This and That

Hi Knitters,

See that mitten? That is size woman's small that doesn't come close to fitting my woman's small hand. (Note to self: don't photograph your wrist ever again.) The Collector couldn't even fit her little hand in this mitten.
Here is size woman's large with some modifications to make it even larger. It fits fine now. The pattern is the Plum Blossom Mittens that I have linked and talked about before. Here's the thing, I started doing the fair isle flower pattern (you can see it in the corner of the sheet) in another mitten I started but I had some concerns. The concerns were that first, it would be way too small (I was right), second, there were long skips in the fair isle and it was a major pain to carry and twist along the contrast color in the round on 4 double pointed needles. I just wasn't having any fun with it. That's when I stop. I need to have fun while I knit or forget it.

I was going to duplicate stitch on the bloom and I even started on one of the mittens. It did not go well and it didn't look particularly good, so I pulled it out. I have an idea that I think will carry on with the theme of putting the palms together and getting that one image. I will share it as soon as I am done.

I still recommend the basic mitten pattern just be mindful of the size. I had to make the largest size and I had to make it a lot longer on the cuff and the palm before decreasing for the top. You can try it on as you go and then you can't miss with the length. 

It is a simple and easy pattern and I learned a thing or two. It has the coolest thumb ever. You knit an I-cord on 10 stitches and then to close up the ladder you chain up the bars with a crochet hook creating stitches. You pull the end at the top of the thumb through the last crocheted stitch. I thought this was genius and I loved it and I love that I learned a new trick. The other cool thing is that the thumb gusset was done in the simplest way at the end of the round. These mittens are so easy to make and it is a good pattern.

One other thing is that the yarn, Valley Yarn's Berkshire Bulky, is fantastic. It is soft and beautiful and it only cost $4.99 for 108 yards. That is a steal. I will use it again and again. I will definitely be making some stripey pairs for gifts, they are so fast.
Now for some odds and ends. These are the cutest little hair clips I bought at Anthology. I have to get down there again soon. These are The Collector's clips. The popsicle clips are like a ceramic type piece and the owl clips are fabric covered buttons. You can find them here online. I never tire of owls for some reason. I thought you might enjoy these bits of fun. They are the perfect stocking stuffers.
I pulled out my Yuletide Gnome for the season. Can't beat that beard. Hey, I found the pattern for you here. Before this pattern was more difficult to get your hands on but Alan has made it available as a single sheet now. Smart move.

When I see that I am getting a lot of hits from Japan I know Sunny has been up to something. Sure enough, check this out.

I just received a copy of Knit Two from Kate Jacob's publicist at Putnam publishing. I will try to read it soon and let you know what I think. It may not be for awhile but I thought you might want to get your own copy if you are a fan of her first novel. It was released on November 25th. I am interested in reading Knit Two and I am crossing my fingers for a happier ending this time. I still liked the first book but I just wish it wasn't so sad.

One last thing, the new winter Knitty is out. It looks like there are some fun patterns with some big-name designers included like Norah Gaughan, Nicky Epstein, Stefanie Japel and more. Wow, what a line up.

Carry on, Knitters.

best, susie