As the outside temperatures start to warm up, the inside temperatures seem to get colder and colder. If you have a job that requires using your hands (typing, knitting, winding yarn, playing with beautiful string……), the pursuit of being warm, or even just a comfortable temperature, can be challenging! I’m grateful for Rachel Wolfe’s quickie design for this month, Asteria Mitts, being the perfect solution to this challenging problem! Knit in Malabrigo’s Ultimate Sock and feature a stunning centered cable. These mitts are practical and incredibly stylish! The most difficult part will be choosing what colorway to knit them up in first!

Rachel is known for its elegant, wearable accessories that showcase cables and lace, designed especially for lightweight yarns. The Asteria Mitts hit both of those categories!

We were able to learn a little bit more about Rachel and her designs, and it is our honor to share more about her work with you today:

1: What is your favorite part of your Quickies design and why?

The cables flow in and out of the ribbing. I always try to achieve smooth lines that flow along the length of the piece in my designs.

2: What should knitters pay attention to when working this pattern? Do you have any tips or tricks to make knitting this pattern easier?

Watch out for the increase in the setup row before the cables. In addition to the thumb gusset markers described in the pattern, use markers to show where the cable panel is.

3: What do you think knitters will enjoy the most about this project?

It’s a fun, quick knit with plenty of interest in the cable section, with some plain knitting as a bit of a break in between.

4: What does your design process look like?

Usually, with a pattern motif, I want to use it. I typically knit a prototype while working out my stitch counts, shaping, and other details, then calculate sizes if needed, and finally make my actual pattern sample.

5: Was there any particular inspiration you had when creating this piece?

This design has been a very long time in the making. I think I worked up my original prototype for this back in 2022. I look through stitch dictionaries a lot. They’re a great source of ideas, which I then adjust to my liking and the needs of the pattern.

6: What is your favorite color in Malabrigo’s catalog?

Cereza or Whale’s Road. Anything tonal and jewel-colored.

7: What is the one thing you wish people knew about you as a designer?

Even the designs that look complex are made up of smaller sections. Use markers to separate these; they’re not as difficult to knit as you might think. There are also a variety of hat and mitt designs that are fast and fun.

Be sure to check out Rachel’s work in the following places:

IG: @rachelwolfedesigns

Ravelry ID: KnitByRachel

Website: www.rachelwolfedesigns.com

The pattern is available on Ravelry and Etsy:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/asteria-mitts

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1710062619/knitting-pattern-asteria-mitts