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Knit a Pair of Medieval Mittens!
A sixteenth-century child’s mitten now in the collection of the Museum of London inspired Susan Strawn’s contemporary mitten design in two sizes.
A sixteenth-century child’s mitten now in the collection of the Museum of London inspired Susan Strawn’s contemporary mitten design in two sizes. <a href="https://pieceworkmagazine.com/mittens-to-knit-inspired-by-a-late-medieval-mitten/">Continue reading.</a>
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Knit up a lovely pair of mittens inspired by a set from the sixteenth century. Photos by Joe Coca
Get ready for winter with an adorable mitten pattern from Susan Strawn. Based on a mitten from the sixteenth century, the pattern uses a finger-to-cuff technique. PieceWork subscribers can log in and instantly download the pattern below.
A pair of wooly handknitted mittens with decorative bands of contrasting wool, rows of purled stitches at the cuffs, and knit-two-together shaping once protected the hands of a small child from the harsh chill of North Atlantic winters. The fate of one of the mittens is unknown; the other lay buried for four centuries until discovered during twentieth-century excavations in the City of London. Today, the Medieval Gallery of the Museum of London exhibits the solitary mitten as a rare survivor of late medieval handknitted textiles.
Replicating the pattern, I have chosen knitting techniques known from the sixteenth century, such as the early German fingertip (or Emily Ocker) cast-on and the haphazard placement of knit-two-together decreases. The fragment of remaining cuff edge suggests the use of a standard bind-off.
Susan Strawn’s child-size knitted mittens.
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Get ready for winter with an adorable mitten pattern from Susan Strawn. Based on a mitten from the sixteenth century, the pattern uses a finger-to-cuff technique. PieceWork subscribers can log in and instantly download the pattern below.
A pair of wooly handknitted mittens with decorative bands of contrasting wool, rows of purled stitches at the cuffs, and knit-two-together shaping once protected the hands of a small child from the harsh chill of North Atlantic winters. The fate of one of the mittens is unknown; the other lay buried for four centuries until discovered during twentieth-century excavations in the City of London. Today, the Medieval Gallery of the Museum of London exhibits the solitary mitten as a rare survivor of late medieval handknitted textiles.
Replicating the pattern, I have chosen knitting techniques known from the sixteenth century, such as the early German fingertip (or Emily Ocker) cast-on and the haphazard placement of knit-two-together decreases. The fragment of remaining cuff edge suggests the use of a standard bind-off.
Susan Strawn’s child-size knitted mittens.
[PAYWALL]
Materials
- Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, 55% merino/33% microfiber/12% cashmere yarn, sportweight, 137 yards (125 m)/50 g ball, 1 ball of #26 Seafoam (MC) for mitten body (child) or 1 ball of #502 Pea Green (MC) for mitten body (adult); small amount of #11 Chocolate (CC) for decorative band
- Needles, two sets of 5 double pointed, size 2 (2.75 mm)
- Tapestry needle
- Finished size: 5 inches (12.7 cm) hand circumference and 5¼ inches (13.3 cm) long
- Gauge: 13 sts and 19 rnds = 2 inches (5.1 cm)
Susan Strawn’s adult-size knitted mittens.
“Mittens to Knit Inspired by a Late-Medieval Mitten” PDF Download
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Interested in learning more about the original mitten? The companion article can be found in the January/February 2010 issue of PieceWork.
Also, remember that if you are an active subscriber to PieceWork magazine, you have unlimited access to previous issues, including January/February 2010. See our help center for the step-by-step process on how to access them.
Published October 25, 2018; updated June 19, 2019; updated October 2, 2025.
Susan Strawn, an associate professor at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, teaches classes about textiles, including the history of costume and cultural perspectives of dress. She is the author of Knitting America: A Glorious Heritage from Warm Socks to High Art (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press, 2007).
