What's a finger got to do to get some love?

I need to get a new schtick, because this shit is getting old.  Not that I don't like what I'm making, but I'm starting to feel like a freak with a one track mind: fingerless mitts.  And yet I can't. Tear. Myself. Away.

This first pair here I designed myself using some sock weight yarn someone had donated to me and a DK weight wool/cashmere blend left over from a sweater I knit this fall (photos to come when buttons have been sewn on).  I guess that's one of the advantages to making lots of the same thing: you learn enough about construction to be able to work with different needles and yarns, improvise and make something that fits.

Details:

Pattern: Latte Mitts, by me

Yarn: Brunswick Pomfret (tan); Zealana Eco Cashmere Merino Blend (dark brown)

Needles: 3.25mm

Started: September 20

Finished: September 23



When I decided to make these, I knew that I wanted to do something simple, but with a little design element, something that would be easy for me to knit on the subway and that wouldn't require a ton of concentration.  A little bit of texture by way of garter stitch on a stockinette background seemed like a good way to go, and the brown on tan just felt right for the fall. I mean, camel is all the rage this season, n'est ce pas?  And all in all, I'm really happy with the way they turned out.  Functional and subtly stylish.

Originally these were going to be a gift for a friend in Minnesota, but I've changed my mind.  The Latte Mitts will go to a friend in Oregon, and the mitts below will go to Minnesota, for what seem to me to be obvious reasons.

Chunky and cozy, these are better suited to fall and late winters in Minnesota than the Latte Mitts.  When it gets a bit colder, but before it turns bitter cold, they can be worn over an inexpensive pair of stretchy gloves, the kind you can get at Target for $2.  Again, pretty on-trend as far as color goes, and also with little bit of texture.  Me like.

Details:

Pattern: Rippled Cable Gloves by Linda Lunn

Yarn:Lion Brand Fisherman Wool

Needles: 4.0mn & 5.0mm

Start: September 29

Finish: October 8

You want to talk satisfying knits?  These totally fit the bill.  Easy pattern, not too fussy, a larger gauge (for a change)  smooth yarn with a touch of lanolin and a subtle texture that screams "I'm really cozy!!!". What makes these cables so lovely to my eyes is that they are so soft, and they are soft because they're not set off by twisted or purled stitches.  It's just cabling on a stockinette background, and the result is something distinctly feminine but not sissified or fussy (there's that word, again). In these one could ice skate or walk the dog or grab a pail or pick a couple of squash for dinner or help pitch a tent.  And hopefully one will.

p.s. True color is closest to the last photo, fyi.  Blast that direct sunlight!