This pattern is an 21st Century update/translation for the 19th Century “Graham Muffatees” and “Very Pretty Cuffs.”

A muffatee is a wrist cuff that may or may not have a hole for the thumb. Today we sometimes call them wristers or fingerless mitts. A muffatee provides a bit of extra warmth at the wrist. This modern edition of the pattern has been translated and brought up to date for the contemporary knitter. Finished objects produced using this pattern may be worn by re-enactors looking to wear authentic items that would have been knit in the middle of the 19th Century. The Graham Muffatee has been documented for use from the 1840s through the 1860s.

In the spirit of Miss Frances S Lambert’s sentiments, in her Handbook of Needlework (published in 1846), who said “So many books of instruction, on the art of knitting, have of late appeared, that it would be presumptuous in us to hope - and far from our wish or intention - to supersede their use, or to attempt to rival their ingenuity: we would rather humbly endeavor to assist those, who either have not patience or tact to follow the rules given (in some cases, perhaps, with a little too much technicality), and offer a few directions of the simplest kind, as a prelude to a better acquaintance with this useful art.”

Special thanks to Deborah Hyland for her suggestions and tech editing!