Mittens for Me

Thank you all for the nice compliments on Hannah’s new hat. I agree that it looks smashing on her. However, I found it on the floor under the computer desk this morning. You would think that Hannah would know better than to treat hand knits in this manner and yet, there it was. So, Hannah’s in a bit of a hand knit time out, if you know what I mean.

The good news about that, though, is that these new mittens are now for me.

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This is the farthest I have ever gotten on a stranded mitten. I’ve tried before but always ended up ripping them out because my tension would be all wonky and it would look like crap. But, a little advice from my library knitting group gurus and I think I’m finally on the right track with this stranded knitting business. Yippee!

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I can’t say I’m at the point of actually enjoying the process just yet, though. I haven’t figured out how to hold both yarns at the same time — I’m a thrower — and that makes for slow going. On the other hand, I do love watching the pattern emerge and find myself knitting “just one more row” to see what happens next.

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Sometimes I think I am way too easily entertained.

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Comments (53)

  4. i knit joe a hat last year. he wore it once and then it disappeared into the pit of hell that is his truck. i was sure it was gone forever. and then it showed up again on his head while he was doing leaves a couple of weeks ago.

    anyway, the hat is cute, the kid is cuter and the mittens are going to be fantastic.

  5. Simple, dear. You’ve gotta learn how to hold one color in each hand. If this confirmed picker can learn to do it, then so can a confirmed thrower. I’m sure of it.

  6. I’m a one color in each hand knitter. It takes practice to get a good tension but you’re doing very well! Knitting is as entertaining as a hobby can be…every stitch bring such joy!

  9. Your mitten looks great!! Will you share the little advice to help with tension? I too am a thrower and can’t keep tension with two colors.
    Oh I know about kids and handknits. We went to pick H up at school and the scarf I had recently knit her was laying on the floor along with just about everything else she owns.

  10. Well, you conquered cables, so this should be a breeze, too. I’ve always wanted to try this technique, but i think my first attempt should be a small bag or something cylindrical. (NO thumbs to worry about.)

  12. They look expertly done to me! Nice! Mt kids keep their hats in same place Hannah does! And a bunch of other stuff too;)

  13. That “just one more row” thing propells me through stranded work. It is so much fun to watch the pattern emerge.
    Your mittens are looking beautiful. The tension seems just right.

  14. I’m a thrower too but seem to do ok with a color in each hand. But your mitten and Margene’s are giving me the bug to go dig out my Latvian book!! It’s beautiful!! Go easy on Hannah – at least she loved it for a while!

  16. I have tried and tried to learn to knit with one color in each hand and I finally just gave up. What I do instead is lay both colors over my right index finger and rotate between them. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than letting go and picking up over and over again.

  17. Very pretty! I haven’t done much stranded knitting before…only one hat that changed colors every other stitch. You are inspiring my to try something more challenging.

  18. I love your mitts. And don’t you deserve something you made for you after all you do for others. Enjoy the process and the mittens. I bet we won’t see them under the computer desk. haha Have a great day. sandy

  19. *gasp* she left it on the floor!? She’s in big trouble with the knitting police! ;o)

    Glad to see you’re breaking out of your monochromatic era… ;o))

  20. Sounds like the beginning of a colorwork addiction, if you ask me. My first “real” lace project was like that. I didn’t like it, it was uncomfortable and I wanted my fat squooshy yarn and bigger needles, but I couldn’t stop because each row brought something new.
    Shame on Hannah for dumping that lovely hat on the floor. She’s lucky you don’t go buy her some nasty scratchy squeaky sweater and make her wear it instead of her nice ones, so she’ll remember why she should care for handknits.

  21. Chester has been on handknits timeout since he ate the ribbing on his last sweater…………

    I love Hannah’s hat, and your mittends (that is the way I think it should be spelled) are delightful! Loverly!

  22. Ooh – what was the advice they gave you? My stranded fair isle glove is currently on pause. I am not looking forward to weaving in all those ends!!

