Christmas Mitten

This is the second-to-last Christmas knitting 2016 post - I'm way behind!   I knitted my mom these lovely fancy mittens - the Snowfling Mitts.  I used red and white Cascade 220 and lined them with a lovely purple hand-dyed sport-weight alpaca.  They were fun to knit and terrifically warm.  Perfect for cold Midwestern winters.

Unfortunately, the left mitten was tragically lost soon after they were put into use.  Luckily, I have leftover yarn, so I can knit a new mate this Summer.  Then I might have to knit another pair for myself!

Pattern: Snowfling Mitts
Size: One size
Yarn: Cascade 220, one skein each colors 8505 and 9404, and Foothills Yarn and Fiber 100% baby alpaca in Iris
Needles:  3mm sock dpns (a little bit on the short side for adult mittens, but totally workable)
Started/Completed: December 2016/January 2017
Modifications: Used worsted rather than DK weight yarn for the outers and sport rather than fingering for the lining

Scarf and Mittens

I am way behind on posting the things I made last fall!  When we moved to what Robert affectionately calls "the frozen North" last summer, I promised to make Robert a scarf and mittens.  He previously owned a pair of leather gloves and a fleece hat, but not a scarf or mittens, and we knew he would need them for the winter.

The scarf is a ribble pattern.  I had Robert page through my stitch dictionary to see what he liked, and then I suggested the reversible cables as something that would be thick and warm, and not too much of a pain to knit.  I cast on 86 stitches, knit a few rows of garter stitch, then switched to ribbles with a 3-stitch garter border on each side, knit until it was as long as he is tall, and finished with a few more rows of garter.  I was somewhat reluctant to knit a scarf because I remember them taking forever and being pretty boring, but I was pleasantly surprised that this came together quickly - and he loves that I made it for him.

The mittens have a ribble cuff to match the scarf.  I spent a lot of time browsing Ravelry for free mitten patterns.  Although I have a really fun mitten book (Knit Mittens!), all of the patterns in it are pretty fancy, and I wanted something plain.  I eventually settled on this vintage pattern.  I also came across this stranded pattern on the same site - I'd love to make those in the future!

I originally wanted to make a matching hat to go with the scarf and mittens, but I didn't have enough yarn.  I only bought 3 skeins of yarn, and only have about 75 yards left.  Maybe next year I'll get another skein, hope the dye lots are close enough, and make the matching hat.


Pattern: My own brain for the scarf, vintage pattern for the mittens
Size: N/A
Yarn: Valley Yarns Northampton in Denim Heather (100% wool); 2.7 skeins = 270 grams = ~675 yds total
Needles:  US size 9 for the scarf, US size 5 for the mittens
Started/Completed: I don't remember - Fall 2016
Modifications: Ribble cuff instead of plain cuff for the mittens

 

Finished Deep in the Forest Mittens!

I finished my Deep in the Forest mittens.  (Two weeks ago, I think?)

I modified the pattern by making each mitten different, with a forest-y back and a checkerboard palm, and by making the hands and thumbs shorter.  I started the finger decreases seven rows early and omitted the last seven rows of the chart, and did the same with the thumbs (but made them five rather than seven rows shorter than specified).  I'm really happy with how they turned out.  The forest parts are a bit puckery, but I think that's to be expected for my first real colorwork project, and it's not too bad. 

Pattern: Deep in the Forest mittens
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette in Oyster Heather and Bittersweet Heather, 100% Peruvian Highland Wool

Winter break knitting: Mittens!

After I finished my niece's sweater, I started on these Deep in the Forest mittens.  I knitted on this first one through multiple holiday parties, movies, and a plane ride.  The pattern is written for three sizes, which are achieved by changing gauge.  I'm knitting them at the smallest of the three given gauges, and although I was initially worried that they would still be too big, the colorwork makes it pull in  a bit and it seems like they'll fit.  The pattern is written for two identical mittens, with the palm on one being the back of the hand on the other.  I want the two mittens to be different, so I am only knitting half the chart for the first mitten and will knit the second half for the second mitten.  Here's what the palm of the first one is looking like so far: