles’ in house magazine, The Annual, the Hayward Mitts are a pair of cosy colourwork fingerless gloves designed for outdoor work and countryside adventures. 

Inspired by the textures, motifs, and muted colours of rural smocks, the stranded colourwork in these knitted mitts is a contemporary take on traditional patterning.

You can choose to knit the Hayward Mitts using either a DK or sport-weight yarn. 

Construction

You will start by working the Hayward Mitts from the bottom up. The cuff is worked flat in the main colour, then stitches at each end of the row are overlapped and joined to work in the round. The main part of the mitt has a stranded colourwork motif, with thumb gusset increases worked in vertical stripes. Stitches for the thumb are put on hold while the rest of the hand is worked, and then picked up and finished in moss stitch.

The mitts are finished with a simple button for extra snugness around the wrists.

If you prefer a longer mitt, you can work more rounds in three places highlighted in the pattern. Remember that this will use more yarn.

Design inspiration

‘Hayward’ is the title of someone who was entrusted with keeping hedges and fences secure (warding the hay from the cattle). A hands-on job that would need a good, sturdy pair of mittens to keep hands warm!