Pixie Mittens

Materials needed are a small amount of Double knit yarn, in as many colours as you like, I can't say exactly how much but I don't think that I used more than 50g for both mittens. A 5mm normal crochet hook and a darning needle.

This pattern is written in UK crochet terms. 

 

Tunisian Entrelac crochet is very simple when you get the hang of it and understand the basic principles of how it is made.

It is worked in rows of Entrelac Squares in a diamond formation, right to left. Always work with the right side facing you, do not turn your work.

These Entrelac squares are each made of 5 rows of Tunisian Simple Stitch (which consists of a Forward Pass and a Return pass) and 1 row of Slip Stitches across the top of the square. It is important to make sure that the overall tension is not too tight; the fabric this type of crochet makes is very dense and it needs to ‘breath’. This is very important for the row of slip stitches as we will be crocheting out of them in the next rows so they need to be loose!

Pattern

To begin, make a foundation chain of 55. When working the first row of each square out of the foundation chain, work through the top loops of the chain only to help prevent curling.

 

First Entrelac Row (5 squares across)

First Square

First Forward Pass – Insert hook in next chain, yarn over and bring your hook back through the chain (2 loops on hook). *Insert hook in next chain, yarn over and bring back through the chain* - repeat this 5 times until you have 7 loops on your hook. 

 Return pass – *yarn over and through 2 loops on hook* - repeat this 6 times until you have 1 loop left on your hook.

Forward Pass rows 2-5 – Insert hook in second vertical post (where the needle is showing in the picture), yarn over and back through the vertical post. 

Insert hook in next vertical post, yarn over and back through the vertical post. Repeat this 5 times in each vertical post along the row (6 loops on hook).

Insert hook through next chain of your foundation chain row, yarn over and bring back through the chain (7 loops on hook)

Return Pass – *yarn over and through 2 loops on hook* - repeat this 6 times until you have 1 loop left on your hook.

Row 6 – Loosely slip stitch across the top of the row by putting your hook under the next vertical post, yarn over and through 2 loops. Repeat this 5 times. Slip stitch in next chain of your foundation chain row (6 Slip stitches made). This last loop on your hook is the starting point of the next square.

Second to Fifth Square - Repeat as above. To help you remember, Forward Passes have 7 loops on your hook, Return Passes *yarn over and through 2 loops* 6 times.

At the end of the Fifth Square you should have one chain left, slip stitch into this chain and fasten off leaving a long tail length for sewing in later.

Second Entrelac Row

First Square

First Forward Pass – Join a new colour by drawing up a loop in the first slip stitch of the top right corner of the first square of the previous row.

Do not chain or knot the yarn to hold it in place as this will give a lumpy finish. Just start working with the yarn leaving a long enough tail to secure it later.

Insert hook in next slip stitch, yarn over and back through – repeat this 5 times (6 loops on hook).

Insert your hook in the first stitch of the next square – put your hook all the way through to the back of the work, yarn over, pull back through to the front (7 loops on hook)

Return Pass – *yarn over and through 2 loops* - repeat this 6 times until you have 1 loop left on your hook.

Third Row Second Row First Row

The next forward pass is made through the vertical posts of the previous row (as with the first row of squares).  Insert your hook through the vertical post, yarn over and back through 5 times (6 loops on hook) now put your hook through the next stitch of the next square from the first row of squares:

Return Pass – *yarn over and through 2 loops on hook* - repeat this 6 times until you have 1 loop left on your hook.

When 5 rows have been made, slip stitch across the top of the row (as with the first row of squares) making your sixth and final slip stitch into the top right corner of the next square of the previous row.

Carry on working squares across the row in the same way until 4 squares are made. For the Fifth square, bring the end of the row around so that you can crochet into the side of the very first square made. Fasten off.

Third – Sixth Entrelac Row

Each Row is made the same as the Second Entrelac Row, 5 squares around. Change colour for each row.

Seventh Entrelac Row

In this row we must leave a gap of one square for the thumb hole. Start the row as normal and make 4 Entrelac squares around. Fasten off.

Eighth Entrelac Row

In this row we need to ‘bridge the gap’ over the thumb hole. To do this, (with your next colour):

First Row – Chain 6, Draw up a loop in each Chain across (6 loops on your hook), draw up a seventh loop in the first row of the square immediately after the ‘Thumb gap’.

Return Pass – *yarn over and through 2 loops* - repeat this 6 times until you have 1 loop left on your hook.

Make 3 more entrelac squares around (as with the second - sixth entrelac rows).

For the fifth entrelac square, draw up the loops as normal, in each SlSt along, making a final loop in the next SlSt of the square (7 loops on hook).

IMPORTANT! RETURN PASS CHANGES

Return Pass – Yarn over and through one loop,*yarn over and through 2 loops on hook* - repeat this 6 times until you have 1 loop left on your hook.

Rows 2-5 Forward pass - Insert your hook through the vertical post, yarn over and back through, 6 times (7 loops on hook)

Rows 2-5 Return Pass - Yarn over and through 1 loop on hook *Yarn over and through 2 loops* 6 times until you have 1 loop left on your hook.

Row 6 – Slip stitch across the top of the square as with the previous squares; make the last slip stitch in the first stitch of the first square made in the row to join the round. You should now have a nice square gap for a thumb hole.

Ninth Entrelac Row -Make one last Row of Entrelac squares around (made in the same way as Row 2 and the previous squares).

Finishing

To finish off the top, bottom and thumb-hole, crochet a neat row of normal double crochet all around. At the point of each square do 2 Double crochets and in the dips do a double crochet decrease, (or DC 2 together).

Sew in all the ends neatly on the reverse of the mitten.

There you go! If you have any questions or spot any errors in the pattern please leave me a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible, happy hooking! XXX

© abijamtastic 2015. Please respect my copyright and do not resell, publish, or distribute this pattern.  However, you are free to use the final items you make from the pattern for charity, gifting, or selling in limited numbers. A link back to my webpage hookingcrazy.blogspot.co.uk is greatly appreciated :)