When I first learned to knit, it was all about me—sweaters
for me, mittens for me, hats, scarves and gloves—for me.
But time went on and I found myself living in Maine,
in a nippy farmhouse with a crew of fun-in-the-snow
kids, all needing wooly hats, socks, and most importantly,
mittens. These latter items were constantly being lost, felted
and worn out. My knitting interests shifted from sweaters for
me to mittens for them—and
I’ve been knitting mittens ever since. (Those kids are
now young adults!) Back in those days, I leaned very
heavily on Robin Hansen’s designs (Favorite
Mittens) and
used heavy worsted weight yarns like Bartlettyarns
from Harmony, Maine, for many of the mittens I made
my children. I’ve
branched out now, and while I still favor wool for
warmth, I lean more toward sport and DK weight yarns
available in wide palettes of color. Inspiration
for my designs is often based on the natural world, but is equally
prompted by playing with yarns in a myriad of colors. I try hard
to keep mitten designs to no more than 8 different colors, which
I have decided is really enough for most people. When I
first designed this mitten I had access to some closeout
yarns from an out-of-business yarn mill. There were over 80 colors,
and this mitten was the result of playing with those
yarns (though in its original form, I used 15 shades!).
After the Rain uses 8 colors, and is shown in Cascade
220 Sport. The cuff is knit in a corrugated ribbing,
which then flows into the pattern on the hand. The
stranded knitting helps make these warm, but the lighter weight
yarn keeps them flexible. The thumb is my own cross between a
gusseted one and a “sore” thumb. Because it is shaped, there is no
need for extra stitches on the hand to accommodate the thumb,
so the hand fits snugly and comfortably.
While designing this mitten I had a phrase from an
old Paul Simon song running through my head—though not quite
accurately as it turns out, from a line in “My Little Town”—after
it rains, there’s a rainbow are the actual words, but
I still hear after the rain, there’s a rainbow,
in my head!
SIZE
Child Small [Child Large/Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large]
Shown in Adult Medium
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS Hand Circumference: 6.5 [7.5, 8, 9] inches Length: 7[9, 10, 11]
inches, adjustable to fit.
MATERIALS
Yarn
Cascade
220 Sport [100% Peruvian Highland Wool;
164 yds per 50g skein]; 1 skein each of: [A]
Goldenrod (color #7827) [B]
Burnt Orange (color #7824) [C]
Ruby (color #9404) [D]
Dark Plum (color #8885) [E]
Azure (color #8892) [F]
Blue Hawaii (color #9421) [G]
Highland Green (color #9430) [H]
Primavera (color #8903) Note: The Adult Medium sizes uses approximately 50 yards of each
color for the pair.
Recommended needle size [always use a needle
size that gives you the gauge
listed below -- every knitter's
gauge is unique] 1
set US #3/3.25mm double-pointed needles OR 1 US #3/3.25mm circular needle for magic loop OR 2 US #3/3.25mm circular needles for two-circulars method
Notions Yarn
needle scrap of smooth contrasting color yarn for a stitch holder 2
stitch markers
GAUGE
26 stitches and 29 rounds
= 4 inches in stockinette stitch over stranded color knitting
PATTERN NOTES [Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
This pattern uses 2 colors per row, with only 3 stitches between most color
changes, so it is not usually necessary to wrap yarns to avoid long floats.
Occasional exceptions occur when you are increasing for the thumb. Some
rows require carries of up to 5 stitches. I wrap the yarns around each
other in these situations because this pattern makes a snug-fitting mitten.
It would be very irritating to get a finger caught under a long yarn float!
It is important to keep the stranding loose enough so it doesn’t
pucker. I find it easiest to carry 1 color in each hand, but any method
that suits you is fine.
Because the colors change frequently, there is
no “Main” or “Contrasting” color. I keep it even
by always knitting each new color with my right hand, and then moving it
to my left hand 3 rows later when another color becomes the “new” one.
Because there are a lot of color changes, and hence a lot of
ends, you might wish to weave in each new color for 8 or 10 stitches
before you begin knitting with it. It does take more time during
the knitting process, but makes the finishing process at the
end much quicker.
Corrugated Ribbing
To work 2-color Corrugated Ribbing, leave
both yarns at the back. K2 with the first yarn, move the second
yarn to the front, p2 with second yarn, and return second yarn
to the back.
Charts The charts for this pattern are very large.
Each fits on a letter-sized page.
Click the appropriate size below and print
the resulting page.
Cuff
Using color B [A, A, H] cast on 40[44,
48, 52] stitches.
Distribute stitches on needles as you prefer,
and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist.
Join color C[B, B, A].
Work Corrugated Ribbing as per Cuff chart, starting with Row
7[4, 4, 1].
Hand
Start Hand chart for appropriate size.
After increases in round 1, you will have 42[48, 54, 60] sts.
On round 4, begin working appropriate size Thumb
Gusset chart in thumb position as indicated.
The Right thumb is worked at the end
of the round, the Left thumb is worked at the start of the round.
Place markers at start and end of thumb stitches as desired.
On round 13[16, 16, 22], slip 12[18, 18, 24] thumb stitches
to scrap yarn for holder, and cast on 6 stitches in colors indicated
to close thumb gap.
Continue working Hand chart, repeating from row 1 on as needed
until mitten measures 5.75[7.75, 8.75, 9.75] inches, or 1.25
inches short of desired length of hand. Finish after Round 3,
6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 or 24 of the pattern.
Work Hand Close Pattern chart, continuing color changes as set
by hand patterning.
7 [8,9,10] sts rem. Cut yarn leaving an 8 inch tail and pull
through rem sts to close.
Note: At this point, I recommend weaving in the ends so
they don’t
confuse the issue while you work the
thumb.
Thumb
Return 12[18, 18, 24] thumb sts to needles
and with RS facing, rejoin yarn. Work
across thumb sts in pattern, continuing
where you left off, and then pick up
and knit 6 stitches in pattern in across
cast-on stitches of hand. 18[24, 24, 30] sts.
Continue working in patt until length is to top of thumb.
Continuing with color most recently added,
work as follows: Decrease round 1: K2tog around. 9[12,
12, 15] sts. Decrease round 2: K2tog 4[6, 6, 7]
times, k1[0, 0, 0, 1]. 5[6, 6, 8]
sts.
Cut yarn leaving an 8-inch tail and pull
through rem sts to close.
FINISHING
Block and weave in any remaining ends.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Mary loves to knit, and design mittens,
hats, socks and other small items whenever
she gets the chance. She is also a gardener
who battles with the Maine climate and
wildlife to produce almost all the vegetables
her family eats each year. In the last
year they put the entire vegetable garden
into raised beds, and built a moveable
low-tech hoop house to provide winter and
early spring greens, and lots of tomatoes
in the summer!
by 
This pattern uses 2 colors per row, with only 3 stitches between most color
changes, so it is not usually necessary to wrap yarns to avoid long floats.
Occasional exceptions occur when you are increasing for the thumb. Some
rows require carries of up to 5 stitches. I wrap the yarns around each
other in these situations because this pattern makes a snug-fitting mitten.
It would be very irritating to get a finger caught under a long yarn float!
It is important to keep the stranding loose enough so it doesn’t
pucker. I find it easiest to carry 1 color in each hand, but any method
that suits you is fine. 
