Fingerless mitt pattern created for the Nordic Knit Conference, Seattle, 2021.

I originally designed a pair of mitts especially for the 2021 Nordic Knitting Conference and named them Kiell after our dear friend and mentor Kjell Borge. After I made them, I just couldn’t help but think of Kiell’s dear wife Randi. Randi and Kjell immigrated to the United States in the 50s. He was a baker and she was a National Folk Artist in Norway. She designed tapestries, knitwear and rosemaling. In the late 1980s we were lucky enough to buy our first house on their street. They shared recipes, patterns, knitting tricks, Christmas traditions, freshly-baked bread, paintings, handmade mittens for our children, handmade furniture, rosmaling, baking skills, Norwegian traditions, baby sweaters, meals, friendship, and life with us. It dawned on me that they were the perfect couple to represent Norwegian immigrants at the National Nordic Museum. The mitts with hearts honor Randi, and the Selbu star mitts honor Kjell, because when I think of Kiell, I think of the cardigan he wore to church that was covered with Selburosen. These mitts can be made in two sizes for men or women. One of my favorite things I learned from Randi was the symbolism used in Nordic knitting. These mitts tell the story of immigration, courage, love, humility, longing and life. The pattern also includes a bread recipe we fondly call Viking Bread–inspired by the bread Kjell would bake and Randi would leave on our doorstep.

Randi & Kjell Mitts

Sizes
Women’s large/men’s medium: 4.5 (11.25 cm) x 7.25” (19 cm)
Women’s small/medium 4.25 (10.6 cm) x 7” (17.77 cm)

Yarn
Rauma Gammelseries | 2-ply Fingering| 100 % Norwegian Wool | 160 m (175 yd) per 50-g skein|
Main Color: 1 skein 400 White | approximately 82 meters/90 yards
Contrasting Color: 1 skein 410 black | approximately 77 meters/ 85 yards

Needles
double-pointed needles 2 mm and 2.5 mm for larger size mitts 2 mm and 2.25 mm for smaller mitts (or size double-pointed needles to obtain correct gauge)

Gauge and swatch
30 stitches/34 rows = 4 inches or 10 cm for men’s medium/ women’s large mitt
32 stitches/38 rows =4 inches or 10 cm for a women’s small mitt to medium mitt

Skills used in making these mitts
Gauge (which determines the size of the mitts)
Long-tail cast on
Knitting in the round with a small circumference (I.e. DPNs, Flexiflips or Magic loop)
Knit
Purl
Stranded colorwork
Catching floats
Gusset
Backward loop
Binding off
Two-color long-tail cast on
Picking up and knitting stitches
k2 tog
Duplicate stitch