Thursday, February 15, 2007

mittens for me


I so rarely knit for myself that I take real pleasure in the process. No deadline, no "will he or she like it?", and the fitting model is always right there.

These are Peekaboo Mittens from the February 2007 magknits. Several people on flickr have knit them already, so I wonder if they're going to be the next super-popular pattern like fetching fingerless mitts.

These are big mittens with a slit in the palm so you can slide your fingers out to handle keys, doorknobs, or the steering wheel of your car. They're big so they can fit over slim gloves if it's cold enough to layer (and it is, yes indeedy it is!).

I made mine with a strand of Jamieson Shetland, a nice old-fashioned bristly wool, and a strand of Baby Alpaca, for softness and warmth, held together. Because it knit to a much chunkier gauge than the pattern yarn, I adjusted the number of stitches down to 28 and did single ribbing around the slit (double ribbing, even on smaller needles, didn't contract with this yarn combination). I wanted a thick mitten, so I stuck with the size 7 needles, but wouldn't recommend that unless you don't mind tight knitting.

Every time I wear these mittens I am absurdly pleased. The color, the texture, and the fact that they are mine make me very happy.

4 comments:

LLA said...

They are gorgeous!

I had seen this pattern at GoodToBeGirl - and thought that it was so clever, and I love your interpretation of it...

futuregirl said...

I don't make things for myself very often either. It's probably the same for most crafters. We all should make things for ourselves more often. We, more than anyone, appreciate what went into making it. :)

These mittens are totally cute. I love the peek-a-boo finger slit. The color you picked is great.

Megan said...

I agree, your Peekaboos turned out great! It sounds like the alterations you made turned out perfectly to suit your needs. It would be great if you joined the knitalong, and shared your wisdom with other Peekaboo knitters! It's at http://peekaboomittens.blogspot.com.
Cheers!

Heather said...

Great mittens, Anne! I love the colour, it seems to shimmer. I would be absurdly pleased myself!