Pattern description from Folk Style: “Always exploring ways to ‘alter’ her knitting, Leigh Radford stepped outside the confines of the knitted stitch with needle-felting details on her hand warmers. Leigh says, ‘Needle felting gives me the freedom to enhance my design and add color afterward. I can explore shape and color and have more flexibility in the final outcome.’ A bit of simple embroidery provides the finishing touch. The original motif was inspired by a piece of bark cloth from the Pacific Islands. The blending of knitting, needle felting, and embroidery in a design inspired by a warm-weather climate creates a cool contradiction.”

Finished Size: About 7.75” (19.5 cm) hand circumference and 10” (25.5 cm) overall length

Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle; size F/5 (3.75 mm) crochet hook; twelve 3/8” (1cm) buttons; sharp-point sewing needle and matching thread; 1/2 ox (14 g) of wool roving from Harrisville Designs in #7 tundra, #23 magenta, #22 plum, and #48 dove grey; 36-gauge felting needle (available at craft shops); needle felting mat; embroidery needle; DMC embroidery floss on #731 dark olive green, #645 very dark beaver grey, and #718 plum; kitchen sponge; about 1 cup (236 ml) hot, soapy (3-4 drops of Kiss My Face Olive Oil soap used here) water.

Notes from Folk Style:

• The cuff of each mitt is worked back and forth in rows to the beginning of the thumb shaping, then the piece is joined for working the hand in the round. The cuff slits are closed with a row of buttons.

• Both right and left mitts are knitted the same. The embellishment on the back of each hand and the placement of the button loops during finishing determines which is right and left.