  23. Oh the shame (Hannah’s that is)! But at least you got some cool mittens out of it. My trouble with stranding is that I can’t keep the yarn wrapped around my fingers and end up pinching it. I have to do that when I knit regularly too – it’s just tougher with one strand of yarn pinched in each hand. I run out of fingers for needle holding.

  24. Oooh, so pretty! I’ve made only 1 1/2 pairs of stranded mittens so far, but seeing all the lovely ones has definitely got me itching for more. I do recommend learning to pick if you can — it goes ***much*** faster with two hands.

    (Have you seen Alwen’s blog? She does double knitting Continental style, holding one yarn on the middle and one on the index finger. So far I’ve been unable to master the technique, but it’s pretty amazing, and if it can be done left-handed I can’t imagine why it couldn’t be done right-handed.)

  25. I bet it was Mason. In a fit of jealously over not having any hand knits of his own. You know what cats can be like.

    You’re doing great with that mitten, Carole! Keep it up.

  29. What a beautiful mitten! I was going to buy this book online, but I was so afraid it was in Swedish or Norwegian. What an odd thought huh?

    Ooo..on the floor huh? Uh oh. Well, I’m sure she now knows that millions of knitters across the world are now clucking our tongues and shaking our heads in unison. (I would say wagging our fingers too…but that’s in an extreme case scenario only.) 😀

  32. Good luck with the mittens – it looks like you’re doing great so far! I just cast on for my first colorwork, but haven’t gotten past the first few plain rows yet. I’m planning to try one of those Norwegian knitting thimbles that have yarn guides on them so you can carry 2 colors in the same hand. (I’m a picker, and I’m afraid I’d totally suck at throwing.)

  33. I love this mitten and it couldn’t go to a more deserving recipient.

    Here’s a secret…every time I see that book my brain reads it as “Selbuttlover” 🙂

  34. As we all are, eh? (easily entertained)..
    They’re looking beautiful!
    I’m a thrower also and I just keep tossing my ‘traveling’ ball of yarn around… one of these days I’ll figure out the easy way.. as in both hands holding a colour.

  38. Looks like you have the tension thing figured out for sure. I have a couple of books with colorwork mitten patterns, but have yet to try any of them. Someday…

  39. I’m a thrower too and color knitting is the hardest thing for me to do…..although I am going to give it a try again:-)

    Your mitten looks perfect!

  41. I am making myself wait to open that book until after we have moved. I’m a reacher so carrying colors in both hands is easy. I used to throw, but fell in love with colourwork and converted!

    If we put people on time out for handknits on the floor in this house, we’d all be nekkid… Why not wear the hat yourself and not say anything until she does? Tell her you’re training the hat to stay on a head instead of throwing itself on the floor.

  42. they look beautiful Carole. After my experience with 2 colors in making Erin’s scarf, I have decided to hold off on any further stranded knitting.. it was very tough to get my tension right. I’ll look forward to hearing all your tips and techniques discoveries 🙂

  43. I’m really impressed. WHat were the hints? I took Galina’s continental knitting class so I could strand with the left hand. I can do the knit stitch tightly (HAVE to fix that), and the poorl stitch poorly.

  44. Beautiful mittens! I too love seeing the pattern emerge and often say “just one more row”. What yarn are you using?

  45. Gorgeous mittens. My last attempt was too tight, and was frogged, but the yarn in inextricably twisted around itself. sigh

  47. Oooh good choice! I just got the book and am dying to knit something from it. If only there were more hours and less of them at work! 😉

  48. I love the colors you are using. And it also take me forever to finish stranded knitting since I carry both yarns in my left hand. I am going to make a pair of mittens from that book this winter too.

  49. I have just fallen in love with colorwork. I am still figuring out the techniques and finding what works for me. It looks like your mitten will be perfect! I love the red and white. Traditional AND modern! 🙂 I think I need to pick up a copy of this book!

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