The past week my life has been consumed by two passions, a new shawl pattern and Katniss Everdeen. I'm not ready to explore these obsessions here, though. I'm just looking to do a little housekeeping.
Saturday, I finally polished off the thumb gussets for these pretty fingerless mitts:
Any Yarnissima fans might recognize the lovely coiny cable from her Firestarter sock pattern.
Visually speaking, there is nothing more striking than twisted cable knit stitches, especially when they are tiny. These are not tiny, but still extremely striking to this knitter's eye.
This project was a quick, fun gift knit. I used about 80% of one ball of Quince & Co's Lark yarn (colorway above is Peak's Ferry). I forgot to weigh the leftovers, so an approximate yardage isn't at my fingertips. One ball has 134 yards (the ubiquitous 50 grams). As per usual my kung fu grip when knitting small items in the round meant that my gauge was conspicuously tight, even using jumbo size US8s/5.00mm circs.
Mitts like these knit up so fast and are so versatile, it seems like a knit failure on my part that I don't have a pair in each color of the rainbow. I should gosh darn it. My problem is that that every time I get the impetus to knit a new pair I seem impelled to reinvent the wheel.
Last year I came up with a little design using a DK weight yarn I picked up at the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool, my Barn Booster mitts:
Long Ridge Farm CVM/Romeldale DK in Red Rooster
Instead of just popping out a hundred just like this, I spent a good portion of the Fall trying to transpose the 24 stitch double leaf lace motif to a worsted weight canvas with middling results:
Cascade 220 colorway 9442 - Sherbert
Eventually I returned to what did work and knit a second pair like the Barn Boosters as a gift that never was gifted:
Loopy Ewe Sold Series Fingering in Sand
These have a very loose gauge. They make one feel 200% prettier just putting them on. Sort of like when you find the perfect dress to wear to a summer wedding. Anything feels possible wearing these mitts.
But back in the real world, I have been stuck trying to find the best knit thumb. I seem to keep referring to the problem as the gusset, but the gusset is simple for me. I have taken to using mirrored, invisible increases in adjacent stitches.
Solving the thumb problem is something I am very motivated to do. It is skill that I feel will add a great deal to my knitting . Once I master it, that is.
Saturday, I finally polished off the thumb gussets for these pretty fingerless mitts:
Any Yarnissima fans might recognize the lovely coiny cable from her Firestarter sock pattern.
Visually speaking, there is nothing more striking than twisted cable knit stitches, especially when they are tiny. These are not tiny, but still extremely striking to this knitter's eye.
This project was a quick, fun gift knit. I used about 80% of one ball of Quince & Co's Lark yarn (colorway above is Peak's Ferry). I forgot to weigh the leftovers, so an approximate yardage isn't at my fingertips. One ball has 134 yards (the ubiquitous 50 grams). As per usual my kung fu grip when knitting small items in the round meant that my gauge was conspicuously tight, even using jumbo size US8s/5.00mm circs.
Mitts like these knit up so fast and are so versatile, it seems like a knit failure on my part that I don't have a pair in each color of the rainbow. I should gosh darn it. My problem is that that every time I get the impetus to knit a new pair I seem impelled to reinvent the wheel.
Last year I came up with a little design using a DK weight yarn I picked up at the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool, my Barn Booster mitts:
Long Ridge Farm CVM/Romeldale DK in Red RoosterInstead of just popping out a hundred just like this, I spent a good portion of the Fall trying to transpose the 24 stitch double leaf lace motif to a worsted weight canvas with middling results:
Cascade 220 colorway 9442 - SherbertEventually I returned to what did work and knit a second pair like the Barn Boosters as a gift that never was gifted:
Loopy Ewe Sold Series Fingering in SandThese have a very loose gauge. They make one feel 200% prettier just putting them on. Sort of like when you find the perfect dress to wear to a summer wedding. Anything feels possible wearing these mitts.
But back in the real world, I have been stuck trying to find the best knit thumb. I seem to keep referring to the problem as the gusset, but the gusset is simple for me. I have taken to using mirrored, invisible increases in adjacent stitches.
Solving the thumb problem is something I am very motivated to do. It is skill that I feel will add a great deal to my knitting . Once I master it, that is.