This little mitten is pure winter lace. It is worked in fine cream cotton thread and has three stacked fans down the center, tiny five-petal flowers tucked into an open chain lattice, a rounded thumb with its own fan, and a scalloped cuff along the bottom. A picot edge outlines the whole shape and gives it a frosty, snowflake-like finish.
The ornament is one single piece. It is not a motif for a larger project. It hangs from a chain loop at the top and looks the same on both sides, so it hangs nicely on a tree, a gift tag, or a window.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished mitten measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide across the hand, 4.75 in (12.1 cm) across the thumb, and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall, not counting the 1.25 in (3.2 cm) hanging loop.
Here is how it comes together: you work the body flat from the cuff up in three repeating three-row “tiers”, then shape the domed top. Next you add the thumb along the left edge, work fan scallops into the foundation chain for the cuff, and finish with one round of picot edging that also makes the hanging loop.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide at the hand, 4.75 in (12.1 cm) across the thumb, 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall, plus a 1.25 in (3.2 cm) loop
- Skill level: Intermediate (thread lace, fans, picots)
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Size 10 cotton crochet thread (Lace, weight 0)
- Hook: 1.75 mm steel hook (US steel 6)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: Single flat piece worked bottom-up, no joining
- Piece size before border: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide at the hand, 4.5 in (11.4 cm) across the thumb, 5.25 in (13.3 cm) tall
- Border depth: about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) per edge, picots included
Materials
- Thread: Size 10 mercerized cotton thread in cream or ivory, about 10 g (approx. 32 m). Mercerized cotton holds starch well and gives crisp fans. Avoid fuzzy blends, which hide the lace.
- Tools: 1.75 mm steel hook, fine tapestry needle, small scissors, stitch marker, blocking board or foam, rust-proof pins, and fabric stiffener or spray starch.
The thread amount includes a margin of about 30 percent for your gauge swatch and tails.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sp(s) – space(s)
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Picot: Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook.
Fan: (Tr, ch 1) 8 times in the stitch or space given, then tr in the same place. That makes 9 tr and 8 ch-1 sps.
Flower: Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (petal 1); [ch 3, sl st in the same ch] 4 times (petals 2 to 5). You end up with 5 tiny petals around one point, and the chain carries on from there.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 19 sc = 2 in (5.1 cm) across Row 1. One tier (3 rows) = 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall, lightly stretched.
Make Rows 1 to 5 first and measure. That is your swatch, and if it matches you can keep going.
Checkpoints (measured from the foundation chain, lightly stretched):
- After Row 1: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide
- After Row 5 (Tier 1): 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall
- After Row 8 (Tier 2): 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall
- After Row 11 (Tier 3): 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- After Row 14 (crown): 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall
- After the cuff: 5.25 in (13.3 cm) tall
- After the edging and blocking: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall
If Row 1 is wider than 3.25 in (8.3 cm), go down to a 1.5 mm hook. If it is narrower, go up to a 2.0 mm hook. If the width is right but the tiers are too short, pull up your tr loops a little taller rather than changing hooks.
Body
Foundation: Ch 32.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (31 sc)
Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, sc in first sc, [ch 5, skip 2 sc, sc in next sc] 10 times, turn. (11 sc, 10 ch-5 loops)
Number the loops 1 to 10 across the row. The 6th sc is the center stitch. Mark it.
Tier pattern (Rows 3 to 5)
Row 3 (Fan row): Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), sc in loop 1, [ch 5, sc in next loop] 3 times (you are now in loop 4), ch 2, skip loop 5, Fan in the marked center sc, ch 2, skip loop 6, sc in loop 7, [ch 5, sc in next loop] 3 times (you are now in loop 10), ch 2, dc in last sc, turn.
(9 tr in the Fan with 8 ch-1 sps; 6 ch-5 loops, 3 per side; 8 sc; 4 ch-2 sps)
Row 4 (Flower row): Ch 1, sc in first dc, ch 3, sc in first ch-5 loop, [ch 2, Flower, ch 2, sc in next ch-5 loop] 2 times, ch 5, skip ch-2 sp, sc in first ch-1 sp of Fan, [ch 3, sc in next ch-1 sp] 7 times, ch 5, skip ch-2 sp, sc in next ch-5 loop, [ch 2, Flower, ch 2, sc in next ch-5 loop] 2 times, ch 3, sc in 3rd ch of turning ch, turn.
