Mittenville

Yesterday I lived at least partly in Mittenville.
These mittens were knit for my son from Foxes, Geese, and Fences by Robin Hansen. I made them for him because I loved mine so much. These are made of Dale Heilo, leftover yarn from a sweater he's long since outgrown. Unfortunately, he's hardly worn these mittens. They are "too big and floppy." So yesterday, I got brave and threw these in with the laundry. A load in warm water and gentle agitation did nothing. But the hot water load with the towels produced this:
Not only are they just about the right size (OK, given my 'druthers, I'd have stopped just short of where we ended up), but the fabric is firm, flexible, and warmer than ever. I'm optimistic they'll actually be worn now. Shakespeare in the Snow is coming up - a retreat for his English Lit class that seems to be a bit about Macbeth and much about sledding and such.

They are knit as opposites. I like how this looks, and it also evens out the amount of yarn used between the two colors (green and white). And yes, the cuffs curl unattractively at the edge. This pattern recommends a special cast-on, which perhaps I don't do correctly, or maybe isn't quite the right thing, after all. In any case, we can all hope I do something different next time I make these otherwise excellent mittens.

I'm also enjoying the Anemoi Mittens I'm knitting for my mom (for Christmas, see earlier posts). The pattern is entrancing, and the yarn is a pleasure. The back of the hand requires some chart watching, but it's fun to watch the pattern emerge.
Then, the palm has this soothing, repetitive pattern which gives the knitter a little rest from concentration. By the way, I'm fairly confident that uneven-ness where I'm changing needles will disappear with a wet block. I'm using Blue Sky Alpaca, Alpaca and Silk, which is, as I said, a pleasure.

Comments

  1. Anonymous6:25 PM

    Your mittens are great! Anemoi is looking lovely also.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:09 AM

    I am in awe of your stranding work. Both projects are amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pam -- I am with you re: my fantasy life. In my fantasy, I have a bust, waistline, and no "chicken neck" so everything LOOKS GREAT on me!! Just don't look in the mirror! I love your hoodie and the hat/mitts for FIL. I, too, have a dear FIL that I should knit for while there is time.

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  4. Your mittens are great. I'm having a lot of trouble doing the tubular cast-on and making it look even. How did that go for you? Or did you do something different?

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