Vintage Shanghai Mittens by Athena Liu

Vintage Shanghai Mittens

Knitting
March 2024
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
34 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches
in colourwork stockinette
US 1 - 2.25 mm
US 0 - 2.0 mm
US 1½ - 2.5 mm
219 - 273 yards (200 - 250 m)
S, M, L by adjusting gauge
English
Free Pattern also available for free: info in notes
This pattern is available for C$3.00 CAD
A free version is also available.
buy it now or visit pattern website

This pattern is available for FREE on my Ko-Fi shop and the price on Ravelry is only suggested donation. This pattern is not tested or tech-edited because I am designing for myself as a hobby and simply want to share. I polish the pattern the best as I can, but the written instructions can be simplistic and there may be mistakes. Please feel free to get a free copy before deciding whether you would like to donate. I would really appreciate your donation for my effort. It will encourage me to put out more designs like this!

DESCRIPTION

The Vintage Shanghai Mittens are a pair of Selbu-style triangle mittens with stitch patterns adapted from a vintage stitch dictionary published in Shanghai, China in 1982. They are knitted with 3 colours of fingering weight wool yarn on a fine gauge, and the gauge can be adjusted to fit small to large adult hands. Triangle mittens have excellent insulation, and the colourwork makes the fabric more durable. The mittens are a perfect balance of practicality and beauty!

SIZES
Adult’s size S, M and L by adjusting gauge. The finished mitten measurements are:

  • S: 10 cm/4” wide, 21 cm/8.25” long;
  • M: 11 cm/4.25” wide, 23 cm/9” long;
  • L: 11.5 cm/4.5” wide, 25 cm/9.75” long.

Only size L is tested; size S and M are estimates.

SUGGESTED NEEDLES
Circular needles with a 80 cm/32” or longer cord using the magic loop method:

  • 2 mm/US 0 for mitten size S,
  • 2.25 mm/US 1 for mitten size M,
  • 2.5 mm/US 1.5 for mitten size L.

GAUGE
In colourwork stockinette stitch:

  • S: 36 sts * 39 rows
  • M: 34 sts * 36 rows
  • L: 32 sts * 33 rows

YARN
Fingering weight wool yarn in colours:

  • Blue: 25 g
  • White: 25 g
  • Brown: 5 g

Recommended yarn: Hold Garn Supersoft, Jamison’s Shetland Spindrift, Sandnes Garn Tynn Peer Gynt.

OVERVIEW OF PROJECT

Start from the cuff of the mitten and work bottom up. First, work a double folded picot edge, then a Latvian braid, then a small section of colourwork for the cuff, then another Latvian braid, and then the major colourwork section; rest some stitches for the thumb, continue working until reaching the top with some decreases to form the triangular tip. To make the thumb, use the rested thumbhole stitches and pick up some new stitches around them to work the thumb in a similar fashion like the mitten. The left and right mittens are the same except for the location of the thumb.

PODCAST
See me chat about these mittens in my knitting podcast! youtu.be/EYGIWQlPEeA