Fair Isle Tuxedo Cat Mittens

Warm stranded-motif mittens featuring a stylized tuxedo cat face on the back of the hand. Worked in the round with fingering-weight yarn; two-color fair isle with optional green eyes and pink nose. Pattern includes adult Small, Medium and Large and guidance for left/right mirroring.

Sizes (finished circumference)

Small (S): 7" / 18 cm circumference
Medium (M): 8" / 20 cm circumference
Large (L): 9" / 23 cm circumference

Yarn

Fiber: Fingering / 4-ply (recommended: 75% wool / 25% nylon or 100% wool for warmth)
Suggested yardage per pair (Imperial / Metric): S 200 yds / 183 m; M 225 yds / 206 m; L 250 yds / 229 m
Approximate color breakdown (per pair): Main Color (MC, black) ~80% of total; Contrast Color (CC, white) ~18%; Accent (eyes) ~2% (green); Nose accent ~very small amount (pink).

Needles

Ribbing needle (smaller): US 2.5 / UK (old) 11 / 3.0 mm
Body needle (for stranded work): US 3 / UK (old) 10 / 3.25 mm
OR use magic-loop circular needle in same sizes (16"/40 cm) or set of DPNs
Use whichever needle gives correct gauge; you may want 0.25-0.5 mm smaller than your usual for stranded work to keep fabric dense.

Gauge

32 sts = 4" / 10 cm in stranded stockinette (in the round) on US 3 / 3.25 mm. Adjust needle size so fabric is dense but not stiff. Stranded work often pulls tighter; swatch in stranded pattern before starting.

Stitch counts / Cast-on

Small (S) cast on 56 sts
Medium (M) cast on 64 sts
Large (L) cast on 72 sts

These counts are chosen so the 16-stitch-wide chart (below) can be centered on the back of the hand with even numbers of plain MC stitches on either side.

Abbreviations

K = knit
P = purl
K2tog = knit two together (right-leaning decrease)
SSK = slip slip knit (left-leaning decrease)
CO = cast on
st(s) = stitch(es)
MC = Main Color (black)
CC = Contrast Color (white)
M1L / M1R = make 1 left / right (increase) - pick up loop between sts and knit through back/ front loop to lean directionally
PM = place marker
SM = slip marker

Notes on colorwork

Chart is worked in the round, bottom-to-top; each row in the chart = one round of knitting.
Keep floats loose enough to allow stretch. Twist colors every 3-5 sts as needed; do not catch floats unless longer than 5 stitches. Carry unused color behind work, catching every 6-8 rounds if necessary.
To mirror the motif for the second mitten (so the cat faces the thumb on each mitten), work the chart mirrored horizontally for the right-hand mitten: reverse each chart row left-to-right.

Chart (16 sts wide x 16 rounds)

Legend: B = MC (black), W = CC (white), G = green eyes, N = pink nose. Read from bottom row (Row 16) upward; each row = 1 round, read left-to-right.

Row 16: BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Row 15: BBBBBBWWWWBBBBBB
Row 14: BBBBBWWBBWWBBBBB
Row 13: BBBBWWBBBBWWBBBB
Row 12: BBBWWBBBBBBWWBBB
Row 11: BBWWBBBBBBBBWWBB
Row 10: BBWWBWWWWWWBWWBB
Row 9 : BBWWBWWWWWWBWWBB
Row 8 : BBWWBBWWWWBBWWBB
Row 7 : BBWWBBBBBBBBWWBB
Row 6 : BBWWBBBBNBBBWWBB
Row 5 : BBWWBBGBBGBBBBWW
Row 4 : BWWBBBBBBBBBBWWB
Row 3 : BBWWBBBBBBBBWWBB
Row 2 : BBBWWBBBBBBWWBBB
Row 1 : BBBBWWBBBBWWBBBB

Chart width = 16 sts. Center this 16-st motif on the back of the hand. When working the second mitten, flip each row left-to-right to mirror the motif.

Placement math (how to center the chart)

Before beginning charting, calculate A = (Total sts - 16)/2. For our totals:

S: (56 - 16)/2 = 20 sts — knit 20 sts (palm/side), then work 16-st chart repeat (back), then knit remaining 20.
M: 24 sts before and after chart
L: 28 sts before and after chart

Centering this way puts the motif squarely on the back of the hand; the palm/gusset sits in the plain MC area opposite the motif.

Instructions

Cuff

With smaller needles (US 2.5 / 3.0 mm) and MC, CO 56(64,72) sts using long-tail CO and join being careful not to twist. Place marker for beginning of round.

K2, P2 rib for 1.5" / 4 cm (or desired length).
Switch to body needles (US 3 / 3.25 mm).

