Since Bree and Lord John are hand and glove in Drums of Autumn (Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series) I knit this simple, but pretty, liner mitten for the felted Lord John Grey mitten pattern. I use these liners when the weather gets below 0F, especially if I’m going to be out plowing (on an open tractor). The combination beats a modern (and quite expensive) pair of ski mittens hollow.

The pattern makes a size medium.. to scale it up add 4 st. to the sides, 2 st to the thumb, and just knit longer.

The merino/angora blend is from the River Run Indigo Blue experiment in 18th century dying, and while the wool isn’t period (merino wool wouldn’t have been available in New England or N. Carolina during the period) the color is period. The wool is also terribly soft and not particularly durable, even when knit down on a 2.5, hence my use of it as a liner (soft and warm) or what I call “waving mittens.” You know, those mittens you pull on when you’re just going out for a walk and don’t expect to have to lug wood back into the house, grab a sheep to put them back where they belong, or grab a water bucket (in the cold mittens can stick to metal handles). Waving mittens.

Knit with a more durable sport weight wool which still blooms (like Icelandic) you’d have a pretty cold weather lace mitten.. fit for those poor areas to the south of us that are getting clobbered with snow!