Crochet a Simple Pair of Mittens

By Christina VanGinkel

With winter knocking on doors all over this time of year, kids are also in the throws of losing mittens, just like washers eating socks. With a simple pattern, yarn, and a crochet hook, you can whip up a pair or two of these in an evening and save yourself the headache of worrying about more lost mittens. If that happens, just make another one to match! The best part about these mittens is that they are easy to alter by changing the size of the yarn and hook, or by increasing or decreasing rounds, and adding or subtracting rows.

Basic Pair to fit a Toddler

Using four-ply yarn, one skein will make several pair that fit a toddler. You will also need a G hook, and a yarn needle. (Remember that after making your first pair, you will see how changing and altering this pattern just a bit here and there can drastically alter the size of this patterns final product. Try a bigger hook with two strands of yarn or a bulky yarn, or a smaller hook with baby yarn or one of the new decorative yarns)

With your size G hook, ch 2.
Round 1: Work eight sc in the second chain from hook. Do not turn
Round 2: Work two sc in each sc around (16 sc)
Round 3: Work (one sc, two sc) in next two sc. Repeat around (24 sc)
Round 4: Work (one sc, one sc, two sc) in next three sc. Repeat around (32 sc)

At this point, depending on the size mitten you want to make, you could increase the width more by slowly increasing the number of stitches as has been done for a few more rounds. Once the width has been increased to the size required, move onto the next round, which in this basic pattern is Round 5.

Round 5: Work one sc in each sc around. (32 sc)
Rounds 6 - 10: Repeat round 5 (32 sc)
Round 11: one sc in each of next five sc, chain 7, skip next seven sc, then work one sc in each remaining sc around (32 sc)
This is your thumb opening. When you are finished with the main mitten, go back and slip stitch into any stitch, one sc in each sc and each chain, around (14 sc) sc in each sc around for approximately seven rounds. To form the tip of the thumb, sc two sc together all the way around (7 sc), tie off yarn leaving a length of about five inches. With a yarn needle, weave the end in and around the end row and pull tight. Fasten and secure.
Rounds 12 - 17: Repeat round five, working one sc in each chain of round 11 (3 sc)
Round 18: (slipstitch first two sc together, sc in each of the next fourteen sc) repeat, (30 sc) slip stitch in next st, turn

The remaining part of the mitten will be worked in rows, forming the cuff of the mitten.
Chain 12,
Row 1: sc in second chain from hook, sc across each ch (11 sc) slip stitch in the next two stitches of the last round of the mitten base, turn, do not chain.

Row 2: sc in each sc (11 sc) chain one, turn
Row 3: sc in each sc (11 sc) slip stitch in the next two stitches of the last round of the mitten base, turn, do not chain.
Repeat rows two and three until mitten cuff is formed. End by cutting the yarn leaving a length of yarn to whip stitch the cuff closed. Whip stitch with yarn needle. Tie off and weave in end of yarn to finish. Repeat for second mitten.

This pattern is so versatile, that it can be altered for a perfect fit for whoever the mitten is going to be worn by. For example, measure the length of the hand from the base of the thumb to the wrist, and change the number of rows after the thumb opening to equal the exact length. The rounds before the thumb opening can be increased or decreased in the same manner to accommodate the length of a hand. The mitten can also be made larger or smaller depending on the yarn type, needle size, and increasing the width after round four, to accommodate any size hand.