Little Window Mitts

These mittens were inspired by the colourful glowing lights of midwinter’s night. Stained glass windows, cottage windows, fairy lights… any bright light that sparkles in a blanket of white. Although the backs are covered in little eyelets shaped like arched windows, they aren’t any colder for it thanks to the bright mitten liner that is sewn in. The mitten shell is knit in Koigu sock yarn and the liners are knit from sock yarn scraps.

The pattern hasn't been tech-edited, although I might spring for that down the road. In the meantime, I’ll put the pattern draft here. 
If you knit this free pattern and are happy with it, please consider making a food donation to your local food bank. Thank you 💛

ps. If you notice mistakes (and there are sure to be many!) please email me at knitbug at gmail dot com or message me through Ravelry and I'll fix it ASAP!

Little Window Mitts

Size: 
One size, fits average woman’s hand.
Sample dimensions are 8.5” x 4”. Size can be altered by adjusting gauge.

Gauge: 
32 stitches x 44 rows in 4” using size 1.5 (2.5mm) needles in stockinette stitch.

Materials: 
Yarn: I am so sorry, I didn’t weight my mitts until after they were assembled. So 96 grams (approximately 340 yards) of yarn was used in total, mitten shell and mitten liner together. IMPORTANT: The little windows naturally create shadows that can really obscure the colour that is trying to peek out from underneath. I recommend using a white yarn for the mitten shell and very bright and contrasty yarn for the lining. The lining colours will show up the most when the mittens are worn as that will press the two layers closer together. (📷 photo tip: to photograph them on a table instead of the hand but still have the lining colours show through, you can stuff the mitt with a bit of tissue. That's what I did.)
Needles: US 1 (2.25mm)  for the cuff and US 1½ (2.5mm) for the rest of the mitten and for the lining. I used double pointed needles, however magic-loop would work just as well.

Abbreviations:
CO: cast on
m: marker
pm: place marker
UNkFBF: unwrap the first of the 2 yarn overs so that only 1 loose yarn over remains on the left needle, knit into the front, then into the back and again into the front of it. https://youtu.be/XRDQ9g7OZ3Q
pubk2tog: pick up little bump from top of whole and knit together with next stitch https://youtu.be/lpDs9JTgUkE
yo2: yarn over twice
bo3: bind-off 3 stitches https://youtu.be/8rn57OwTN04
m1r: make one right
m1l: make one left
ssk: slip slip knit
k2tog: knit two together
sssk: slip slip slip knit
k3tog: knit three together

PATTERN:

Right hand mitten shell:
With smaller needles, CO 58 sts.
Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.
Place m to mark beginning of round and work in garter stitch for 34 rounds.
Change to larger needles work in st st for 3 rounds.
Round 1: k 33, pm, k2, m1r, k3, m1l, k20. —60 sts
Round 2: K4, [bo3, k5] x3, bo3 https://youtu.be/8rn57OwTN04, k2, m, k to end.
Round 3: k3, [yo2, k5] x3, yo2, k3, m, k to end.
Round 4: k3, [UNkFBF https://youtu.be/XRDQ9g7OZ3Q, k5] x3, UNkFBF, k3, m, k2, m1r, k5, m1l, k to end. —62 sts
Round 5: knit.
Round 6: knit.
Round 7: k4, [pubk2tog https://youtu.be/lpDs9JTgUkE, k7] x3, pubk2tog, k4, m, k2, m1r, k7, m1l, k to end. —64 sts
Round 8: knit.
Round 9: knit.
Round 10: K8, bo3, k5, bo3, k5, bo3, k6, m, k2, m1r, k9, m1l, k to end. —66 sts
Round 11: k7, [yo2, k5] x3, k2 m, k to end.
Round 12: k7, [UNkFBF, k5] x3, K2, m, k to end.
Round 13: k to m, k 2, k the next 11 sts with a piece of contrasting colour yarn, then slip those 11 sts back onto the left needle and knit them again with main colour, k to end.
Round 14: knit.
Round 15: k8, [pubk2tog, k7] k1, m, k to end.
Round 16&17: knit.
Round 18: K4, bo3, k5, bo3, k5, bo3, k5, bo3, k2, m, k to end.
Round 19: k3, [yo2, k5] x3, yo2, k3, m, k to end.
Round 20: k3, [UNkFBF, k5] x3, UNkFBF, k3, m, k to end.
Round 21&22: knit.
Round 23: k4, [pubk2tog, k7] x3, pubk2tog, K4, m, k to end.
Rounds 24&25: knit.
Round 26: K8, bo3, k5, bo3, k5, bo3, k6, m, k to end.
Round 27: k7, [yo2, k5] x3, k2 m, k to end.
Round 28: k7, [UNkFBF, k5] x3, K2, m, k to end.
Rounds 29&30: knit.
Round 31: k8, [pubk2tog, k7] k1, m, k to end.
Round 32&33: knit.
Repeat rows 18 to 33 twice.
Begin decrease rows:
Round 1: ssk, k10, bo3, k5, bo3, k to last 2 sts before m, k2tog, m, ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. —56 sts.
Round 2: ssk, k8, yo2, k5, yo2, k7, k2tog, m, ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Round 3: ssk, k7, [UNkFBF, k5] X2, k1, k2 tog, m, ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Rounds 4&5: ssk, k to last 2 sts before m, k2tog, ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Round 6: ssk, k5, pubk2tog, k7, pubk2tog, k4, k2tog, m, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Rounds 7&8: ssk, k to last 2 sts before m, k2tog, ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Rounds 9&10: sssk, k to 3 sts before m, k3tog, m, sssk, k to last 3 sts, k3tog.
Graft remaining 18 stitches using kitchener stitch.

