And Then There Were Mitts is a cabled pattern inspired by the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. In the novel, ten people who had been involved in the death(s) of other human beings but either escaped notice or were not subject to legal repercussions, are tricked into coming to an island. Although they are the only people on the island, and cannot escape due to bad weather, each guest is killed in a manner seeming to parallel the deaths described in the nursery rhyme “Ten Little Indians”.

These mitts use the same main cable as appears in my And Then There Were None sock pattern. In the sock pattern, there are 10 strands of cabling, which get cut off (end), mirroring each of the deaths in the novel.

I designed these fingerless mitts with a “turtleneck” - an extra long ribbing section because my fingers always get cold in fingerless mitts. This way, if my fingers get chilled, I can roll up the ribbing while still leaving my fingers free to answer a phone, use my keys, or pick up change for a coffee. The ribbing uses a simple trick to get it to lay nice and flat, reducing unnecessary bulk.

Sizes: One size fits most. The ribbing on the palm provides plenty of stretch.

Materials:

• Approximately 400 yards (365m) of Blueberry Pie Studios sock yarn (1 skein= 400yd/365m per 3.5oz/115g), or similar. Sample knit in “Into the Forest” colorway. Note: Heavily cabled patterns such as this one tend to consume extra yarn and pull the fabric in more than the average stitch pattern. Consider this factor if substituting a different yarn.
• set of 5 US #1 (2.5 mm) double-point or circular needles, or size needles required to obtain gauge.
• Tapestry needle, cable needle (optional), stitch marker

Gauge: 30 sts x 48 rows = 4 inches in stocking stitch; blocked.

Updates: The pattern file has been updated. The most current version of the file is: And_Then_There_Were_Mitts_Dec2013c.pdf. Please ensure you are using the most up-to-date file.