Mittens are my socks

I do know the difference.  Socks for feet, mittens for hands.  What I mean is, a lot of knitters love to knit socks.  They're small, they're useful, and heels and toes are quite satisfying.

Me, I think mittens are fun.  They're small, they're useful, and they don't quickly wear out.  Plus, both the wearer and others can see and enjoy them while they're being worn.

These mittens were a little playing around with yarn left over from Sophie's RBG sweater.  I used the Beginner's Mittens pattern from Anna Zilboorg's book Magnificent Mittens.  I just linked to the book Magnificent Mittens and Socks, because it's easier to find.  And the mittens are the same.  Once upon a time, before I blogged (in fact, before almost anyone blogged) I knit several pairs of truly magnificent mittens from this book.  These are not quite as show-stopping, but they were fun to make, and I like them.  (Here's one pair I made since I've been blogging.)

These mittens are knit from the tip, with a clever cast on that seems to start out of nowhere.  (It's the same cast-on used for toe-up Turkish socks.  I used the "collar" pattern from the yoke of the RBG sweater to decorate the palms and backs.  Plus, stranding another color here makes the mittens warmer. 

And just like that, though there's still a little snow melting off the driveway, spring is here.  

Mittens Knitorious

• The Plucky Knitter Primo Worsted, wool, cashmere, nylon, Morticia and Powdered Sugar colors.  Leftovers, about 100 yards black and 50 yards white
• Size 4 and 2 needles (three sizes smaller than used for the sweater I knit from this yarn)
• Using directions from Magnificent Mittens by Anna Zilboorg, and a motif from Park Williams' Knitorious RBG sweater
• Sized to fit my hands, or S/M woman's hands
• on Ravelry