Knitted Ursula Mittens

Knitted fair isle mittens
Ursula mittens

Every Christmas I choose a project to knit or crochet. It's the one time of year you can sit on your bum for hours on end, gobbling up chocolates and working on something wooly without feeling guilty. Well, that is until afterwards when you realise just how little you've moved and how much you've actually eaten. This year I made Ursula mittens, I adore them! The pattern is lovely, the wool feels fantastic and whenever I wear them I'll think of our family Christmas in the Cornish countryside.

The Ursula Mittens pattern was from my Colours of Shetland book. I knitted with Jamieson & Smith 2ply jumper weight Shetland wool and after indecisively looking through all the shade options, I decided I really liked the colours Kate Davies had chosen.

Colourful balls of wool

The wool is gorgeous. If you look closely you can see that instead of being even and flat, each colour has a range of dark and light tones.

Afterthought thumb

When I've knitted gloves in the past I've used the gusset method. The Afterthought method is very simple. You knit a few stitches with waste yarn, transfer them back to the left needle and carry on with the pattern until you're ready to knit the thumb. Mary Jane Mucklestones All thumbs post contains some great photos that guide you through the process. I found it really helpful so check it out if this is your first time working the method.

Thumb stitches on needles

After picking up the stitches and removing the waste yarn this is what the thumb looked like.

Thumb stitching forming a tube

The finished mittens

Now they've been blocked and photographed they're ready to wear! The fit is great, nice and snug but with enough room to move my fingers.

Fair Isle mittens on table
Clasped hands in mittens
Closeup of pattern detail
Cuff details on Ursula mittens

I found a fingerless version of these mittens and I think I have enough coloured wool left over to make some - although I might need to buy one more ball of cream to be on the safe side. Having made the Ursula Mittens I'm now adding the Ursula Cardigan to my knitting queue swoon.

Project notes

  • Pattern: Ursula Mittens by Kate Davies
  • Wool: Jamieson & Smith 2ply jumper weight, 100% Shetland wool
  • Wool colours: 202 (beige), FC24 (green), 9144 (pink) and FC15 (blue)
  • Needles: 2.5mm dpn, 2.75mm dpn and circular
  • Cost: £13.75
  • Project duration: 1 week

© Copyright Gemma Evans 2025. Images cannot be used without permission.