I have knit two versions of these mitts inspired by the pattern, 18th Century Women’s Knitted Mitts, by Mara Riley (2006 - http://www.marariley.net/) I knit them in two different weights of wool and adapted the pattern to fit my arms. The grey pair, in Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted Charcoal used two skeins although there was a fair bit left over from both. Mara Riley’s pattern calls for two skeins of Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport wool which is what the second pair is knit in Burnt Sienna. The Charcoal pair was knit in a few days (one of those emergency projects which only allowed for a quick choice from whatever was available from the stash) on 3.25mm/US 3 needles with 7 stitches to the inch. They are 15 ¾” inches long and 5” (10” around) wide at the top, tapering down to 3” (6” around) at the wrist and 3” (6” around) across the fingers. The Burnt Sienna pair has the same measurements but was knit on 2.75mm/US 2 needles with 7 ½ stitches to the inch. In both cases, I had to cut down Mara Riley’s original number of stitches to two different sets. The seam stitch runs along the inside of the arm, extending along the hand and thumb, and is reinstated along the side between the forefinger and the thumb. The mitts look tight but since they are knit in wool there is a lot of give and they are completely comfortable to wear and very warm. Now I am inspired to make linen ones like the ones on the lady holding the upright rake in this lovely painting with its haymakers fancifully garbed: Haymakers (1785) George Stubbs, British (1724-1806) Oil on wood Tate Collection Tate Britain, London, England Purchased with assistance from the Friends of the Tate Gallery, the Art Fund, the Pilgrim Trust and subscribers 1977 Click on this link to see the complete painting: http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=13991&tabview=image

I've been dying to make some mitts for a while. They seem like such a practical thing to have--wool or leather for the winter and linen for...

Patterns used: – The mitt pattern located on this page. Fabrics used: – Outer fabric, gray (blue and peach shot) taffeta. Most likely not silk. – Lining, white cotton. Other ma…

A pair of woman's mittens, elbow-length, made of cotton part-lined with resist- and mordant-dyed Indian cotton, Britain, 1775-1800

