Cafe Au Lait Mitts

Cozy fingerless mitts worked flat in extended single crochet with a decorative picot cuff, then seamed with a thumb opening. Quick and easy, ideal for a beginner confident with basic stitches.

Commuter hand-warmers

Finished / weight

Approximately 7 in circumference × 8 in long (unstretched), fits an average adult hand

Gauge

18 sts × 18 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in extended single crochet with G-6 (4.0 mm) hook

Yarn

DK weight, approximately 130 yards total; suggested fiber: wool-blend or cotton-blend for stitch definition

Needles / hooks

US G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook

Notions

Tapestry needle for seaming and weaving ends, locking stitch markers (2), scissors

Abbreviations

ch = chainsl st = slip stitchsc = single crochetesc = extended single crochet: insert hook, pull up loop, pull through first loop on hook, pull through both remaining loopspicot = ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hookRS = right sideWS = wrong sidest = stitchsts = stitchesrep = repeatpm = place markersm = slip markert-ch = turning chainapprox = approximatelybeg = beginning

Notes and Setup

Note 1Pattern is worked flat (back and forth in rows) for each mitt. Two identical pieces are made, then seamed along the side edge leaving a thumb opening. The turning chain does NOT count as a stitch throughout.

Note 2Foundation: Ch 37. The foundation chain provides 36 working stitches plus 1 turning chain. Leave a tail of at least 18 in at cast-on edge for seaming later.

Picot Cuff

Row 1 (RS, Picot Row)With long tail left, ch 37. Starting in 2nd ch from hook, *sc 1 in next ch, picot, sc 1 in next ch; rep from * across to end. (36 sc, 18 picots made along foundation row.) Turn.36 sts

Row 2 (WS)Ch 1 (does not count as st), esc in each of the 36 sts across. Turn. (36 sts)36 sts

Row 3 (RS)Ch 1, esc in each of the 36 sts across. Turn. (36 sts)36 sts

Body

Rows 4–33Ch 1, esc in each of the 36 sts across. Turn. (36 sts)(30 rows)

Row 34 (WS)Ch 1, esc in each of the 36 sts across. Do not turn. Fasten off, leaving an 18-in tail for seaming. (36 sts)

Thumb Opening Picot Edging

Edging Row (RS)With RS facing, join yarn at top edge (finger opening edge, Row 34) at the first st. Ch 1, *sc 1 in next st, picot; rep from * across all 36 sts along the top edge. Fasten off. Weave in end. This creates a matching picot edge at the finger opening to mirror the cuff. (36 sc, 18 picots)36 sts

Second Mitt

NoteRepeat all rows from Picot Cuff through Thumb Opening Picot Edging exactly as written to create the second mitt. Both mitts are identical before seaming.

Seaming

Seam Step 1Lay one mitt flat with RS facing up. Fold the piece so the two long side edges (the short edges of each row — the row-end edges running parallel to rows 1–34) are aligned. The fabric is now folded in half lengthwise, forming a tube.

Seam Step 2Using the long cast-on tail and tapestry needle, whipstitch or mattress stitch along the lower side seam (cuff side), beginning at the picot cuff edge and working upward for approx 2.5 in (approx 11 rows). This seam closes the wrist/cuff portion.

Seam Step 3Place a locking stitch marker at the current position to mark the bottom of the thumb opening. Leave approx 1.5 in (approx 7 rows) UNSEAMED — this gap is the thumb opening. Try the mitt on before committing to ensure the thumb gap falls correctly at your thumb base and adjust the gap size as needed.

Seam Step 4Using the long tail from Row 34 (or join a new strand), seam the remaining upper side edge for approx 4 in (approx 18 rows), from the top of the thumb opening up to the finger-opening picot edge. Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Finishing

Weave in all remaining ends using a tapestry needle. Lightly hand-wash the mitts in cool water, gently squeeze out excess water in a towel, and lay flat to dry to the finished measurements (7 in circumference, 8 in long). Do not wring. Blocking will even out the extended single crochet fabric and open up the picot edging.

Notes

SIZING: For a smaller hand (6.5 in circumference), chain 33 (32 working sts). For a larger hand (8 in circumference), chain 41 (40 working sts). Adjust length by working fewer or more body rows — each 2 rows adds approximately 0.44 in in length. THUMB OPENING: The unseamed gap in Seam Step 3 is approximately 1.5 in; widen to 2 in for a larger thumb by leaving 9 rows unseamed instead of 7. YARN TIPS: Leave tails of at least 18 in at the beginning and end of each piece for seaming without needing to join extra yarn. COMMON MISTAKES: Be sure the turning chain does not count as a stitch — always insert into the first true stitch of every row or you will lose stitches. When working the picot edging, the picot stitch is decorative and does not count toward the stitch total. STITCH COUNT CHECK: Check that you have exactly 36 esc at the end of Row 3 and again at Row 10 to catch any dropped stitches early.

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AI-drafted, human-run · this version drafted Sep 24, 2026. Always swatch and verify stitch counts before casting on.