12 Days of Christmas Mitten Garland KAL

I had so much fun hosting last year’s Mitten Garland Advent Calendar KAL, I couldn’t resist coming up with a new mini mitten knit along for this Christmas. This year will will be making twelve mittens that represent the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
12dayskal2
My inspiration for these mittens is papercuts and wood block printing. All of the mittens have a graphic, silhouette look and will have the same design at the cuff. Each mitten uses two colors for the main image and a third color for berries at the cuff.  I am using Knit Picks Palette in Finnley Heather, Black and Pimento. You can do all your mittens the same colors or make each one different. I would suggested you choose colors with good contrast, so the designs show up well. I would also suggest not using a yarn with too much quick color changes (like hand painted yarns) as that will take away from the crispness of the designs. Here is a peak at mitten number 1.
IMG_5292
You will also want to think about peek through when choosing your colors since these designs will require catching longer floats. I tried knitting it in cream and black and white and black and was not happy with how the black showed through even at my gauge. Changing to a light grey really made a difference.

My mittens are about 2.5″ wide (without the thumb) and 4.5″ long. You do not need to knit the mittens at my gauge or size, but I think they are just right for using as a Christmas tree decoration, on packages or, of course, as a garland.

This year you will have two weeks between mittens. That should give everyone time to keep up. If you are a quicker knitter you’ll have time to work on other projects or make multiple sets as gifts. Or if you want to turn this garland into an advent calendar, use the off weeks to knit another twelve mittens. The Mitten Garland Advent Calendar has twenty-four more designs you could use, just change the Latvian braid at the cuff to garter stitch to match these.

PRIZES!

(**This giveaway ended on 6/12/16.)
The lovely folks at Knit Picks liked the Advent Calendar KAL so much, they decided to offer us prizes packages for this year’s KAL**. Our first prize package is a set of tools perfect for knitting these mini mittens.
Tools Prize Package
This prize package contains, a chart keeper, 5″ Caspian wood double pointed needle set, sock knitting needle holders, and a project bag. You can enter to win just by joining this knit along before we release the first pattern on Monday, June 13th, 2016. Make a project page on Ravelry for the KAL and leave us a link to it in the comments of this post. If you don’t use Ravelry, just leave us a comment letting us know you are joining in. We will chose a winner randomly on June 13th. Because of shipping, only people in the US, Canada, UK and Australia are eligible to enter.

We will have another prize package in December for those who finish the KAL. Details on that one will come later.

DETAILS

Dates: The first pattern will be released Monday, June 13th. A new mitten pattern will follow every other Monday through November 14th. Pattern links will be posted on Ravelry, but the patterns will be downloadable from this site. If you get one mitten done every two weeks, you’ll have a whole set done for the holidays.

Ravelry: We have a Ravelry group which was really active for last year’s KAL so please join in. There is also a pattern page set up for the KAL, feel free to use the image I created for your project page.

Yarn: I am using fingering weight yarn. Each mitten takes about 3g/14yds of the dark yarn, 6g/28yds of the lighter yarn and a scrap amount of a third color for the berries. Twelve mittens should take about 36g/168yds of dark yarn, 72g/336yds of light yarn and 9g/41yds of a third color.

Needles: I am using four size 1 double pointed needles to get gauge. I really like using shorter sock knitting needles on these, especially for the thumbs. You may also want needles a size smaller for the garter stitch at the top depending how you knit.

Gauge: My gauge is 10 stitches and 12 rows per inch on size 1 needles. My finished mittens are about 2.5″ wide (without the thumb) and 4.5″ long.

Skills : knitting and purling in the round (either on double-points or with two circulars or magic loop), working stranded color work, reading color charts, doing m1l and m1r, picking up stitches, basic decreases (ssk and k2tog) and kitchener stitch. This is a great project for practicing knitting in the round and color work

** Knit Picks has been nice enough to provide my yarn for this knit along and two prize packages for giveaways. They have not reimbursed me in any other way or any input into the content of my posts.

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© 2005 – 2016 Kathy Lewinski & Susan Cornish
8 years ago by in 12 Days of Christmas KAL , Christmas , Holiday , Knitting , Knitting Projects , Knitting Socials , Needlecraft , Projects , Socials | You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
366 Comments to 12 Days of Christmas Mitten Garland KAL
    • Melanie
    • I want to participate! Ravelry isn’t letting me create a project page right now. I think it’s mad at me for neglecting it. When I hit continue it blanks out the fields. I’ll figure it out later…

    • Linda
    • This looks like fun. I’d love to try.

      Can’t get Rav working right now but I’ll try and make a page as soon as I can. Thanks for this opportunity! And fun looking kal

      • Kat
      • Dpns are a breeze! You still just knit on two needles at a time, the other needles are just holding other stitches. And stranded color work just means you are stranding the color you aren’t using behind the one you are.

    • Tammie Hall
    • I have made garlands for all my kids, and have always wanted my own! This one is that special one that I have been waiting for! Thank you so much!!!

    • Kathleen
    • This will be fun 🙂 I’ll be starting this KAL, knitting in the park every Tues in July & Auguast, with Orillia Sunshine Knitters.