They're finished! I'm quite happy with the result, and I can't wait to see them on Taylor. Hopefully she will have some pictures from the Saratoga reenactment with her wearing them. For now, I have included photos of me wearing them with one of my regency dresses (sadly, I don't have a proper 18th century outfit to really show these off, but mitts similar to these were also worn during the early 19th century). ETA: And now I have pics of them on Taylor! Here. And of course, here is the pattern. Enjoy! Taylor: A Pair of 18th Century Mitts Notes: These were made for Taylor to wear to an American Revolutionary War reenactment. As such, I tried to make them historically accurate, but there are several modern modifications. (I am hoping to revise this pattern to be more accurate in the future.) First, so that I could finish these within a month, I chose to work the mitts at a corser gauge than was common during the 1700s. I chose 7 stitches to the inch, but period examples can have nearly twice as many stitches to the inch. Second, I worked a knitted hem involving a provisional cast on. I did this to give the mitts a strong edge and mimic the hem seen on these mitts at the MFA, but I'm not sure exactly how the lower edge is finished on the MFA example. My method of working a provisional cast on involves using a crochet hook, and crocheting did not become common in the West until the 19th century. You can work a knit hem without crocheting, but it would be way more annoying. Third, I sort of made up the construction of the top point. I wasn't sure how to sew on the facing. I looked at a couple period examples for clues, but I sort of improvised my solution. Finished Size: These were made for Taylor's measurements (9" arm circumfrence right below the elbow, 6.25" wrist circumfrence, 9" length from wrist to elbow). Materials: 2 balls of Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport (184 yards per ball, 100% wool) in color 720 Ash (I used only about 1.5 balls, actually) 1 set of four US 2 DPNs 1 set of four US 3 DPNs 1 set of four US 0 DPNs Small crochet hook Small bit of waste yarn Darning needle Gauge: 7 stitches, 10 rows to the inch in stocking stitch. Left Mitt: Using the waste yarn, a crochet hook, and the size 2 DPNs, work a provisional cast on of 70 stitches. There is a good picture tutorial on provisional cast ons here. Distribute the stitches equally on three DPNs. Join the stitches in a round, being careful not to twist them. Work in st stitch for 1 inch. Purl one round. Switch to size 3 DPNs. Knit for another inch. Turn your knitting inside out, so that the purl side is facing you. Carefully pull out the provisional cast on and transfer these stitches to the size 0 DPNs. Fold your work in half on the purl row, so that the purl sides are facing each other. Knit the two sets of live stitches together. You can see pictures of this process here. Place two markers, so that you have the stitches of the round divided into two equal halves of 35 stitches each. Work one round in st stitch. On the next round, you will work the decrease round. Decrease round: knit until three stitches before the first marker, ssk, K1, slip marker, K1, K2tog, work until the next marker, ssk, K1, slip marker, K1, K2tog, finish the round. Work for another inch in st stitch, then work the decrease round. Continue in this manner (working in st stitch for one inch, work the decrease round, repeat) until the mitt is about 8 inches long, and you have worked the decrease round 8 times. You should have 38 stitches left. Begin thumb gusset: knit until three stitches before the first marker. M1, k1, M1, knit the rest of the round. Knit one round. On the next round, knit until you reach the first M1 of the thumb gusset, then M1, K3, M1, knit the rest of the round. Knit one round. Continue increasing in this manner (increasing for the gusset every other round such that when you get to the beginning of the gusset on an increase round, you M1, knit the previous increase stitches, M1, continue) until you have worked the increase round 11 times. Knit for 5 more rounds. Divide for thumb: Knit until you have worked three stitches into the gusset, transfer the next 17 stitches onto a piece of waste yarn, knit the rest of the round. You will be knitting over the gap created by skipping the stitches on the waste yarn, creating a hole for the thumb. Knit for five more rounds. Bind off for the point: On the next round, bind off loosely all the stitches between the two markers on the thumb/palm side of the mitt (this is the side that has more stitches between the markers). You should have 19 live stitches left. You will now be knitting back and forth in stocking stitch on these stitches. Knit one row, picking up a stitch from your cast off edge at the end of the row, giving 20 stitches. Purl the next row. Decrease for the point: On the next row, ssk, knit to the last two stitches, K2tog. Purl the next row. Continue in this fashion, decreasing two stitches on every knit row, and purling the purl row, until you have 4 stitches left. Bind off. Break yarn, leaving a 5 inch tail to weave in. Finish the thumb: Transfer the thumb stitches from the waste yarn to three size 3 DPNs. Knit one round, picking up two stitches from the body of the mitt where the thumb meets the body. This gives you 19 stitches. Work 4 rounds. On the next round, knit 8 stitches, K2tog, and knit the rest of the round. Knit one more round. Bind off loosely. Break yarn, leaving a 5 inch tail to weave in. Knitting the facing: Cast on 20 stitches onto one of your size 3 DPNs. Do not join in the round. You will be knitting back and forth. Knit one row, then purl one row. On the next row, ssk, knit to the last two stitches, K2tog. Purl the next row. Continue in this fashion, decreasing two stitches on every knit row, and purling the purl row, until you have 4 stitches left. Bind off. Break yarn, leaving a 5 inch tail to weave in. Finishing: Whip stitch the bottom edge of the facing to the bottom of the tip on the mitt. Then sew the other two edges of the facing using a mattress stitch. Weave in ends. Right Mitt: Work as for the left mitt, but begin the increases for the thumb gusset 3 stitches AFTER the SECOND marker, instead of 3 stitches before the first marker. Please let me know if you have any questions!

