The Frankie Mittens were born from conversations with knitters who wanted to try working with double-pointed needles but weren’t quite ready to tackle sock heels. These mittens provide the perfect opportunity to practise the technique in a fun and rewarding way.

For me – and for many experienced knitters – Frankie Mittens are a favourite because they make quick yet thoughtful gifts and are great for relaxing evening knitting. Over the years, I’ve seen them knitted up in all kinds of sock yarns, and it’s always exciting to see how the different stripes and colours turn out. I could easily knit a pair in every sock yarn available!

One of the most magical things about these mittens is the 2×2 rib – it fits everyone’s hands! That’s exactly why I designed them this way. I once had a gentleman visit my Skipton Studio who mentioned that he had larger-than-average hands. He tried on a sample pair, and they fit him perfectly! He was so inspired that he picked up the pattern and yarn to knit his very first pair of fingerless mittens.

The Frankie Mittens use just 35g (140m) of a 100g ball, meaning you can get three pairs from one ball of yarn – though the last pair may be a little shorter. They’re also a great way to use up leftover sock yarn.

And for those who want to take the next step from mittens into sock knitting – turning the heel isn’t as tricky as it seems! I run Sock Workshops for anyone needing a bit of guidance, and I’ve also designed some easy-to-knit sock patterns: one in DK yarn and another in 4-ply yarn. I love helping people discover the joy of socks!

CONSTRUCTION
Knitted on double pointed needles in the round in one piece from the cuff down.

TECHNIQUES USED
Cast on, knit, purl, double pointed needles, in the round, cast off. Optional but recommended to create the feeling of joy when joining your stitches: mattress stitch.

YARN
One 100g ball of WYS Signature 4 Ply.
75% Wool (contains 35% British BlueFaced Leicester) 25% Nylon, 400m/437yds per 100g
The mittens used 35g/140m of the 100g ball.

SUGGESTED KNITTING NEEDLES
Four double pointed 2.5mm needles.

GAUGE (tension)
32 stitches and 40 rows to 10cm square over rib pattern when slightly stretched. I obtained this gauge with 2.5mm needles.
It is important to obtain gauge so do swatch and change your needle size to achieve the correct gauge if you need to.

SIZE AND FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
to fit adult hand due to the nature of the rib pattern & individual gauges the finished circumference can vary from 12cm to 22cm. If the knitter gets the gauge as above the finished circumference will be approx. 17cm.

NEED HELP?
I am here for you! Pop into the Skipton studio, send an email, or check out the Purl &Jane YouTube channel for tips, inspiration and guidance including handy resources like gauge (tension) guides and how to tutorials.