Fibre Works Farm Thrum Mitt Pattern
Description: Thrum mitts, a.k.a. drummed
or stuffed mitts, have twisted lengths, called thrums, of carded unspun fibre (roving)
knitted into the pattern along with yarn. The ends of the thrums are kept inside the mitt
forming a fluffy inner lining that felts with wear. Alpaca fleece thrums have little or no
itch and are warmer than the equivalent in wool. Shetland fleece thrums are still very
soft but are often more economical than alpaca. Thrum knitting is not hard but does
require attention and patience. Not recommended for beginner knitters.
Materials: 2 balls Medium Weight 2 ply
Gallery yarn, 40 – 70 grams Gallery roving, depending on size of mittens. Pattern is
given for Child’s mitt with the Youth and Adult sizes shown in brackets.
Needles and Tension: 1 set each of 3.5 mm
and or 4 mm double pointed needles (or sizes required to provide correct tension). 9 st =
5 cm (2") with 4 mm needles with one strand of yarn in pattern. Correct tension is
important to obtain the proper finished size. Stitch holders for thumb stitches. Stitch
markers.
Abbreviations: st = stitch, k = knit, p =
purl, k2tog = k 2 st together, inc = increase by k into st below next st on needle, then k
into st on needle, T = thrum, sl = slip 1 st, psso = pass slipped st over, tbl = through
back of loop of st.
Preparing Thrums: Pull off about a 12 cm
(5") length of the alpaca roving. Divide this in half along the length so you have
two thinner pieces of 12 cm roving. Divide each piece along the length into four equal
portions so that you have eight equal portions of 12 cm rovings. Roll each portion lightly
in hand or on your thigh to provide a slight twist. Each of these twists will make one
thrum. To make the thrum, fold each end of a twist in toward its middle overlapping the
ends a bit. Twist all three layers several times in the middle forming a small bow tie
shape. The twisted area of the thrum should be a little finer that the one strand of yarn.
Round 4: k to end of round.
To Make a Thrum Stitch: Insert needle into
st. Place the twisted middle of thrum over that needle, holding the ends of the thrum to
the inside of the work so it does not untwist. If necessary, give the thrum an extra twist
before placing it on the needle so it will keep its shape. Wrap the two strands of yarn
around the needle and the thrum. Knit both the thrum and the yarn through the st to lock
the thrum in place.
PATTERN: The following 4 rounds make up the
pattern:
Round 1: k2, T1, repeat to end of round.
Round 2: k2, k1 tbl of T st, repeat to end of
round.
Round 3: k to end of round.
Round 4: k to
end of round.
Please read instructions through completely
before starting.
INSTRUCTIONS: Cuff (both hands): Using one
strand of yarn, cast on 27 (30, 36) sts on smaller double pointed needles, distributing
stitches evenly on three needles. Work around in k2, p1 ribbing until the cuff measures 5
(6, 6) cm. 2 (2.5, 2.5) inches. Next round, inc evenly 3 (6, 6) sts: 30 (36, 42) sts in
all. Switch to larger needles. K 2 rounds.
Hand (left): Repeat the full pattern 2 (3,
4) times. Repeat pattern rounds 1 and 2. K1 (2, 1) sts, place next 6 (7, 9) sts on stitch
holder for thumb. Cast on 6 (7, 9) sts on palm side to bridge thumb gap and k rest of
round. This forms pattern round 3. K pattern round 4. Repeat full pattern 4 (5, 6) times.
Repeat pattern round 1 and 2.* To shape end of mitt: K pattern round 3, placing
markers as follows: k5 (5, 7) sts, place marker. K1 (1, 3) sts, place marker. K14 (17, 18)
sts, place marker. K1 (1, 3) sts, place marker. K9 (12, 11) sts to finish round. Continue
working in pattern rounds making T sts as required, decreasing before and after markers as
follows: k3 (3, 5), k2tog. K1 (1, 3), s1, k1, psso. K10 (13, 14), k2tog. K1 (1, 3), s1,
k1, psso. K7 (19, 9) to finish round. Adjust decreases as necessary to avoid having to
k2tog in a T st. Keep decreasing in pattern both before and after markers until 10 (12,
14) sts are left. With smaller needles, k2tog for last round. Use large eyed needle to
pull tail of yarn through remaining sts. Weave tail through sts on inner side, hiding yarn
in the sts. *If a longer mitt it desired, add repeats of the pattern, ending after round
2, prior to shaping end of mitt.
Hand (right): Repeat the full pattern 2
(3, 4) times. Repeat pattern rounds 1 and 2. Next round, k to last 8 (10,11) sts. Place
next 6 (7, 9) sts on stitch holder for thumb. Cast on 6 (7, 9) sts on palm side to bridge
thumb gap and k to end of round. This forms pattern round 3. K pattern round 4. Repeat
full pattern 4 (5, 6) times. Repeat pattern rounds 1 and 2.* To shape end of mitt: K
pattern round 3, placing markers as follows: k8 (11, 10) sts, place marker. K1 (1, 3) sts,
place marker. K14 (17, 18) sts, place marker. K1 (1, 3) sts, place marker. K6 (9, 8) sts
to end of round. Continue in pattern, making T sts as required and decreasing in the same
manner as set out for left mitt. Keep decreasing in pattern before and after the markers
until 10 (12, 14) sts are left. Use smaller needles, k2tog for last round. Finish with
large eyed needle in the same manner as the left mitt. *If a longer mitt it desired, add
repeats of the pattern, ending after round 2, prior to shaping end of mitt.
Thumbs (both hands): 1st
needle: pick up 1 st from side of thumb and 3 (3, 4) sts from stitch holder. 2nd
needle: pick up 3 (4, 5) sts from stitch holder and 1 st from side of thumb. 3rd
needle: pick up 7 (8, 9) sts from the cast on edge of the palm side of the thumbhole. K 1
round which forms pattern round 3. K the next round (pattern round 4) but k2tog at both
ends of 3rd needle for all sizes except Child’s. 15 (15, 18) sts
remaining. Work in pattern for 7 (11, 15) more rounds, ending after round 3 of the
pattern. Next round, k1, k2tog {the k2tog is on the 2 sts between the T sts}, repeat to
end of round. Switch to small needles and k2tog to end of round. Use large eyed needle to
pull tail of yarn through remaining sts. Weave tail through sts on inner side, hiding yarn
in the sts.
Turn thrum mitts inside out and weave all tails
into sts. With fingers, carefully fluff out thrums, spreading the coverage as evenly as
possible. If any thrums are knit in too loosely, hold both ends and pull gently to tighten
the thrum stitch. This will improve the uniform look of the thrum pattern on the outside
of the mittens. If the inside tips of the mitts and of the thumbs do not have enough
thrums to provide a good lining, you can use a large eyed needle to insert some extra
thrums on the inside surface at these strategic points.
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Patterns: Fibre Works Gallery