I've been dying to make some mitts for a while. They seem like such a practical thing to have--wool or leather for the winter and linen for the summer. I love the simplicity of the mitts of that era yet they make such an ideal canvas to show off one's embroidery prowess. Here are some examples of extant mitts: Yellow Silk Red Silk Linen Leather Fancy Embroidered Linen Fancy Embroidered Leather I started out looking at the pattern and examples in Costume Close Up. The pattern is a 1/2 inch scale so I copied it at 200% and pieced it together. I wasn't sure about doing it that way so I ended up getting the Larkin & Smith pattern which is basically the exact same style. I'm glad I did! The pattern has a bound booklet with instructions, photographs of all the construction steps along with photos of the extant pair of mitts the pattern is modeled after. It also contains in depth stitch guides. The instructions are very well written. I traced the medium sized mitt piece to make a muslin. I didn't bother making the thumb pieces for the muslin. All three sizes of mitts use the same thumb piece. I then just machine stitched a 1/4 inch seam to check the fit. I ended up shortening the pattern 1 inch. Also, these mitts are cut on the bias which gives them a little bit of stretch. I decided that I would make summer mitts from a piece of handkerchief linen leftover from a cap. I also decided to do the embroidery but to omit the wrist slit. The first thing I had to do was practice my embroidery stitches as it had been over 20 years since I last did this sort of thing. Fortunately there's a local shop called the Stitching Post that specializes in cross stitch and they had several brands of stranded silk floss. I settled on Soie d'alger 6 strand floss which they carry in over 100 colors. Since I like itty bitty needles, I bought some size 10 beading needles which are very thin with a larger eye to make threading easier. Using 1 strand of floss I practiced my herringbone and edge herringbone stitches. I cut out the mitts and pressed the hem all the way around the edges. The directions say to press under 1/4 inch then turn under the hem allowance to make a 1/8 inch hem. I had trouble doing that with the fabric being cut on the bias so I just pressed under the 1/4 inch and left the edge raw. I used matching (white) silk sewing thread and stitched a running stitch all the way around to secure the hem. I made my running stitch about 1/8 inch from the folded edge. Making the running stitches an even distance from the fold helps in making you herringbone stitches even. Then, using one strand of floss, I stitched the three lines on the glove front and did the edge herringbone stitches around the edges as indicated in the pattern instructions. Because the gloves are cut on the bias, some stretching occurred during the stitching. I steamed them to flatten them back out before proceeding. Finished stitching Inside of glove edge stitching I decided that I would do the double 1/8 inch hem on the thumb pieces as I thought they would get more wear. I pressed that hem under and then pressed under 1/4 inch on the curved edge that gets stitched to the glove body. I thought that pressing those first would make it easier. I then stitched a 1/4 inch side seam in the thumb piece. The instructions said to whip stitch the allowance but I did a felled seam that ended up being about 1/8 inch wide. I used running stitch to secure the thumb hem and the seam allowance on the curved piece. The thumb hole was the trickiest part. I slightly snipped into the seam allowance and finger pressed it under about 1/4 inch, being careful to maintain the heart shape. The thumb pieces butt to the glove piece. They do not over lap. I just whipped them together using tiny whipped stitches. The pattern is so well made that I did not have to pin. The pieces fit together perfectly. Thumbs stitched on Then the thumb seam is covered with herringbone stitches, being careful to cover the white running stitches. Finished thumbs According to the pattern, the point linings are stitched on using the edge herringbone stitch after pressing the hem allowance under. I decided not to do it quite that way as I didn't want to mess up the other side which also had herringbone. I did the edge herringbone stitches on the point lining piece, then laid it on the glove piece, wrong sides together. I used white silk thread and tiny whip stitches to stitch them together on the very edge. I secured the straight edge of the point lining to the glove with whip stitches --not the running stitches as indicated in the pattern. All that is left to do is the ladder stitch which connects the side seam. I used 4 strands of floss for this and I spaced the stitches about 3/8 inch apart, based on the spacing of the edge stitches. I think next time I will make these stitches closer together. Close up of stitching on back of hand Close up of palm Finished mitts I'm so glad I decided to undertake this project. These will be perfect sun protection from the hot July 4 sun at Mt. Vernon!

How to draft, fit and assemble 18th century mitts

Black velvet faced and trimmed with pink pressed velvet. Lined with white linen on which are printed little springs of black flowers. The top of the mitt is faced with green silk. This is the mate to 95.1132.

