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December 6, 2007
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.

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!

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.

Sometimes I think I am way too easily entertained.
Posted by Carole at December 6, 2007 6:50 AM
Comments
Pretty mittens! Time out for Hannah handknits indeed!
Posted by: Manise at December 6, 2007 7:00 AM
That "just one more row" thing is why I like self-patterning sock yarn.
Posted by: Ruth at December 6, 2007 7:18 AM
Rut row, Hannah. I'm a thrower too -- it looks great! Colorway is definitely in the air.
Posted by: Kathy at December 6, 2007 7:19 AM
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.
Posted by: maryse at December 6, 2007 7:26 AM
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.
Posted by: Mel at December 6, 2007 7:40 AM
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!
Posted by: margene at December 6, 2007 7:46 AM
Your mittens look great. That's nice to be doing some knitting for yourself!
Posted by: Beth at December 6, 2007 8:03 AM
Beautiful mittens!!
"Knitting Time Out" is exactly why DD doesn't get any handknits!
Posted by: Robin in VA at December 6, 2007 8:11 AM
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.
Posted by: Karen at December 6, 2007 8:14 AM
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.)
Posted by: Dave Daniels at December 6, 2007 8:17 AM
Those are gonna be gorgeous. Your tension looks picture-perfect to me!
Posted by: Anne at December 6, 2007 8:23 AM
They look expertly done to me! Nice! Mt kids keep their hats in same place Hannah does! And a bunch of other stuff too;)
Posted by: Carol at December 6, 2007 8:27 AM
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.
Posted by: Kirsten at December 6, 2007 8:40 AM
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!
Posted by: Deb at December 6, 2007 9:18 AM
Your mittens look so festive! Isn't it wonderous watching the colorwork develop?
Posted by: Birdsong at December 6, 2007 9:47 AM
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.
Posted by: Martha at December 6, 2007 10:29 AM
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.
Posted by: Wool Winder at December 6, 2007 10:48 AM
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
Posted by: sandy at December 6, 2007 10:48 AM
*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))
Posted by: JessaLu at December 6, 2007 10:57 AM
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.
Posted by: Carrie at December 6, 2007 11:10 AM
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!
Posted by: christine at December 6, 2007 12:49 PM
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!!
Posted by: michaele at December 6, 2007 1:19 PM
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.
Posted by: Emily at December 6, 2007 1:48 PM
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.)
Posted by: Lucia at December 6, 2007 2:07 PM
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.
Posted by: Cookie at December 6, 2007 2:19 PM
Nice work! You think you're easily amused? Self striping sock yarn and Noro still entertain me for hours ...
Posted by: Danielle at December 6, 2007 2:22 PM
Oh, that's beautiful! Isn't it wonderful when things click all of a sudden?
Posted by: Michelle at December 6, 2007 2:29 PM
Your colorwork is coming along nicely, and the mitten is loverly! And Christmas-ey to boot!
Posted by: Dianna at December 6, 2007 3:22 PM
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.) :D
Posted by: Teresa at December 6, 2007 3:31 PM
They look great. I'm working on a stranded hat but it's really slow going for some reason.
Posted by: Hillary at December 6, 2007 3:33 PM
Colorwork IS entertaining! It just flies (that whole "one more row" thing. I love it. I want to do MORE!
Posted by: elizabeth at December 6, 2007 3:51 PM
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.)
Posted by: Cheryl S. at December 6, 2007 4:21 PM
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" :)
Posted by: Debi at December 6, 2007 5:26 PM
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.
Posted by: marianne at December 6, 2007 5:55 PM
Those are extremely pretty mittens. I haven't tried color work yet, but I may be inspired to do it now!
Posted by: Jen in CT at December 6, 2007 6:07 PM
Very pretty! I've got to get around to trying some colorwork. It's on my list :-)
Posted by: Julie at December 6, 2007 6:16 PM
Nothing more entertaining than knitting!
Posted by: theLady at December 6, 2007 7:08 PM
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...
Posted by: Karen at December 6, 2007 7:20 PM
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!
Posted by: Kim at December 6, 2007 7:28 PM
Oooh. That mitten looks great!
Posted by: Susan at December 6, 2007 8:41 PM
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.
Posted by: Sylvia at December 7, 2007 1:48 AM
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 :-)
Posted by: Teyani at December 7, 2007 5:44 AM
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.
Posted by: Laurie at December 7, 2007 6:47 AM
Beautiful mittens! I too love seeing the pattern emerge and often say "just one more row". What yarn are you using?
Posted by: Lisa at December 7, 2007 6:56 AM
Gorgeous mittens. My last attempt was too tight, and was frogged, but the yarn in inextricably twisted around itself. sigh
Posted by: Paula at December 7, 2007 9:25 AM
Oh wow! That is purty! :-)
I've never succeeded at stranded mittens either. But this winter, that is going to change!...
Posted by: Beth S. at December 7, 2007 11:30 AM
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! ;)
Posted by: Jessica at December 7, 2007 12:00 PM
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.
Posted by: Mia at December 7, 2007 1:40 PM
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!
Posted by: lolly at December 7, 2007 1:57 PM
Consider yourself lucky. You might have well found her on the floor under the computer table. Teens.
Posted by: Judy at December 7, 2007 4:15 PM
Haha! I think there are a lot of us that easily entertained. Like you, I'm still working on loving stranded knitting. So far, it's the end result I love. Someday the process.
Posted by: Chris at December 7, 2007 5:30 PM
That is the reason I knit for myself most of the time. It's hard to see something you spent a great deal of time on just tossed aside (even if the recipient does that will all of their stuff). Hooray for selfish knitting! :) The mittens are lovely.
Posted by: Rachel at December 8, 2007 2:19 PM
*Love* the mittens! And both Hannah and her hat are gorgeous!!! :)
Posted by: Romi at December 9, 2007 11:43 PM