Set-up round and marker placement

Round 1 (set-up): Knit A stitches in MC (A = 20, 24, 28 for S/M/L). PM to mark right edge of palm (this marker marks the start of where you'll form the thumb gusset). Continue knitting the next 16 sts in MC for now to establish the columns where the chart will begin in the next round, then knit remaining A sts. Keep knitting in the round until ribs transition is tidy (you may prefer to do 1 plain round in MC before starting chart).

Thumb gusset (worked while working chart)

You will increase for the thumb gusset on the palm side (in the plain MC area, not across the motif). Start increases on Round 2 of the body as follows:

Work rounds of chart and plain MC as laid out, but when you reach the marker at the palm, begin increasing for the gusset as follows every other round: knit to 1 st before marker, M1R, SM, M1L, then continue round. (Some knitters prefer M1L then M1R; keep consistent.)
Repeat these increases every 2nd round until you have 16(18,20) gusset sts total (count the number of stitches between the two markers or the block you are designating for the thumb). Typical progression: the first increase round yields 2 extra sts; increase until desired count reached. Keep the increases in MC so the gusset remains plain.
When gusset reaches target size, place the gusset sts on a holder or scrap yarn: on the next round, knit to the gusset area, transfer those gusset stitches to waste yarn (or live on holder), then CO 2 sts over the gap using backward loop or cable cast-on. Continue to knit the rest of the mitten in the round, treating the 2 CO sts as part of the palm.

Suggested targets: 16 sts (S), 18 sts (M), 20 sts (L) for comfortable thumb circumference. Adjust if you want a looser/tighter thumb.

Colorwork body (back-of-hand motif)

Begin working the chart rows from Row 16 up to Row 1. Maintain correct color tension. On rounds not including eye/nose colors, carry them as floats behind the work. If your eyes (G) or nose (N) occur in a row, introduce accent color for just those stitches and return to MC/CC compositions. Work the round sequences exactly so that the motif appears centered on the back of the hand.

When you finish Row 1 of the chart, continue knitting in MC until you reach the base of the fingers (the point where you want to begin shaping the top of the mitten). Typically this is about 1/2" / 1.2 cm past the bottom of the chart for a neat crown shaping; adjust to preference.

Top decreases (crown)

When ready to decrease for the top, switch to plain MC if you prefer a solid crown. Decrease evenly each round until 8-10 stitches remain, then graft with Kitchener or draw yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight.

Suggested decrease rounds (example for even spacing):

Round 1: *K6, K2tog* repeat to end (adjust spacing for S/M/L)
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: *K5, K2tog* repeat
Repeat in this fashion until about 8 sts remain; break yarn and graft or thread through.

For accurate spacing use stitch markers and divide the round into equal sections; if using 56 sts, for instance, K7, K2tog repeated 6 times removes 6 stitches across a round, etc. Another easy method: on each decrease round, work knitting rounds between decrease rounds so decreases happen gradually and neatly.

Thumb

Pick up the live thumb gusset stitches from the waste yarn, plus pick up 1 or 2 sts from the CO gap to avoid holes (depending how you closed the gap). Arrange them on DPNs or magic-loop and distribute evenly. With MC, knit the thumb in the round until the thumb measures ~2.25" / 5.5 cm from pick-up for adults (or desired length), then decrease for the top by K2tog around or decrease every other round until 8 sts remain; graft or draw through and secure.

Right mitten (mirroring)

To make the cat face look toward the thumb on both mittens, mirror the chart horizontally for the second mitten. In practice that means reverse each row of the chart left-to-right when you work the second mitten. All other shaping (ribbing, gusset placement) is identical, but the motif will be flipped so eyes/nose are symmetric across pair.

Finishing

Weave in ends on the inside and trim floats if desired. Use a blunt needle and tidy floats by securing every 6-8 rounds.
Lightly block if desired: steam-block carefully; do not soak if yarn contains nylon without knowing shrink/bleed behavior. Reshape to even the colorwork tension.
Label left/right if you prefer the cat to face inward/outward and store as a matched pair.

Troubleshooting & tips

Keep floats loose: wrap the working yarn around the held float on occasion if floats cross long distances to avoid puckering.
If stranded tension tightens the fabric too much, move up 0.25 mm needle size for body rounds only, or loosen your tension on the floats.
If eyes/nose appear offset, confirm you started the chart at the correct stitch offset (A) so the motif is centered.
To mirror the motif, write each chart row out reversed or simply work the same rows but begin reading each row from the opposite side (mirror horizontally).

Care

Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, roll in towel to remove excess water, and dry flat. Keep away from direct heat.

Pattern by Purl Jam. Downloadable PDF, printable charts and alternate sizes are available at https://purljam.verde.uk. For support email team@verde.uk. Socials: #purljam

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