I've been dying to make some mitts for a while. They seem like such a practical thing to have--wool or leather for the winter and linen for the summer. I love the simplicity of the mitts of that era yet they make such an ideal canvas to show off one's embroidery prowess. Here are some examples of extant mitts: Yellow Silk Red Silk Linen Leather Fancy Embroidered Linen Fancy Embroidered Leather I started out looking at the pattern and examples in Costume Close Up. The pattern is a 1/2 inch scale so I copied it at 200% and pieced it together. I wasn't sure about doing it that way so I ended up getting the Larkin & Smith pattern which is basically the exact same style. I'm glad I did! The pattern has a bound booklet with instructions, photographs of all the construction steps along with photos of the extant pair of mitts the pattern is modeled after. It also contains in depth stitch guides. The instructions are very well written. I traced the medium sized mitt piece to make a muslin. I didn't bother making the thumb pieces for the muslin. All three sizes of mitts use the same thumb piece. I then just machine stitched a 1/4 inch seam to check the fit. I ended up shortening the pattern 1 inch. Also, these mitts are cut on the bias which gives them a little bit of stretch. I decided that I would make summer mitts from a piece of handkerchief linen leftover from a cap. I also decided to do the embroidery but to omit the wrist slit. The first thing I had to do was practice my embroidery stitches as it had been over 20 years since I last did this sort of thing. Fortunately there's a local shop called the Stitching Post that specializes in cross stitch and they had several brands of stranded silk floss. I settled on Soie d'alger 6 strand floss which they carry in over 100 colors. Since I like itty bitty needles, I bought some size 10 beading needles which are very thin with a larger eye to make threading easier. Using 1 strand of floss I practiced my herringbone and edge herringbone stitches. I cut out the mitts and pressed the hem all the way around the edges. The directions say to press under 1/4 inch then turn under the hem allowance to make a 1/8 inch hem. I had trouble doing that with the fabric being cut on the bias so I just pressed under the 1/4 inch and left the edge raw. I used matching (white) silk sewing thread and stitched a running stitch all the way around to secure the hem. I made my running stitch about 1/8 inch from the folded edge. Making the running stitches an even distance from the fold helps in making you herringbone stitches even. Then, using one strand of floss, I stitched the three lines on the glove front and did the edge herringbone stitches around the edges as indicated in the pattern instructions. Because the gloves are cut on the bias, some stretching occurred during the stitching. I steamed them to flatten them back out before proceeding. Finished stitching Inside of glove edge stitching I decided that I would do the double 1/8 inch hem on the thumb pieces as I thought they would get more wear. I pressed that hem under and then pressed under 1/4 inch on the curved edge that gets stitched to the glove body. I thought that pressing those first would make it easier. I then stitched a 1/4 inch side seam in the thumb piece. The instructions said to whip stitch the allowance but I did a felled seam that ended up being about 1/8 inch wide. I used running stitch to secure the thumb hem and the seam allowance on the curved piece. The thumb hole was the trickiest part. I slightly snipped into the seam allowance and finger pressed it under about 1/4 inch, being careful to maintain the heart shape. The thumb pieces butt to the glove piece. They do not over lap. I just whipped them together using tiny whipped stitches. The pattern is so well made that I did not have to pin. The pieces fit together perfectly. Thumbs stitched on Then the thumb seam is covered with herringbone stitches, being careful to cover the white running stitches. Finished thumbs According to the pattern, the point linings are stitched on using the edge herringbone stitch after pressing the hem allowance under. I decided not to do it quite that way as I didn't want to mess up the other side which also had herringbone. I did the edge herringbone stitches on the point lining piece, then laid it on the glove piece, wrong sides together. I used white silk thread and tiny whip stitches to stitch them together on the very edge. I secured the straight edge of the point lining to the glove with whip stitches --not the running stitches as indicated in the pattern. All that is left to do is the ladder stitch which connects the side seam. I used 4 strands of floss for this and I spaced the stitches about 3/8 inch apart, based on the spacing of the edge stitches. I think next time I will make these stitches closer together. Close up of stitching on back of hand Close up of palm Finished mitts I'm so glad I decided to undertake this project. These will be perfect sun protection from the hot July 4 sun at Mt. Vernon!

How to draft, fit and assemble 18th century mitts

Openwork knitting in coral colored silk with flap of plain knitting over hand. Lined with brocade (silver, gold, green and coral). Three lines of gold embroidery on back of hand.

I thought it’d be fun to take some photos of my 18th century clothing in the snow. It was a very cold winter day and everything was covered in snow. Later it even started to snow! 😀 Related: 18th Century Chintz Stays With Stomacher For the winter photoshoot of my 18th century clothing I wear: … Continue reading 18th Century Winter Clothing →

I finished these mitts about a week ago, in the middle of the sub zero stretch of days that marked the start of the year. Since then we have had a few days over 50 and now we are back into the low digits with a lot of snow. While these mitts are meant for living history, I found them so warm and cozy that I've been wearing them in modern life too! These are straight from the American Duchess book and worked up quickly. I found the illustrations and instructions so easy to follow. I was a little worried about drafting the pattern since I usually drape, but following the steps produced a pretty good fitting pattern right off. I made them up in a single layer of worsted wool. They are cut on the bias to allow for stretch and are faced with scrap fabric. While the AD instructions call for silk I liked the look of linen better so that is what I used. My fabric was a little prone to raveling. Not too much, but enough to make me want to finish the seams. I finished the thumb seam with a little whip stitch and the long seam along the arm I felled down. I found that the triangular facing wasn't large enough for my liking so I made a bigger facing that goes around the whole hand opening. And done! This picture shows my stays with the reshaped neckline. I think it gives a much better 18th century silhouette now! The back lacing gap is narrowing every time I try these on so I'm thinking I'll eventually have to make them a smidge narrower in the back. I REALLY don't want to do that, but know it will bother me until I do. I think I'll just take off the center back and make new lacing holes. That seems easiest and doesn't mess too badly with the side seam placement. Plus it keeps the tabs intact, which is a high priority! haha. I so hate tabs! I'm back in the 1860's now, knitting on a few projects and redoing a few others. But I'll be back to the 18th century before too long. I think I need one more petticoat and then I'll be ready for the gown. So the hunt is on a for a few yards of linen! Preferably colored appropriately so I can use it as a visible petticoat for an open robe or shortgown or jacket. I may end up ordering from online but am looking around at the local second hand shops first to see if I can find any tablecloths or curtain panels that may do. I want to keep this outfit as inexpensive as possible! Stay warm! Love, Sarah

