When I was a teenager, my mother knit a fabulous pair of gloves-crossed-with-mittens from a 1940s-era pattern book. The pattern was called “cigarette mittens” or maybe “smoking mittens.” My mother’s finished creation was extremely glamorous, of soft dark pink mohair with silver beads and fluffy white angora cuffs. The model in the pattern photograph looked like a movie star, with arched eyebrows, dark lipstick, and perfectly coiffed hair. She was posed in a dramatic style with one hand out to the side, a cigarette gracefully between her fingers and smoke drifting lazily upward. The mittens were not mittens, because they had a separate index finger knitted in. But they weren’t gloves either -- the third, fourth, and fifth fingers were knitted together, like a mitten.

I later saw similar patterns in World War II knitting-for-the-armed-forces instructions, only this time they were called “shooting mittens,” and looked warm and utilitarian with simple ribbing at the cuffs and no decoration. They were intended for enlisted men to wear on the rifle range and on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, I don’t have access to either of these patterns now. So, the Soft Mit-Gloves below are my own version of this practical, but stylish garment. I learned to knit from my mother, and she encouraged me to draft my own patterns pretty much from the start. My second instructor in pattern drafting (after my mother) was Mary Thomas’s Knitting Book, which is a great book that every knitter should read! Ms. Thomas’ instructions for knitting gloves provided the basis for my pattern, though with different pattern details and adapted to my own hand size. If you want to knit mit-gloves in a different size than the pattern below, I recommend consulting Mary Thomas for guidance.

You’ll see that the measurements for the finished mit-gloves are slightly smaller than the measurements of the hands intended to wear them. Sloppy, loose mit-gloves are cumbersome and sometimes even ridiculous-looking, so I have designed this pattern to fit somewhat snugly. The cuff, in particular, is quite snug, to keep out nasty cold breezes. (Also, my experience has shown that most handmade mittens and gloves, even when densely knit, do tend to stretch out a bit as they age.) Make sure, however, not to knit your mit-gloves too tightly! Tight mit-gloves will constrict the wearer’s circulation and her poor hands will feel pinched and cold.

I hope you enjoy the pattern. Please be aware, though, that I wrote and edited it on my own, and it is the first time I have shared a pattern in this way. It has not been test-knit!