FO: Handspun manly mitts

Pattern: my own, a simple k6, p2 rib for the body of the mitt, with 8 stitches increased for the thumb gusset.
Yarn: Handspun BFL from Spunky Eclectic, detailed here
Needles: US 3/3.25 mm
Start/finish: 2 December - 6 December 2009
Gauge: ~6 st/inch
Comments/mods: Made for my brother, who lives in DC, where it gets cold, but not really really cold. I suspect he won't wear these much in the winter, but they'll be good for spring/fall transitional times.

I worked four rows of k1, p1 ribbing before switching to the main stitch pattern and worked for 2.5 inches before starting the thumb increases. Then put thumb stitches on waste yarn and worked the body of the mitt for another 1.5 inches before ending with 4 rows of ribbing. Then picked up thumb stitches plus 4 more and worked four rows of ribbing. Done and dusted (in the local vernacular).

I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve tonight!

FO: There's nothing like garter stitch squares for instant gratification.

Last week was uncharacteristically warm in London, so I was able to pull an ostrich over the fact that my children don't wear coats unless they have too, and certainly don't put anything on their hands! This past Monday temperatures were more "seasonable" and I decided it was time to bite the bullet and get something for the girls' hands.

Some fingerless mitts for Devil, in some lovely Koigu KPPPM that she picked out at Stash on our very first visit way back in June. Cast on 35 stitches on US 3/3.25 mm needles, knit until the "square" was big enough to fit around her palm (~5.75 inches) and sewed them up the side, leaving a gap for the thumb.

I never would have picked out this yarn, but I love how it knitted up. The colors blended beautifully in a range of gorgeous jewel tones. Now I want enough to make a sweater. For me.

However, at £10 a skein, that is never happening. Maybe I can make some mitts for myself instead...

Green stuffs

After a disastrous attempt to start the Aleita Shell (Rav link) last week at Knit Night (I cast on the entire thing, counted, had the right number of stitches, knit several rows and discovered I'd twisted the row before joining. Mobius Vest is not my thing. Ripped out. And by then, what with the talking and gabbing and screeching and such, it was time to go home), I made it past the first few rows. In fact, thanks to five hours on the confocal microscope yesterday, I've made it all the way up to the bodice and am working my way through p4, k1 ribbing galore.

This one is a fun knit. I like the yarn (Silky Wool), the pattern is fairly straightforward, but interesting enough to keep me from getting bored. And my new toy is making finishing one skein and having to start another a lot of fun.

However, this evening I am casting on something new (slut!). No project monogamy here, no sirree. This is the only yarn I picked up in London on our house hunting trip:

Indie Dyer Mini (fingering weight 100% superwash merino), in the colorway Dad's Den. Purchased at I Knit London, right by Waterloo Station. Given that my commute will involve changing from the train to the Tube at Waterloo, I suspect I may be stopping by on a weekly basis. This could get ugly...

FO: Rose Garden Mitts

So named because the colors of the yarn could have been inspired by nothing else.

Pattern: Mahayana Flying gloves
Yarn: Artyarns Supermerino, 104 yds/50 g - I used maybe a skein and a half
Needles: US 6/4.0 mm
Start/finish: 12/19-12/23 (I didn't quite finish these in the allotted 24 hr time frame (shock and horror, I know), but they were done very quickly. The second mitt took about 3 hrs start to finish)
Comments/modifications: These were a lovely quick pattern, and the gorgeous yarn made it all the better. The stitch pattern (which looks waaaay more complicated then it actually is) breaks up variegated yarns amazingly well (as evidenced by these examples) and it was great fun to see how the colors would stack up. I knit the pattern pretty much as given, although I had to increase the number of stitches - I used 37 stitches for the repeat instead of 31. To compensate for the larger size, I also worked the palm stockinette section over 15 stitches instead of 12, which necessitated starting in the middle of the stitch repeat after the palm. It wasn't too complicated once I got going.

I also worked 4 rows on the thumb and then 5 rows of ribbing - it comes up basically to the base of my thumbnail.

So, in summary: gorgeous yarn + great quick pattern = toasty warm hands. And these worked up so quickly that I suspect I will be knitting more of them for last minute presents. Not that I would ever have any reason to need a last minute present mind you.