Wednesday, October 12, 2016

'Tis Mitten Knitting Season


Hi, Knitters,
Mitten knitting season is now upon us. It never fails that as October rolls around and the air begins to cool I feel the need to knit mittens. This urge hasn't changed for decades. Last fall I devoted a week in October not only for mitten knitting but for adding sizes to my original Waiting for Winter Mittens & Fingerless Mitts pattern. And I also made a new pattern for baby and kid-size mittens called, Little Waiting for Winter Mittens & Fingerless Mitts.

For this fall of 2016 I am celebrating mitten knitting season in a couple of ways. First, I had both the Waiting for Winter and the Little Waiting for Winter patterns refreshed with a new and more concise pattern design. It is easier to read, has fewer pages and I've added some new photos. It's a bit of a makeover if you will. The actual patterns are exactly the same, no changes there.

The second way I am celebrating is by offering a big pattern discount for both of the Waiting for Winter mitten patterns big and little, and for my Half Pint Mittens bookmark/ornament pattern. For your convenience the discount prices are set for you on the pattern pages so no coupon code is necessary. 

It's a Mitten Sale!

Here are the links to the patterns for more information or to purchase, all discount prices are set:




The sale prices will go for one week starting today, October 12, 2016 through the end of the day on October 19, 2016. You can get the entire set of three mitten patterns in sizes for the entire family (10 sizes of mittens in all) plus the tiny bookmark or ornament pattern for $7.00! 


Half Pint Mittens are made with fingering weight yarn. These make the perfect bookmark with the string resting in between the pages or the perfect ornament with the string draped over your Christmas tree branch. 


My latest mitten knitting this week was from a gift skein of yarn from The Lemonade Shop. It's her worsted weight yarn, 100% superwash wool, in the Pinwheel colorway. This pair is a gift for a 14-year-old friend of my daughter's on her cross country team. I think they are going to be perfect for the cooler running weather ahead. 

The mitten blockers were purchased from Burning Impressions on Etsy! Mine are the medium size and I simply adore having these mitten blockers.

Here are some fun photos from the new pattern design!


These are striped using two balls of Noro Kureyon.


Yarn used here is Noro Kureyon. 


Yarn is Noro Kureyon, two balls striped. 

A stack of old and new Waiting for Winter Mittens

Waiting for Winter Mittens in Fresh Isle Fibers worsted singles Watermelon yarn

I hope you are able to enjoy the new pattern design for the Waiting for Winter mitten set and that you can take advantage of the discounted pattern prices this week. I am loving the fall season already and I am really anxious for the cooler months ahead. 

I have so much new and exciting stuff in store over the next couple of months. There is some big news brewing around these parts and I'll be filling you in very soon over the next few weeks. I hope you'll be as excited about it as I am! 

Much love to you all.
xo ~ susan

24 comments:

Tricia said...

Thank you, Susan! Just bought the regular mittens pattern and they will be perfect for gift giving! You're the best! In my head, your my best friend, too...(still cracking up over the Grocery Girls. Thx for turning me on to them and their podcast. They are just a hoot)!

Suzanne said...

I bet TC is a very popular member of the teams she plays on. The mitten update came through and now I'm itching to make a pair too.

Cynthiacc said...

I just cast on some little mittens yesterday, one is done and I plan on finishing several more !

Anonymous said...

How cute were those tiny mittens. They might fit my bunny.

Anonymous said...

Ah, now I wish my Knitcircus speckled yarn was worsted weight, not fingering weight! I love the new mittens.
-DCAlaneKnits

janel said...

Is there a link to buy the entire set for 7.00? Love every size....and "need" them all. Thanks in advance.

Susan B. Anderson said...

Hi Janel, you have to purchase the patterns separately. Thanks for asking.
Susan

Anonymous said...

You always find neat yarn. I totally want to steal your neon pair.

Holly said...

Love the bright & happy Lemonade mittens, thanks for sharing

KCina said...

Love all your fun mittens!!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Sorry Newbie question....what are mitten blockers for? I tried googling it but couldn't find a good article to explain why I need them and how to use them. Thanks!
Dayna

Anonymous said...

Trying to print the new small mitten pattern posted today. The dark blue and brown colors under the photo make it almost impossible to read the information. I need to print this information . . . . .any help? /no techie in TX

Susan B. Anderson said...

