A Tale of Two Mittens

Three years ago, I wrote an excited post about spinning for leopard print mittens. I spun the yarn almost immediately, and then it sat… and sat… and sat.

Enough was enough, Tuesday, I decided; it was time. I wound the skeins and cast on. I knit almost an entire mitten that day, only to remember why the project had been sitting so long.

The original idea had been to make a pair of these felted mittens. I've made them before, and they're super warm and cozy. The problem was, I wasn't sure I'd get the color play envisioned when I started the yarn. Then I made the mistake of looking at mittens online. I found a pattern that would probably do exactly what I wanted, but it was out of print. So, I remained mired by indecision for three years.

I started knitting happily enough. But then there were stripes, and more stripes. No spots, just very regular, un-leopard-like stripes. Hmmm.

While the pattern for the other mitten is out of print, the stitch pattern is very easy to find. So, I made a swatch. Just as I suspected, it was perfect. Even Darren said so — no hesitation. Now, I don't know what to do. Make striped mittens with the pattern I have, or wing it with the stitch pattern I like? I think I've already decided, but it is going to be so much more work!

Oh well, I've waited this long.

Comments

Evergreen asymmetry

This is a chart I've been meaning to get to for a while. The Christmas before last, I was making a whole bunch of Christmas ornament gift toppers . I wanted each to be unique, so some of the miniature sweaters were adorned with duplicate stitch in traditional knit motifs. I hit a snag with the tree. A row of perfect triangle trees is cute. A single triangle tree is not so cute. A chart for a small tree is not hard to find. One which is not symmetrical is. Enter the sketch pad. My goal was a scraggly tree, which was small, but was still recognizable as a tree. This is the result. As a matter of personal preference, I think this looks best when the chart is turned upside down and is used on a piece being worked from the top. That way, the top of the tree comes to a nice point.

This is what I've been working on leading up to Christmas

After all the last minute rushing and prep, Christmas finally arrived! I hope yours was merry. We enjoyed time spent with family, and it was a happy holiday, indeed. With the gifts safely delivered, I can show you what I've been working on. The big knitting project which claimed not one, but two of my interchangeable cables was a baby blanket for my nephew, Cooper, who will be arriving this spring. The pattern by Marie Grace Smith is one I've been wanting to make forever, but I allow Darren's input on a lot of my baby projects, and he kept vetoing this one. One day, though, I walked into Jo-Ann Fabrics and these yarns just called to me. The pattern recommends a solid color, fingering weight. Of course, the yarn I chose is worsted weight, not even close to the same, but they were the perfect neutrals; it just seemed right. The nice thing about blankets, they are a simple shape, so the yarn weight really doesn't matter. Just knit until it is the right size. This blank...

A project 19 years in the making

Just how does an obsession start? Sometimes even an offhand mention can cast an inextinguishable spark. I just finished one of the coolest projects. Ever! The Icicle Hat , knit from yarn I spun myself. The goal was to utilize a plying technique to produce well defined cables, and it seems to have worked. Exciting! The wool for this project was purchased in January, but it's origins go back a little further than that. An elementary school friend of mine lived on a farm. In second or third grade, her mom spoke to our class about farm life, and she brought with her a drop spindle. It was huge! A couple feet long with a whorl 6-8 inches across. While she knew what it was for, it was clear hand spinning was not this woman's passion. She probably had more important things to worry about. Like, raising her kids and running the farm, for instance. Most likely, she wanted some type of visual aid and the spindle was easier to manage than a goat or some other livestock. I ...

Cricket in a Biscuit

Search This Blog