Pattern: Mittens on Strings
Source: Simple Knits for Little Cherubs by Erika Knight
size:age 2-3
Yarn: Holly Spring Homespun, Merino Twist Hand-dyed, color- seaworld
Edging and string: Zara from Filatura Di Crosa, color - 1466 red
Needles: US size 6
It's still way too hot here in New Mexico and I'm so anxious for fall to begin. I made these mittens for my little boy and it was such pure satisfaction. I've knit many pairs of mittens in the past, but never like this. The pattern was quite unconventional and I kept thinking that I'd gone terribly wrong. Then the mittens suddenly appeared before my eyes. So much fun.
They were knit straight, but the seam is cleverly placed so it's inconspicuous.
The yarn was a gift from Emmy, my KMKS partner last year and I adored it from the moment I first saw it. It's plumpy and luxurious and the colors are delicious. There's enough yarn left to make myself a matching pair with little button-down flaps. Maybe next year.
I'm still working on the red string. It will be a thick double knitted tube that will never let those mittens go.
Headwrap for Paloma
Pattern: Adapted from the Dream Swatch Head Wrap By Wendy Bernard
dimensions: 44" x 1.75"
yarn: Regia Stretch Sock Yarn color- 82
My 12 year old cousin stayed with me recently and while she was over she saw me knitting a headband much like the one you see here for my son's best friend's birthday. She was dazzled by it so I started one for her during her visit. It's much narrower than the original version, but still long so that it can be worn with the ends peeking out from under her hair. She is a very fashionable child and I can't wait to see it on her.
A little preview of one more almost-finished small thing:
Labels: dream swatch head wrap, mittens
¶ 11:01 PM 6 comments
Our WANTED poster worked and Rufus and Bargy were recovered the same day it went up. I crocheted a string that very day and now they dangle from the coat.
How did the big kid feel about the reunion? He could hardly believe it. I had already prepared him to never see them again. I had even gone so far as to lay plans for their awesome successors, which, though they would never be the same as Rufus and Bargy, would have their own names and flip-back tips and, of course, button eyes. When I told the big boy about my plans, this was his reply: "I don't want other friends, Mommy. I need my Rufus and Bargy."
Oh, my aching heart.
(On the other hand, is there any more gratifying feeling for a knitting mommy than to have your handknits treasured so? How long will this last? I picture myself, when he's 14, desperately knitting an electric-guitar sweater that is inherently uncool and gets "lost" on the way to junior high.)
Thank you for all your sympathetic words. I realize it was a silly little crisis in the grand scheme, but it was our little crisis.
Last week I knitted the cutest little Calorimetry out of salmon-pink Manos for a precious little girl we know. So cute on a toddler! I was inspired by Scout's versions and took her advice about casting on fewer stitches than the pattern calls for. (Unfortunately, I haven't yet taken a picture of it to post here.)
All my other knitting projects are top secret and cannot be revealed here, as their recipients are regular readers. Stay tuned for pictures of a certain someone with a very warm neck. . . .
Until then, ciao!
Labels: mittens
¶ 9:56 AM 2 comments
I'm kicking myself for not crocheting the damn string between them. I kept saying I would do that, and I never got around to it. Grrrr!
The worst part is that it was me who lost them. It happened in the midst of my chaotic effort to wrangle two big coats, a scarf, my keys, two newly-created drawings from the school day, a screeching toddler and the mittens to the car.
If they come back to us, I swear I will attach them permanently to my son's coat.
They were good, irreplaceable friends and everyone around here is feeling low.
Labels: mittens
¶ 10:17 AM 3 comments
Speaking of Mittens...
My recent preoccupation with mittens began simply.
Now, it's become something much more.
Thanks entirely to a collaboration with the mitten giftee, the humble mittens have evolved into a strange (but charming) pair of new friends.
May I introduce Rufus & Bargy. (Rufus is taller).
These boys began as a pair of mittens adapted from the children's mitten pattern in the Elizabeth Zimmermann book, The Opinionated Knitter. I fiddled with the pattern a bit to make them the proper size for a small child and I gave them extra inches at the wrist for more warmth. The yarn is a hand-dyed, worsted-weight that I got at the Wool Festival in Taos. It reminds me of fall and crayons. Sadly, I was too dazed by beautiful yarn to note the vendor's name.They fit perfectly and there's a little space to grow.
The best part of knitting them? Creating the adorable curled-tip. This feature is uniquely Zimmermann's and it lends a quirky elfin personality to the mitts. For a more technical explanation of my pattern modifications please visit my post on Zimmermania, post title: Rufus & Bargy - of course.
I recognized their charm right away. What I did not see was the obvious need for eyes. My four-year-old pointed out that their eyes were missing. "How can they talk with me if they can't see me?"
Good question.
The curled tip.The backs of Zimmermann's mitts are embroidered with handsome chevrons. I decided that little x's were more little boyish.
And finally, Rufus and Bargy have a kiss:
Until next time. xoLabels: mittens, Taos Wool Festival, Zimmermann
¶ 5:44 PM 6 comments