Design Your Own Hand Stitched Historical 18th Century Wool and Silk Mitts. These made-to-measure fingerless long mittens were intended to keep ladies arms warm in chilly weather when the style of sleeve ended at the elbow. They are made of one of thirteen different colors of high quality, soft, worsted wool and are not lined. The turn-back point is faced with colored silk taffeta of your choice, which matches the hand-embroidered motif on the back of the hand. They are fingerless, a feature which allowed for needlecrafts like knitting and hand sewing to be practiced even in cold weather. They also have a fitted thumb. These mitts are completely hand sewn, and are beautifully finished. When ordering, please specify the Primary Color (wool body) and the Secondary Color (silk facing + embroidery). The default embroidery motif is the triple line with leaves, as shown in the pictures. If you would like a different motif, please message me or attach a note to your order. I’m happy to oblige! The colors available at this time in wool are: Black Scarlet Navy Cream Gold Hunter Green Dark Teal Olive Light Blue Plum Burgundy Chocolate Dusty Rose And in silk: Black White Gold Ruby Sapphire Emerald Wine Copper Dark Teal Navy Mint Light Blue Medium Blue Lavender Pink Royal Purple Pewter Apple Green Bright Grape Olive Figured Apricot Figured Gray Blue Figured Dark Blue Ivory Ribbed Peacock (changeable blue/green) Pink/Gold (changeable) Blue/Red (changeable) The mitts shown above are approximately 13" long from point to cuff, and are 10" wide at the bottom cuff. This is on the smallish side, and if you would prefer a roomier cut, please message me. Since these are made to order, I can absolutely adjust the sizing to suit you! These stylish mitts are currently my favorite item in this shop! They are very elegant, and would match just about anything in your winter wardrobe; historical or modern!

Black silk velvet embroidered with gilt-silver yarns and wires in vining motif on flap and cuff. Gilt-silver galloon at edges and button-holes, gilt-silver buttons. Pink silk lining. Condition: pile worn.

Next up from my weekend in Williamsburg: mitts!! I've always wanted a very pretty pair of mitts, but I could only find wool/linen mitts that were cut too big or too small. This way, I got to make a fancy set of mitts fit to me. Here's an example of 18th century mitts (the painting is called the Lady with the Veil). I love the raspberry changeable silk with the blue lining. Isn't that a fantastic color combination?! It wouldn't work with any of my dresses, so I decided to go with something else. There's something very coquettish, though, about having the tip of the mitt flipped back to reveal the lining.Here was the inspiration for my project - a pair of silk mitts from Colonial Williamsburg's collection. It helped that there was a reproduction of these available to look at during the workshop. I made a simpler version of this pair: I ditched the inner arm cut-out, green accents instead of blue, no leather lining, and less embroidery because I just don't have the patience.Here I am getting the muslin for my mitt pattern fitted. There definitely seemed to be an art in getting things to fit properly. Sarah, from the Mantua Maker shop, was a pro and tugging, tucking, and otherwise getting the uncooperative fabric to conform to my hand. Here's a shot of the finished product (ignore the non-period fingernails). The fabric is a duchess silk satin. I saw it and immediately fell in love (I was actually holding another bolt of fabric for my mitts when I spotted this fabric underneath a pile on the fabric table). Little did a know that there's a story behind the fabric: the satin was a remnant from Vera Wang! Yes folks, I made a pair of mitts out of the fabric Vera Wang uses in her $5,000-and-up wedding dresses. Pretty neat, huh? Here's a shot with the tips flipped back to show off the sea-green silk taffeta lining. I decided to finish the edge of my mitts the same in the same manner as my inspiration gloves: a herringbone embroidery stitch up the side in silk embroidery thread. This is what it looks like when I'm wearing it. The camera didn't do a great job of capturing the stitches, but you get the gist.

How to draft, fit and assemble 18th century mitts