    • Terry
    • Hi Kat,
      Per your kind instructions, I created a project page on Ravelry and set it up to be shared with your Ravelry group there. I hope that will suffice. I’m looking forward to June; hope we don’t exhaust you with all the IT details before then. We want you to have fun along with your fan club. :»)

    • Lisa
    • I’m in for this, love the whole idea! Set up my project on Ravelry, user name Heterex. But can’t get the paste function on my nook. Sorry!

        • Lisa
        • Thank you! I make 1 sock a year or my son-in-law for xmas as a gag thing. I old hi they would have sock garland in a few years. So this project is right in line with that. The sample looks amazing! And I should be able to get these done inbetween other knit projects. Can’t wait to start!

      • Kat
      • I don’t really have a good way to email everyone when each new pattern comes out. They will be here on the site, but I will also put links in the forum on Ravelry and the pattern page on Ravelry. If you have joined the group and check your forum link from time to time, you will see when there are new topics in the forum.

        You are more than welcome to use any yarn you want to make these. Palette just happens to be my yarn of choice for color work.

    • Jeanne Derouin
    • Kat, so happy to be a part of this KAL! Thank you for sharing. Not to sure how to provide link to Ravelry project page. Find me on Ravelry: Woodcart
      What more do I have to do to join group and be eligible to participate and have a chance at the prizes?

    • Ann
    • Hi, I am very excited about this KAL. I made a project page but, I am unable to do the link up. My name on Ravello is Akann (if this helps)

    • Sarah Doty
    • I am so exited!! I really enjoyed it last year. I still have a few more of those to do. I can do them on the 2nd week. Thanks for this design.
      SarahinHouston

    • Kathy
    • I have been waiting for this project — I have the yarn you suggest — my project is here: htttp:ravelry.com/projects/kdbr/12-days-of-christmas-mitten-garland-KAL

    • Gail D
    • I loved your advent garland last year. The mitten for the 20th was a miniature version of a 9 foot wooden star my dad built years ago. I am just as excited about your 12 days mittens. Unfortunately, I don’t do Ravelry pages. Maybe this is momentum to start. I do want get in on Knitpicks giveaway.

    • Monique
    • thank you for the beautiful pattern and for making it available early, it will make it easier to make one for me and a few sets for gifts! Thank you also to knitpicks for the fantastic prizes! Bonus!

    • Diane Mountford
    • I’m officially in … will be destashing a whole variety of madelinetosh tosh merino light colorways. My official Ravelry page:
      http://www.ravelry.com/projects/DianeMountford/12-days-of-christmas-mitten-garland-kal
      The title of my project is a reminder to all (pause while I pull on my smarty pants) that the first day of Christmas is Dec. 25 … the 12th day is Jan. 5. It’s not like advent, where the end point is Christmas Day, in spite of how modern advertisers seem to be using the 12 Days. I have been celebrating Twelfth Night for most of my adult life, and I’m full of a annoying number of factoids about the practices surrounding the holiday. I will try very hard not to bore you all while we knit!

    • Patricia
    • I’m looking forward to this. I think I can do one mitten every couple of weeks and I love the idea of having a fun garland for Christmas decorating. Will make a project page when I can.

    • Christine O
    • This looks like a great little knit along. Digging through the stash this weekend to prepare.

    • Laura Walters
    • What a lovely project and beautiful design. I have just discovered this and last year’s as well and have bought enough yarn to do both. So excited. And I love Palette.

    • Manisha
    • I just wanted to stop by and congratulate you on all this interest in your garland mittens! So exciting to see this post explode with comments!

    • Winnie
    • I’m very excited to start this, but can not believe I’m even thinking about Christmas before Summer has even started! 🙂

    • Carol
    • I’m all set up in Ravelry, but how I link that here is not in my skill set. I don’t see any long Internet address on my project page that looks like those I see here. Oh well….Looking forward to working on these.

      • Kat
      • It’s just the bar at the top of the page that starts with www. but don’t worry about posting it here, a lot of people haven’t.

    • Christy
    • Oh, this might be what I need to get my knitting mojo back. I’ve been neglecting Ravelry (I’m criosa there) as well as my knitting, but I’ll have to log in now to set up a page and join the group! I love the sneak peek of the first mitten!

    • Sue
    • I’m really excited about this idea
      , I usually sew something for family and friends to hang on their tree at Christmas and thought this would make an ideal gift this year, -and a nice change from sewing. I make for 5 homes, so am thinking hard about colours and how to present them. I’m on Ravelry as Suejp but can’t figure a link. (I am technically challenged!) thank you for the patterns and to Knit Picks for the chance to win lovely goodies.

    • Judy P
    • I just noticed this contest today. I don’t have a link to Ravelry yet but am very excited for the KAL. I know several people who would be thrilled if I made them a mitten garland for Christmas. I have a TON of scrap yarn but as usual, it is not appropriate for this project so will be buying more. I LOVE new yarn.

    • Carolmb
    • I am very much looking forward to joining in. I love hand crafted Christmas decorations. I might not be able to start right away as the British supplier of the recommended yarn is out of stock of the suggested colours – I wonder why. I hope to be able to order it soon and my Ravelry project page is ready and waiting.

    • Elaine barrette
    • Hi. I’ve been trying to contact the coordinator about joining the kal 12 dats of Xmas and have been unsuccessful.
      I would like the patterns so I can start.
      ravelry name is sablee

      Thank you.

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