Matchy Matchy

I knit my second pair of Align Mitts this summer and they turned out exactly as I wanted.  

I made them slightly shorter in the cuff and fingers which suit me better than the longer version.  The yarn I used was Meilenlweit Magico II by Lana Grossa in the overly descriptive colorway 3513.  It's a beautiful yarn to work with although it is a single ply so it can be a bit splitty.  The colours flow like the caribbean - hues of oceans and beaches.

When I finished I realized I had more than enough of this yarn left to make myself a hat.  And since I was in an adventurous mood, the Zigs and Zags Hat was created.  It is my first published pattern ever!

It's a really simple knit, mostly stockinette, with a zig zag pattern in purls.  It worked perfectly with the self-striping yarn by breaking up the texture without messing with the striping.  Who knows, this could be the start of my designing career...only time will tell :)

Fingerless Mittens

I'm always of two minds when I look at a fingerless mitten pattern.  They are one of those items that are fun to knit, gratifying in that they don't take long, but I never quite know when I'll wear them.  I live in Canada so if it's cold enough for gloves, you need your fingers covered too.  Wearing them in the house is an option but I find knitting awkward while wearing anything on my hands and I just feel silly wearing them while watching TV...what's a girl to do.  Well, they do make quick and easy gifts.

One of my very first projects after a garter scarf was a pair of fingerless mittens.  They were knit flat and seamed on the side, leaving an opening for the thumb.

I loved them.  I had made them all by myself and they actually fit AND they looked good...I was very proud.  That being said, I never really wore them that much.  They were a cheap scratchy acrylic with no give so they weren't ideal.  Looking at the pattern projects on Ravelry now, the pattern looks so much nicer in a lighter, softer, yarn.  Maybe I'll revisit this pattern in the future with a nicer yarn.

Anywho...

I decided to make a "finer" pair of fingerless mittens.  I saw this pattern from Courtney Spainhower on Very Pink Knits and decided I'd give it a shot.  VeryPink also has a great YouTube video that covers the pattern.

These turned out great.  They're well fitted, colourful, and comfy.  I haven't quite decided if I'll keep or gift but either way, I'm happy with how they turned out.

Awestruck by Mittens

Some people are too talented for words.  Whenever I scroll through projects on Ravelry, I'm awed by the intricacies that some knitters achieve.  Then there's these mittens from Kat Lewinsky at justcraftyenough.com.  Size 0000 needles people!!  Amazing.  Blue ribbon worthy for sure.