Hidden Star

Hidden Star is a beaded design that's knitted upwards from the cuff using a fingering-weight yarn held double which creates a beautiful marled look. It features a beaded dart motif on the back of the hand which is worked in three different colours of beads - think of it as beaded colourwork! Pattern instructions include options for both full mittens and fingerless mitts.

Skill Level

Intermediate / Advanced

Sizes

1 (2, 3)

Recommended ease: Little to no ease.

Finished Measurements 

Hand Circumference: 7 (8, 9)“ / 17.5 (20, 22.5) cm. 

Length: 8.25 (10.25, 11.5)” / 21 (26, 29) cm.

Materials - Yarn

Exmoor Sock 4ply by John Arbon Textiles (60% Exmoor Blueface, 20% Corriedale, 10% Zwartbles, 10% nylon, 218 yds / 200 m – 50 g).

Col A: 1 skein each of Whortleberries (dark blue) and Plashes (dark turquoise). Hold these yarns double to create the Col A blue marl.

Col B: 1 skein each of Peggles (red) and Quick Beam (orange). Hold these yarns double to create the Col B red marl.

Col C: 1 skein of Oddmedod (acid green). Hold this yarn double for the accent Col C.

Or approx. the following amounts of fingering-weight yarn for the mittens: 70 (82, 89) yds / 64 (75, 81) m (in each shade to create Col A), 65 (76, 83) yds / 59 (69, 76) m (in each shade to create Col B) and 14 (24, 29) yds / 13 (22, 27) m (in each shade to create Col C) or any yarn you obtain gauge with. Alternative yarn suggestions are for example ​​​​John Arbon Textiles Knit by Numbers 4ply and Rosa Pomar Mondim.

Note! This particular technique of creating ‘beaded floats’ requires that you pull very firmly on the yarn to ensure the beads are snuggly settled onto the front of the mitts and avoid the floats sagging. For this reason it is advised to use a robust yarn with some elasticity, even a blend that has a nylon element. Avoid using any yarns that break easily or that contain high percentages of fibres with no stretch such as linen, cotton, bamboo and viscose.

Two different shades of fingering-weight yarns have been used in order to create a marl effect. However, the design can also be knitted with a single strand of DK. Make sure to obtain gauge.

Materials - Beads

All beads shown are from Debbie Abrahams Ltd

136 (176, 176) x Size 6 glass beads in Col 1 (shown in Rainbow).

84 (84, 84) x Size 6 glass beads in Col 2 (shown in Fruit Salad).

36 (36, 36) x Size 6 glass beads in Col 3 (shown in Clear).

Needles

US 2 / 2.75 mm and US 4 / 3.5 mm 32” / 80 cm circular needles.

Also Needed

Sewing needle and small amount of sewing thread (colour doesn’t matter) or alternatively a dental flosser (for threading on beads), stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn.

Tension

25 sts x 31 rnds to 4” / 10 cm on US 4 ​/ 3.5 mm needles with yarn held double in St St, after blocking.