Beaded Mitts

This pattern adapts two late Victorian Weldon's knitting patterns, Knitted & Beaded Cuffs, and Ladies Mitt.

Materials:
Original was made from cotton/ramie yarn recycled from a thrift store sweater, but two balls of any fingering or lace weight yarn that you can easily thread size 8/0 beads onto will work. Remember that a wool yarn will be much stretchier than a cotton or silk yarn.
Approximately 2000 silver-tone size 8/0 beads. Number of beads may vary with the number of rows needed for the cuff to slip over your wrist. Beads are cheap, so buy extra and use what's left on another project!
Size 0 US double-pointed needles, size1 US single-pointed needles.
Stitch markers.
Tapestry needle.
Scrap yarn or stitch holder.

Cuff:
With the size 1 needles cast on 30 stitches.
Row 1--Knit one row.
Row 2--Knit 1, slip 3 stitches, pass 4 beads down the yarn until they are close to the work, knit 1, knit 3 stitches, passing a bead up to each, knit 5, knit 5 bead stitches, knit 5, knit 3 bead stitches, slip 3, pass 4 beads, knit 1.
Row 3--Knit one row. The stitches that are slipped in the previous row must be very loosely knitted or the cuff will too tight.
Row 4--Knit 1, slip 3 stitches, pass 4 beads, knit 1, knit 3 bead stitches, knit 4, slip 1, pass 4 beads, knit 1, slip 2, pass 5 beads, knit 1, slip 1, pass 4 beads, knit 5, knit 3 bead stitches, slip 3, pass 4 beads, knit 1.
Repeat last four rows until cuff is long enough to slip easily over hand. Cast off and sew ends together. Make two.

Mitt:
Using the double-pointed needles evenly pick up 65 stitches along one edge of the cuff. If there are too many stitches or too few you can use the next two or three rows to adjust the number of stitches. They can also be knitted without the given stitch pattern.
1st round--Knit 1, purl 2, knit 1, purl 1, and repeat.
2nd round--The same.
3rd round--Plain.
4th round--Plain.
5th round--Knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 2, and repeat.
6th round--The same.
7th round--Plain.
8th round--Plain.
These 8 rounds constitute the pattern.
9th round--Begin to increase for the thumb by picking up and knitting a stitch after the first stitch, and picking up and knitting a stitch before the fifth stitch, working all else in pattern as before, placing stitch markers. It helps to center the cuff seam on the bottom of the hand so that the thumb will be on the right or the left and reverse for other hand.
Continue the pattern and increase again in the 13th round after the first stitch and before the seventh stitch. Go on increasing in every fourth round, each time knitting 2 more stitches in pattern between the increasings, till there are 20 stitches increased for the thumb. Now work without any more increasing till there are 11 patterns all done from the wrist. Place hand stitches on holder or scrap yarn.
For the Thumb--Knit in pattern the first 20 stitches, cast on 5 stitches, and join round on three needles. Work 3 patterns--i.e., 24 rounds; do 8 rounds of ribbing, 2 stitches plain and 2 stitches purl; and cast off.
Pick up the Hand stitches and divide them evenly on three needles, picking up 5 over those cast on for the thumb. Knit 5 patterns; then 12 rounds of ribbing; and cast off. The mitten for the right hand is worked in the same manner, only the thumb is knitted at the end of the third needle instead of the beginning of the first needle.

Darn in yarn ends and block if needed.

Pattern (c)Severina/A Murphy 2008