Text: The Periwinkle Dragon Purple dragon eye with yarn ball and text: Original knitting patterns by Carolyn Lisle Text: The Periwinkle Dragon Purple dragon eye with yarn ball and text: Original knitting patterns by Carolyn Lisle
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PhytoFade Fingerless Mitts

The PhytoFade Fingerless Mitts are inspired by phytoplankton, which is a broad group of organisms that form the foundation of ocean food chains. Phytoplankton are at their most visible and beautiful in algal blooms, where a large quantity of photosynthesizing organisms multiply in a small part of the ocean, providing a burst of food for ocean animals as small as krill and as large as whales.

Side view of mismatched multicoloured fingerless mitts with slipped-stitch texture. Palm-up view of mismatched multicoloured fingerless mitts with slipped-stitch texture. Close-up of mismatched multicoloured fingerless mitts with slipped-stitch texture.

These mitts achieve a faded effect with three or more colours blended via a combination of stripes and a subtle slipped-stitch motif. Elongating the stitches to be slipped helps keep the mitts stretchy and comfortable while also bringing out the subtle colour details we all love in hand-dyed yarns. These mitts feature contrast cuffs, generous finger coverage, and an adjustable thumb gusset. The right and left mitts are worked identically. Corresponding written instructions are provided for the charts.

This pattern requires the knitter to be able to knit a small circumference in the round (the pattern is method-neutral to suit your preferred technique) and clearly explains all techniques for increases, decreases, and elongated stitches. Within the pattern you will find links to useful video tutorials as well, so the pattern is accessible to an intermediate or even an advanced-beginner knitter.

This pattern is designed to use up leftovers and is best suited to three or more fade colours. I recommend that you have at least 2 g of each fade colour available (4 g if you want your mitts to match) to help them to blend successfully. A short guide is provided in the pattern to help knitters plan their colour progression, if they wish to do so.

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