In response to the last comment about the brown and blue color boxes, I'm sorry you are having trouble with that.

I just printed out the pattern in both color and black and white to check the text. Both the black and white and color versions printed the text in the boxes very clearly. I didn't have any trouble reading the printed text in the boxes.

Maybe if you print in black and white it will be clearer on your printer?

Also, I am including the information that is in the boxes here in case this might help you. You could copy and paste this into your word program and print it out on white paper. I hope this helps.

Here is the informational text that is included in the boxes:
Size: Child’s Small (Medium, Large) to fit a 5 (6, 6 1⁄2) inch hand circumference measured across the knuckles at the base of the fingers and at the top of the palm.

To Fit: Approximately 2-4 (4-8, 8-12) years old – this will vary!
Baby Mitts (pattern on page 4) sizes: 6-12 months (12-24 months)
*The length of the hand and thumb can easily be made shorter or longer. Suggested lengths for each size are given in the pattern.

Yarn: 100 yards of a worsted weight yarn.


Note: I weighed the samples in grams for the 6-12 month size baby mitt and the child’s size small and medium.
6-12 month: 11 grams 

Small: 20 grams

Medium: 28 grams

The samples in the photos are striped in Noro Kureyon yarn. If you’d like to make the stripey version alternate 2 contrasting skeins of Noro Kureyon every two rounds. The thumbs and the top of the hand decreases are not striped and are just knit from one skein.

Note: There are options for customizing the length pointed out in the pattern. Be sure to note if your mittens are longer than the suggested lengths in the pattern the yardage requirement will be greater than listed.

Suggested needles: US 7/4.5mm double-pointed needles, set of 4

Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

*The needle size will vary with the worsted weight yarn you are using. The main point is to get the required gauge. Either you can just start the mitten and measure the gauge as you go since it is a small project or you could knit a swatch in the round before starting to measure the gauge.

Abbreviations:
K Knit

P Purl

K2tog Knit 2 stitches together.

CO1 Use the backwards loop cast-on method to cast on 1 stitch.
Rnd(s)
Round(s)


Tools:

Ruler or tape measure

Yarn needle
Stitch markers (one detachable marker for the beginning of the round, one marker to go on the needle for the thumb gusset stitches)
Scrap yarn

Susan B. Anderson said...

Dayna,
Mitten blockers are used for blocking your mittens after they are done or after a washing. You would put the damp mitten on the blocker to dry.

I use blockers a lot for photography and that is another use for them.

:)
susan

Anonymous said...

Thank you Susan!

Dayna

best deals said...

They're too cute. Just love them.

Dorothy said...

This pattern is excellent, and I love how the pictured mittens remind me of yarn confections. Ghost Walk sock yarn from your previous post is on its way to me, and now I'm addicted to your friends, the Grocery Girls. You have special powers over us knitters, Susan! 😉

Anonymous said...

Thanks Susan for the GREAT mitten pattern. Love knitting and I'm on my 6th mitten. While I was knitting the mitten, I wondered if you could perhaps come up with a new mitten pattern, perhaps with some sort of design in the center or maybe a cable? Wouldn't that be cool? Just an idea!! Thanks so much Susan!

Unknown said...

All design are cute and stunning, A huge thumbs up for you. :)

JABEDN said...

Hello Susan, I have been knitting the Waiting for Winter mittens, but have trouble with the thumb. Is there a tip you can give me to sew up the gap after the thumb is knitted. When I am done the area where I sew it does not look as nice as the rest of the mitten. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks JoAnn

Susan B. Anderson said...

Hi JoAnn,
Here is a great tutorial on hole fixing on mittens:
http://maryjanemucklestone.com/holes-horrors/

hope this helps!
susan

...Fabricole said...

Beautiful, and beautiful colors!

Genia said...

I have been trying to get the beautiful FreshIsle Fiber watermelon yarn for at least five years, but finally gave up trying because it was ALWAYS sold out. I was so excited to see your mittens in that colorway and tried again to buy some just now, and guess what.... it is still SOLD OUT. I couldn't find any way on the sity to contact the shop. Do you have any suggestions? I really, really love it... guess everyone else does, too. ;o)

Susan B. Anderson said...

Genia,
I remember when I got this yarn I had to be right there when she had her update. She is on Instagram as @Freshisle and you could contact her there. She would update at a certain time and I think that's the only way to get it.

Good luck!
susan