Lazy Wind Blocker Mittens

Have you heard the expression “a lazy wind”? It refers to when it feels like the wind goes right through you instead of blowing around you (hence it being lazy!). I designed these mittens for just such a day. They are knit at a tighter tension than the one given on the yarn label to result in a denser, more wind resistant fabric to combat cold winter winds. The simple colorwork motifs contain no long floats making these an ideal first stranded colorwork mittens project.

Lazy Wind Blocker patterns are available for hat, mittens, and cowl. The complete collection can be purchased exclusively from my website at a discounted price (compared to buying all 3 patterns individually at full price).

Method: Featuring easy to memorise snowflake and “wind” patterns, these stranded colorwork mittens are knit in the round from the cuff down. They have a thumb gusset created by lifted increases and can be worked in three or more contrasting colors.

The colorwork motifs in this pattern are both charted and written out. You do not need to be comfortable working from charts in order to enjoy knitting this design!

Size: This pattern is written in 5 sizes, XS, S, M, L, and XL. The pattern contains 5 pdfs; each pdf contains the complete instructions for one size.  All instructions that differ depending on the size you are knitting are color coded and indicated with parentheses like this: XS (S, M, L, XL).

Please note stranded colorwork does not have the same stretch to it that plain stocking stitch does. For the best fit please choose the size closest to your hand circumference.

Size Mitten Circumference Hand Length

XS 6½” 16.5 cm 5¼” 13.5 cm

S 7” 18 cm 6” 15 cm

M 7⅝”19.5 cm 6½” 16.5 cm

L 8” 20.5 cm 7½” 19 cm

XL 8⅝” 22 cm 8⅛” 20.5 cm

Yarn: This pattern works well with three solid colors of DK yarn. I used Cygnet Pure Wool Superwash DK which states a tension of 19 stitches and 26 rows for a 10 cm (4 inches) square using 3.25-4mm needles on the label. If substituting yarn look for one with a similar gauge/tension given on the label to achieve the same fabric density.

I have chosen to use a 100% wool yarn because the resulting fabric "breathes" better than an acrylic yarn would - this helps your head not overheat as you warm up when you're out and about. Please note I do not recommend using yarns with a high cotton content as cotton doesn’t stretch as much as other fibers and this will affect the fit of your hat.

The amounts of each color required will depend on how many colors you pick, where you choose to use them in the mittens, and which size you are knitting. As a guide for the mittens pictured (size S in three colors) I used the following quantities of Cygnet Pure Wool Superwash DK:

MC – 592 Claret approx. 100 metres (110 yards)

CC1 – 4323 Duck Egg approx. 25 metres (27 yards)

CC2 – 208 White approx. 35 metres (38 yards)

Gauge: 6.5 stitches and 7 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) over colorwork pattern.

Needles: 3.75mm dpns, long circular for magic loop, or short circular (in which case you will still need dpns to work the thumbs and the mitten top decreases) or size needed for gauge.

3.25mm dpns (optional short circular/ long circular for magic loop for knitting cuff).

Other Materials Required: 3 Stitch Markers

Waste yarn/ dental floss as preferred

Tape Measure

Scissors

Darning needle for sewing in ends