The thought of Thanksgiving puts me right into the heat of my mother's kitchen. We chop and stir and baste for days, scrupulously following stuffing recipes 5 pages long, peeling endless sweet potatoes like we're in the galley of an aircraft carrier, praying that some relative will notice the difference between a parsnip and a turnip and the fact that we've pureed both.

Of course all the toil is an act of love, with just a little bit of strife along the way. I thought I'd ease the journey this year with the undeniable pleasure of a handknit oven mitt. I think every basting will be a joy...!

--Whitney

• 2 skeins of Farmhouse Yarns "Lumpy Bumpy". I used the color "Calico".
• A 16" US#10.5 circular needle
• A set of 4 US#10.5 double pointed needles
• 3 stitch markers
• 1 stitch holder
  
• A medium size crochet hook (like an H)
  

The magical colors of Farmhouse Yarns combine here to evoke the rich layers of geological history.

Carol, the doyenne of Farmhouse Yarns, really lets her creativity fly when it comes time to dye her yarns. No two skeins are ever alike, making for some exciting results. For this project, I striped the two skeins as I transitioned from the end of one to the beginning of the second. However you decide to approach the unpredictability of the yarn, I think you'll find your imagination exercised.

Gauge:

14 stitches and 21 rows = 4" (before felting) 

Final Measurements:

20.5" from cuff to tip and 12" circumference (after felting) 

To begin:

With the circular needle, cast on 61 stitches. Leave an 18" tail which you'll use later.

Place a stitch marker and join into the round (being careful to not twist your stitches).

Rnd 1: Purl

Rnd 2: Knit

Rnd 3: Purl

Knit every rnd until piece measures 8" from beginning.

To knit the gusset:

Next rnd: K30, place marker (pm), make 1 right (M1R), k1, make 1 left (M1L), pm, k30.

Here's how to make those increases:

To M1R, first locate the strand of yarn between the last stitch and the next stitch.

Lift that strand with the left needle from back to front. 

Knit into the front of the stitch (as you normally would, except that since you are twisting the stitch, it will be a little awkward to get your right needle tip into the stitch).

To M1L, lift the strand between the stitches from front to back.

And knit into the back of the stitch (again, a little awkward).

*K 3 rnds.

Next rnd: K to marker, slip marker, M1R, K to next marker, M1L, slip marker, K to end of rnd.*

Repeat last 4 rnds until there are 19 stitches between the markers. 

Knit to the first gusset marker and put the next 19 stitches on a stitch holder.

To knit the hand:

Cast on 2 stitches using the Cable Cast-on method. (62 stitches)

Here's how to do a Cable Cast-on:

Turn the mitt so that the working yarn is coming from the left and the purl side is facing you. Insert your right needle between the first and second stitch on the left needle.

Wrap the yarn around the right needle and pull the new stitch through the two stitches  (like normal knitting, except don't let any stitches come off of the left needle.) Take the new stitch that is on your right needle and put it onto the left needle. One stitch cast on!

(Do the same thing again so that you've cast on 2 stitches.)

Join back into the round, knitting from the 2nd cast-on stitch to the first stitch after the stitch holder.

Knit for 4.5".

Next rnd: K1, slip slip knit (SSK), K25, K 2 together (K2tog), K1, pm, k1, SSK, K25, K2tog, K1.

Next rnd: K1, SSK, K to 3s before next marker, K2tog, K1, slip marker, K1, SSK, K to 3 stitches before end-of-the-round marker, K2tog, K1.

Repeat last round until 8 stitches left, changing to double pointed needles when neccessary.

Cut an 8" tail, and thread through the stitches. Pull tight and weave the tail in.

To knit the thumb:

Slip the 19s from the holder to 3 double pointed needles.

Join yarn and knit the 19s.

Pick up 3s to bridge the thumb into a circle, and place a marker for the beginning of the round. (22 stitches)

Knit for 3.75".

Next rnd: K1, SSK, K5, K2tog, K1, pm, K1, SSK, K5, K2tog, K1.

Next rnd: K1, SSK, K to 3s before marker, K2tog, K1, slip marker, K1, SSK, K to 3s before end-of-the-round marker, K2tog, K1. 

Repeat last round until 10 stitches left. Cut tail and thread it through the stitches. Pull it tight and weave it in.

Finally:

Using the original tail from the cast on, crochet a single chain about 6" long. Dip the crochet hook back into the cast on edge right next to where the chain began. Pull a stitch through.

There are now two stitches on the crochet hook. Pull one through the other, and bring the tail through the remaining stitch. A loop so you'll be able to hang your mitt...

Your oven mitt should look pretty wacky by now. Big, floppy, and quite ungainly. Something like this.

 
To felt the mitt:

Put the mitt inside a pillowcase and then into a top-loading washing machine. Throw in a pair of jeans and some delicate wash detergent (like Soak, which magically doesn't need to be rinsed). Set the temperature to hot and start the wash cycle. You want maximum agitation, so keep the machine in the wash cycle; don't let it move on to rinse. 

My mitt took about a half an hour to felt, but everyone's machine is different, so check your mitt frequently.

When your mitt is the same size as the finished measurements given at the beginning of the pattern, take it out and sqeeze out the excess water. Let it dry (and dry and dry...). 

Then think about making a turkey!