(4 Flowers; 4 anchor sc per side; arch of 8 sc and 7 ch-3 sps)
The sc in each ch-1 sp, with ch-3 between them, forms the ribbed arch over each fan.
Row 5 (Lattice row): Ch 1, sc in first sc, [ch 5, sc in next sc] 3 times (the chains pass behind the Flowers, which stay on top), ch 5, sc in 2nd ch-3 sp of the arch, ch 5, sc in 4th ch-3 sp, ch 5, sc in 6th ch-3 sp, ch 5, sc in next anchor sc, [ch 5, sc in next sc] 3 times, turn.
(11 sc, 10 ch-5 loops)
Row 5 restores the Row 2 count exactly: 3 loops on the left, 4 across the arch, and 3 on the right. The sc in the 4th arch sp is the new center sc. Mark it.
Tier 2: Work Rows 6, 7, and 8 as Rows 3, 4, and 5. (11 sc, 10 ch-5 loops)
Tier 3: Work Rows 9, 10, and 11 as Rows 3, 4, and 5. (11 sc, 10 ch-5 loops)
The three fans now sit in a column with 12 Flowers along the sides. Row 11 is a RS row and ends at the left edge.
Crown
Row 12 (WS): Sl st in each of first 3 ch of loop 1, ch 1, sc in same loop, [ch 5, sc in next loop] 9 times, turn. (10 sc, 9 ch-5 loops)
Row 13 (RS): Sl st in each of first 3 ch of loop 1, ch 1, sc in same loop, [ch 5, sc in next loop] 3 times (you are now in loop 4), ch 2, Fan in loop 5 (the center loop), ch 2, sc in loop 6, [ch 5, sc in next loop] 3 times (you are now in loop 9), turn.
(8 sc, 6 ch-5 loops, 9 tr in the Fan, 2 ch-2 sps)
Row 14 (WS): Ch 1, sc in first sc, [ch 5, sc in next sc] 3 times, ch 3, sc in first ch-1 sp of Fan, [ch 3, sc in next ch-1 sp] 7 times, ch 3, sc in next sc, [ch 5, sc in next sc] 3 times. Fasten off.
(16 sc, 6 ch-5 loops, 9 ch-3 sps: 7 in the arch and 2 connectors)
Because the crown steps in by half a loop on each side, the top curves into a dome once it is blocked.
Thumb
The thumb is worked along the left edge, over the row ends of Rows 5 to 7.
T1 (RS): With RS facing, join thread with sl st in the last sc of Row 5 at the left edge. Ch 4 (counts as tr), [ch 1, tr in same sc] 6 times, sl st around the ch-5 turning chain at the start of Row 6, turn. (7 tr, 6 ch-1 sps)
T2 (WS): Ch 1, sc in first ch-1 sp, [ch 3, sc in next ch-1 sp] 5 times, ch 3, sl st in the base sc of Row 5, turn. (6 sc, 6 ch-3 sps)
T3 (RS): Ch 1, sc in first ch-3 sp, [ch 5, sc in next ch-3 sp] 5 times, ch 5, sl st in the last sc of Row 7 at the left edge. Fasten off. (6 sc, 6 ch-5 loops)
Checkpoint: the thumb sticks out 1.25 in (3.2 cm) past the body edge. Across the thumb, the piece is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide.
Cuff
Turn the piece upside down so the foundation chain is on top. With RS facing, join thread in the first unused loop of the foundation chain.
Cuff row: Ch 1, sc in same loop, [skip 2 loops, 9 dc in next loop, skip 2 loops, sc in next loop] 5 times. Fasten off. (5 fans of 9 dc = 45 dc, 6 sc)
Check your count: 1 + (5 × 6) = 31 loops, which matches the 31 foundation stitches exactly. The cuff adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm) of height.
Border (Picot Edging)
Border gauge: about 10 edging sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) along the straight sides.
Row-end rule: work 2 sc over each end of Rows 1 and 2, 5 sc over each Fan-row end, 3 sc over each Flower-row end, and 4 sc over each Lattice-row end. One tier is 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall and takes 5 + 3 + 4 = 12 sc.
Edging round (RS): Join with sc in the cuff sc at the bottom-left corner and work counterclockwise.
