EZ Mitts!

 

I have a bit of a mitten problem.  These are so easy to make that I keep making them, though my wrist would prefer I take a short break.

The pattern is from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac, which a friend conveniently had and was willing to dig out for me.  Elizabeth had a serious thing for easy, quick knits that don't look like you just whipped them up, and these are the perfect example of that.  

They're just a tube, but the pattern of increases and decreases angles the tube, so you get a fun shape at the bottom and the stitches are on a diagonal.  And the increases and decreases are the simplest ones I've ever seen.  And, because you just repeat a row of decreases and a row of straight knit until it reaches your pinkie, then eliminate the increases, I don't have to look at the pattern at all to remember where I am.  I've just been shoving the knitting in my bag, instead of the whole knitting pouch with tools and patterns and counters.  Freedom!!

I dreaded the thumb, though.  You add it after by just snipping a stitch where you want the thumb to be, unraveling 15 stitches, and then picking them up to knit.   I had to have a friend do it for me.  It's just wrong to cut into the middle of your knitting!  Of course, it worked out, though I think the thumb on these purple ones is a row too short.  (Here's a great explanation of how to do it at the Purl Bee.  Also, I need to figure out how to finish the thumb like they do.)

Currently on my second of the seafoam mitts.  That makes four mittens in less than a week (not to mention the scarf I finished before starting the purples), no wonder my whole arm is sore!  I'm going to finish these and then get back to sewing.

Linking up with The Train to Crazy for Make It Wear It Thursday and Live a Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday!