Mainers know how to keep hands warm during the winter! Mittens are the primary stranded colorwork knitting tradition in this region bordering the North Atlantic.  Many of the delightful small pattern motifs mimic those found across the ocean, like Fair Isle and Sanquar patterns of Scotland and all-over patterns of Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Learn about trigger mittens and shrinking mitts in salt water to fit! Mary Jane will provide a mitten pattern to follow. Or, with Mary Jane's help, experiment and come up with your own pattern arrangements.

Technique Requirements: knit/purl, cast on/bind off, increase/decrease, working in the round, chart reading, easy colorwork

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Yarn: Two solid colors of worsted- or aran-weight wool yarn, one dark and one light colored, 50g each. For authentic, truly warm Maine mittens, rugged woolen-spun wool like Bartlettyarn of Maine, Harrisville Highland yarn of New Hampshire, or Briggs and Little yarn from New Brunswick, Canada, is preferred, but any smooth solid-colored worsted weight will do.

Needles: US 7 [4.5mm] dpns or your preferred needles for working a small circumference piece in the round. It’s Mary Jane's opinion that for mittens double-pointed needles work best, because you can isolate the thumb more easily than with Magic Loop.