- Cuff: Sc in first dc of fan, [picot, sc in next 2 dc] 4 times, sl st in next sc; repeat from * 3 more times. Then sc in first dc of the last fan, [picot, sc in next 2 dc] 4 times, sc in the corner sc. (47 sc including both corners, 4 sl st, 20 picots)
- Right side (Rows 1 to 11): [4 sc, picot] 10 times, following the row-end rule. (40 sc, 10 picots)
- Right crown (row ends of Rows 12 to 14): 3 sc. (3 sc)
- Top: (2 sc, picot, 2 sc) in each of the next 3 ch-5 loops, 2 sc in the ch-3 connector. Over the arch, work (sc, picot, sc) in each of the first 3 ch-3 sps. In the 4th sp, work this hanging loop: sc, ch 30, sl st in the sc just made, 36 sc over the ch-30, sl st in the same sc, sc in the same sp. Then (sc, picot, sc) in each of the last 3 sps, 2 sc in the ch-3 connector, and (2 sc, picot, 2 sc) in each of the next 3 ch-5 loops. (42 sc, 12 picots, plus the hanging loop)
- Left crown: 3 sc. (3 sc)
- Left side, Rows 11 to 8: [4 sc, picot] 4 times. (16 sc, 4 picots)
- Thumb: (2 sc, picot, 2 sc) in each of the 6 T3 loops. (24 sc, 6 picots)
- Left side, Rows 4 to 1: [4 sc, picot] 2 times, 4 sc. Sl st in first sc. Fasten off. (12 sc, 2 picots)
Round total: 187 sc, 54 picots, 4 sl st, plus the 36-sc loop.
Why the math works: The right edge gets 4 + (3 × 12) = 40 sc. On the left edge, 12 sc go below the thumb and 16 above it. The 12 sc you would normally put on Rows 5 to 7 are replaced by the thumb’s 24 sc, because the thumb’s curve is twice as long as the straight edge it covers. So 12 + 12 + 16 = 40, and both sides match in height. The 40 sc cover 4 in (10.2 cm) of lace, which is about 10 sc per inch. That holds the edge firm without cupping. The cuff edging works exactly one sc into each of the 45 dc, so the scallops don’t ruffle.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along chain lines, splitting the thread so the ends lock in place.
- Soak the mitten in fabric stiffener, or wet it and spray it well with starch.
- Press out excess liquid in a towel. Do not wring.
- Pin it flat to 3.5 in (8.9 cm) at the hand and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall.
- Pin the tip of every cuff scallop and every picot around the dome and thumb.
- Open each fan so its ribs spread evenly, and pin the center of each Flower flat.
- Leave the hanging loop straight, at 1.25 in (3.2 cm).
- Let it dry completely, at least 12 hours, before you unpin it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Body is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide before edging and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) after
- Three center fans plus one crown fan, each with 9 tr
- 12 Flowers along the sides, 4 per tier
- Thumb fan has 7 tr, and the thumb rim has 6 loops
- 5 cuff scallops, each with 4 picots
- Both side edges are the same height, with no cupping or waves
- Loop is centered over the crown fan
- All ends are hidden and trimmed
Troubleshooting
- Fans won’t sit flat: Your tr are too short. Pull up taller loops, or block the fans open harder.
- Fans flip into cones: Your ch-1 sps are too tight. Make the chains a bit looser.
- Lattice won’t line up over the fans: Count the arch sps again. Row 5 must use sps 2, 4, and 6.
- Edge ruffles: Use 1 fewer sc on each Fan-row end.
- Edge pulls in: Add 1 sc to each Lattice-row end, and add the same number on both sides.
- Flowers disappear: Pull each petal ch-3 snug so it doesn’t sag, and pin the flowers when you block.
- Thumb gapes at the body: Make sure T1 and T3 anchor exactly at Rows 5 and 7.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, then re-starch and pin it flat to dry. Store it flat in tissue paper so the fans and picots stay crisp.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and easy to check. First, 31 sc gives a width of 3.25 in (8.3 cm). Then each tier adds 1.25 in (3.2 cm), so three tiers plus the crown bring the body to 4.75 in (12.1 cm). The cuff adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm) for 5.25 in (13.3 cm), and the picot edging brings the mitten to 3.5 by 5.5 in (8.9 by 14.0 cm). If you check each stage as you go, the last round will fit without any guesswork.
Happy crocheting!