Thursday, October 17, 2013

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.


125

3 comments:

Go on! Comment! I love reading what you think! -m