This digital download contains instructions for knitting a matching pair of stranded colourwork fingerless mitts. Please note: the instructions for the colourwork are charted and not written out longhand; you will need to be able to read knitting charts in order to knit this design.

About Wild Mountain Time

These mitts draw their colour inspiration both from the wild flowers that bloom along the West Highland Way and from the distinctive and luminous shades of yarn that Lilith Green dyes in her studio. Walking the West Highland Way with my partner in 2009, we were struck by the brilliance of flowers in the moments after rain, especially when the light is between weathers. Yellow gorse, pink heather, purple thyme, grellow butterwort and the rich greenery covering the mountains are all reflected in this pattern, in their brightest hues, as if spotted just after a shower.

The motif is taken from closely observing the structure of the individual flowers that make up the blooms of wild thyme. There is a wonderful folk song of the same name, Wild Mountain Thyme, and, looking at these luminous mitts, I can’t help thinking that they are the knitted equivalent of a punk rock cover of a folk classic. I changed the spelling of Thyme to Time in reference to the adventures I have had in the mountains along the West Highland Way.

This pattern was originally published as part of the collection, coming home, ten years of Old Maiden Aunt Yarns, published by Lilith Green in 2017.

Credits

• Photos: Mark Stanley

Yarn

Sample knit in Old Maiden Aunt Shetland Fingering in the following shades and quantities:

• Yarn A 38g/152yds
• Yarn B 13g/52yds
• Yarn C 11g/44yds
• Yarn B 11g/44yds

Sample used colourways “ghillie dhu”, “grellow”, “twu wuv”, and “ultraviolet”.

(which you can buy here)

Needles & Notions

• Gauge-size needle(s) of your preferred type for working small circumference projects in the round. 
• 1 stitch marker.
• Smooth waste yarn, similar in weight to working yarn, to hold gusset stitches.
• Tapestry needle.

Gauge

34 stitches and 38.5 rows = 10 cm/4" over colourwork on gauge-size needle(s). Gauge was achieved on 2.5mm / US 1½ needle(s). 

Sizing

These mitts are one size with a hand circumference above the thumb of 19cm/7.5” and a length of 27cm/10.5”, and are designed to be worn with no ease.

Pattern Notes

These stranded colourwork mitts are worked in the round with no shaping; they have generous ribbed cufffs at forearm & around fingers and a gusseted thumb. The cuffs and thumb are worked identically in both mitts, but separate charts & instructions are given for left & right mitts so you can knit a mirror image pair.