Dracula's Lair (Halloween Mystery Mittens 2019)

DESCRIPTION

Dracula’s Lair are a pair of stranded colorwork mittens inspired by the classic 1931 black-and-white horror movie Dracula starring Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula himself.

Pick two colors of fingering-weight yarn with a good amount of contrast between them. Black and white is a classic combination for a reason but you can also use color.

Each mitten has its own motif; right and left mittens are worked from separate colorwork charts. The pattern comes in three sizes: 66, 70, or 74 sts. Helpful tips for managing long floats in colorwork are offered within the pattern.

This pair of colorwork mittens was originally released as a mystery knit-along in nine clues in October 2019.

Share your project on Instagram with the hashtags #⁠halloweenmysterymittens and #⁠talviknits.

SIZES

• S [M, L]
• 66 70, 74 sts

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

• Palm circumference: approx. 20.5 [22, 23] cm / 8 [8½, 9]”
• Length from top to wrist: approx. 24 [24.5, 25] cm / 9½ [9¾, 10]”

MATERIALS

Yarn

Tukuwool Fingering (100% wool, 195 m/50 g), 2 colors

• Main color (MC): #H23 Selja, 1 skein
• Contrasting color (CC): #H27 Tyyni, 1 skein

Or (light) fingering-weight yarn, 2 colors

• MC: approx. 150 [180, 195] m / 165 [195, 215] yd
• CC: approx. 130 [155, 170] m / 140 [170, 185] yd

Choose two colors with a good amount of contrast between them. The motifs make more sense with a light MC and dark CC but the colors may be swapped if you wish. Solid or semi-solid yarns are ideal for both colors.

Needles

• 2.25 mm / US #1 DPNs or circular needle(s) for working small circumferences in the round (or size needed to obtain gauge)

Notions

• Darning needle
• Small amounts of fingering-weight scraps in various colors (optional)
• Yarn guide or Norwegian knitting thimble (optional)
• Waste yarn for thumb stitches

GAUGE

32 sts × 38 rows = 10 cm / 4” in stranded stockinette, blocked

TECHNIQUES USED

The pattern uses the following techniques: working small circumferences in the round, ability to read and work stranded colorwork from chart, corrugated ribbing, and grafting using Kitchener stitch or The Finchley Graft.

The pattern requires the ability for some method of managing floats in colorwork; check the links below for a few alternatives.

REFERENCES

• Alternating two-color long-tail cast-on
• Color dominance in colorwork
• Corrugated ribbing
• Kitchener stitch
• The Finchley Graft

MANAGING FLOATS IN COLORWORK

• Three methods for catching floats
• Catching floats by knitting underneath the floating yarn
• Catching floats on the next round
• Ladderback Jacquard a.k.a. invisible stranding

Yarn for this pattern was generously provided by TitiTyy and Tukuwool.