These mittens are inspired by traditional black-and-white colorwork mittens made in the Selbu region of Norway. Typically, Selbu mittens are usually made with white as the main color and black as the contrasting color. A complex design fills the entire back of the hand and a smaller all-over pattern is worked on the palm. A thumb gore that makes extra room for the base of the thumb is also decorated with an intricate pattern that is carried up the visible part of the thumb.

I wanted the design to look less feminine or flowery and more graphic, so I switched the placement of black and white yarn in some sections to create a strong geometric background of diamonds. I also like the palm of mittens to be “rest rows” – like WS rows are in texture or lace knitting – so I used a very simple 2-stitch, 4-row repeat that can be knit without referring back to a chart.

Sizing notes: Because of the overall pattern on the back of the hand and thumb, these mittens are not easily resized. Traditionally the mittens were made in one size only. Because ModeWerk yarn comes in many different weights, I suggest changing yarn weight, needle size, and gauge to obtain the desired size without cutting off part of the hand pattern.

These mittens have a thumb gore that allows for a snug fit if desired. Choose the size that best matches the measurement around your hand just below the knuckles where your fingers join your hand. The length of these mittens is not adjustable without recharting the entire thumb and hand, so check your row gauge and select the size that is slightly longer than the measurement. If you are in between sizes, choose the larger option.