Nightmare Before Christmas Knitting Projects – Fingerless Mitts

If you are a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas movie AND love to knit, then you simply HAVE to take a look at this fantastic Nightmare Before Christmas Knitting Book! To celebrate this wonderful knitting pattern publication, I get to share one sample project with you here today! There are vast variety of projects and it wasn’t easy.. but in the end I picked Jack’s Fingerless Mitts Knitting Project!

Jack’s Lament Fingerless Mitts

Designed by Jacquline Rivera

Please note: affiliate links have been added to these post – should you choose to purchase via these, I will earn a small commission that goes towards the upkeep of this site!

Also note: this pattern and introduction to the pattern has been republished with the editors permission. Do not copy, republish or distribute without your own permission!

The Nightmare Before Christmas Knitting Guide to Halloween/ Christmas

Firstly about the book The Nightmare Before Christmas – Official Knitting Guide. What will you find in this marvellous book. Well of course you will find Jack Skellington himself, both “as is” and dressed as Santa. But there is soooo much more to this book. From the wonderful Nightmare Before Christmas inspired stockings, an ADORABLE Zero ghost dog complete with pumpkin nose (“My, what a brilliant nose you have.The better to light my way!”), pullovers, mitts, costume accessories and socks. There are hats and scarves and knitted home decor and more… it really is a gorgeous and extensive book (well over 200 pages long)! Grab your copy today!

Jack’s LamentFingerless Mitts

Please note: this is classed as an intermediate project!

From the book itself:

Knitters create something one stitch at a time-a perfect parallel to Tim Burion’s The Nghtare Defure Chriatnass angwritng method. Refare there was even a finished script. Danny Elfman was tapped to write the songs for this musical in an unconventional way. Elfman and Tim Burton would meet, and Burton would tell The Nightmare Before Christmas story to him bit by bit, in chronological order. Elfman would take a few days to reflect. write a song, then bring it back for approval, and hear the next partof the story. Elfman says, “It’s kind of backwards, but we know what the story is.

Let’s see how much of it we can tell in the songs…. This is the way musicals were done in the thirties and forties.” Script writer Caroline Thompson says.

“Danny’s songs are so thorough in telling Jack’s story…. There’s very little left to do in terms of a script…” Once the script and songs were finalized. animators could begin to work their magic on set. Do you have the urge to walk through graveyards, sing at the full moon, and wonder about the empty place in your bones? Then perhaps it’s time to knit yourself a pair of mitts that would do Mister Unlucky, that Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin. proud! Worked in the round from the bottom up with 1×1 ribbed edgings, the mitts feature stranded colorwork that recreates the
iconic “Jack’s Lament” scene from the film. Increases establish the pinstripe thumb to be put on waste yarn and finished later. Each mitt is worked using a different chart to display more of Jack’s expressive faces on the palm side. and showcase Spiral Hill with Jack backlit by the moon and Oogie Boogie’s shadow growing on the hand side.

Mitten SIZES

1 (2, 3, 4)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Circumference: 7½ (8, 82, 9) in. / 19 (20.5, 21.5, 23) cm

Length: 93/4 (10/4, 1034, 11½) in. / 25 (26,27.5, 29) cm

Designed to fit with O in. / 0 cm of ease; choose the size closest to your hand circumference for the best fit.

YARN

Fingering weight yarn, shown in Urban Girl Yarns Virginia (2-ply; 90% superwash merino, 10% nylon; 480 yd./ 439 m per 4½ oz. / 125 g hank)

COLORWAYS:

Main Color (MC): Black Beauty, 1 hank
Contrast Color (CC): Au Naturel, 1 hank

NEEDLES

US 2/2.75 mm, set of 5 double-pointedneedles or size needed to obtain gauge

NOTIONS

• Stitch marker
• Row counter (optional)
• Waste yarn
• Tapestry needle

GAUGE

• Size 1: 34 sts and 40 rnds = 4 in. / 10 cm over stranded colorwork in the round, taken after blocking
• Size 2: 32 sts and 38 rnds = 4 in. / 10 cm over stranded colorwork in the round,taken after blocking
• Size 3: 30 sts and 36 rnds = 4 in. / 10 cm over stranded colorwork in the round,taken after blocking
• Size 4: 28½ sts and 34 rnds = 4 in. / 1? cm over stranded colorwork in the round, taken after blocking

Make sure to check your gauge.

PATTERN NOTES

To honor the original design of these fingerless mitts and ensure a wider range of available fit, rather than compromise on the stitch pattern, these mitts have been graded using different
gauges for each size.

To achieve the gauge for your finished size of mitts, adjust your needle size as needed.

The mitts are worked in the round from the bottom up using stranded knitting. All colorwork portions of the pattern are charted; written instructions are not provided for colorwork or thumb
shaping.

Increases indicated on the chart create shaping for the thumb. Thumb stitches are then placed on waste yarn to be picked up and finished later.

When knitting the colorwork, catch floats longer than 5 stitches.

PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS for Jack Lament’s Gloves

Abbreviations

• MC – main color
• CC – contrast color
• CO – cast on
• sts – Stitch
• K – knit
• P – purl
• Pm – place marker
• BOR – beginning of round/ row
• rnd – round
• dpns – double pointed needles
• rep – repeat
• patt – pattern

CAST ON & RIBBED EDGE

With MC, CO 64 sts using the Long Tail Cast On method. Distribute sts evenly across 4 needles-16 sts per needle. Pm for BOR and join to work in the rnd, being careful not to twist the sts.

RNDS 1-9: *K1, p1; rep from * to end of rnd.

FIRST MITT

• Join CC.
• Begin Left Mitt chart (see download for left mitt), reading all rows from right to left as
  for working in the rnd.
• Work Rows 1-61 once-82 sts at completion.
• Work 32 sts in patt as per Row 62 of chart, place the next 18 thumb sts onto waste yarn, work the remaining 32 sts of Row 62 of the chart to end of rnd-64 sts rem.
• Work Rows 63-84 once.
• Break CC yarn.
• Proceed to Finish Mitt.

SECOND MITT

Work as for the First Mitt, substituting in the Right Mitt chart (see download for right mitt).

FINISH MITT-BOTH MITTS

• SETUP RND: Knit.
• RNDS 1-4: K1, p1; rep from to end of rnd.
• Bind off all sts loosely in patt.

Thumb Both Mitts

• Carefully remove waste yarn and place 18 live sts on dpns, distributing sts for comfort.
• Rejoin MC yarn to the right edge of the live sts with the RS facing.
• SETUP ROW (RS): K18, pick up and knit 4 sts to close the gap. Pm for BOR and join to work in the rnd-22 sts total.
• RND 1: Knit.
• RNDS 2-5: *K1, p1; rep from * to end of rnd.
• Bind off all sts loosely in patt.

FINISHING Off the Nightmare Before Christmas Mitts

• Weave in all ends and wet block.
• Allow to dry completely.
• Trim all ends.

If you enjoyed this sample pattern, why not get the book today?!