Thumb:
Attach yarn and pick up the 11 sts above and 11 sts below the scrap yarn.
Inc. 4 sts on the first round by picking up 2 sts on each side of thumb. —26 sts.
Knit 26 rounds in st st.
Round 27: [ssk, k9, k2tog] x2.
Round 28: [ssk, k7, k2tog] x2.
Round 29: [ssk, k5, k2tog] x2.
Round 30: [ssk, k3, k2tog] x2.
Round 31: [ssk, k1, k2tog] x2.
Break yarn and draw through remaining 6 stitches.

Left hand mitten shell:
With smaller needles, CO 58 sts.
Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.
Place m to mark beginning of round and work in garter stitch for 34 rounds.
Change to larger needles work in st st for 3 rounds.
Round 1: k 33, pm, k to last 5 sts, m1r, k3, m1l, k2. —60 sts
Round 2: K4, [bo3, k5] x3, bo3, k2, m, k to end.
Round 3: k3, [yo2, k5] x3, yo2, k3, m, k to end.
Round 4: k3, [UNkFBF, k5] x3, UNkFBF, k3, m, k to last 7 sts, m1r, k5, m1l, k to end. —62 sts
Round 5: knit.
Round 6: knit.
Round 7: k4, [pubk2tog, k7] x3, pubk2tog, K4, m, k to last 9 sts, m1r, k7, m1l, k2. —64 sts
Round 8: knit.
Round 9: knit.
Round 10: k8, [bo3, k5] x3, k1, m, k to last 11 sts, m1r, k9, m1l, k2. —66 sts
Round 11: k7, [yo2, k5] x3, k2 m, k to end.
Round 12: k7, [UNkFBF, k5] x3, k2, m, k to end.
Round 13: k to m, k to last 13 sts, k the next 11 sts with a piece of contrasting colour yarn, then slip those 11 sts back onto the left needle and knit them again with main colour, k to end.
Knit rounds 14: knit.
Instructions for remainder of left mitten are the same as for right mitten.

Left Lining (will be turned inside out when completed):
*for a multicolour lining, alternate colours every 10 rounds.
Using larger needles, cast on 56 sts and join to work in the round and place marker to mark the beginning of round.
Knit 4 rounds.
Round 1: k32, pm, k2, m1r, k2, m1l, k to end. —58 sts
K 2 rounds.
Round 4: k to m, k2, m1r, k4, m1l, k to end. —60 sts
Knit 2 rounds.
Round 7: k to m, k2, m1r, k6, m1l, k to end. —62 sts
Knit 2 rounds,
Round 10: k to m, k2, m1r, k8, m1l, k to end. —64 sts (with 32 sts between markers)
Knit 2 rounds.
Round 13: k to m, k 2, k the next 10 sts with a piece of contrasting colour yarn, then slip those 10 sts back onto the left needle and knit them again with main colour, k to end.
Continue knitting in st st for 48 more rounds.
Decrease round: [Ssk, knit to 2 sts before m, k2tog] x 2. —60 sts.
Repeat decrease round 7 more times. —32 sts
Next 2 rows: [sssk, knit to 3 sts before m, k3tog] x 2. —16 sts.
Kitchener stitch remaining 16 sts.

Lining Thumb:
Attach yarn and pick up the 10 sts above and 10 sts below the scrap yarn.
Inc. 4 sts on the first round by picking up 2 sts on each side of thumb. 24 sts.
Knit 25 rounds in st st.
Round 26: [ssk, k8, k2 tog] x 2.
Round 27: [ssk, k6, k2 tog] x 2.
Round 28: [ssk, k4, k2 tog] x 2.
Round 29: [ssk, k2, k2 tog] x 2.
Round 30: [ssk, k2 tog] x 2.
Break yarn and draw through remaining 4 stitches.

Right lining:
Cast on 56 sts, join to work in the round and knit 4 rounds.
Round 1: k32 pm, k to last 4 sts, m1r, k2, m1l, k2.
K 2 rounds.
Round 4: k32, m, k to last 6 sts, m1r, k4, m1l, k2.
K 2 rounds.
Round 7: k32, m, k to last 8 sts, m1r, k6, m1l, k2.
K 2 rounds.
Round 10: k32, m, k to last 10 sts, m1r, k8, m1l, k2.
K 2 rounds.
Round 13: k32, m, k to last 12 sts, k the next 10 sts with a piece of contrasting colour yarn, then slip those 10 sts back onto the left needle and knit them again with main colour, k2.
Continue knitting in st st for 48 more rounds.
Continue as for left mitten lining.

Block all four pieces, paying particular attention to the mitten shells to open up the “little windows”.

To sew lining into mittens, turn lining inside out so that the wrong side of the lining is face you. Place into mitten shell and whipstitch in place, using the garter stitch lines to ensure sewing in a straight line.