Digits

This last week the first of the colour full mitts happened, and the second is underway. I love the construction - first one knits a bunch of digits, various sizes and lengths, with a provisional cast on, the cast off at the finger ends. Then the provisional cast on is unzipped and the fingers slid onto a circular needle and the rest of the mitt worked. It was fiddle. Up satisfyingly fun. I have an irrational dislike of rolling stocking stitch(ss) fabric so ended my mitts with 4/5 rounds of k1p1 rib instead of simply casting off. I actually like the look of soft rolling ss fabric, just not the idea of the bulk and rubbing that could result ... As I said irrational, maybe for the next mitts I will challenge myself to knit the fingers to the end in stocking stitch. Yes there will be another pair.

Knitting the first mitt was exciting until I missread the instructions. After the thumb was attached I gaily went about decreasing away the gusset - and didn't read the full instructions, I just went ahead and decreased as per the bullet pointed decrease instructions. Trouble was the decreases were introduced in stages not all at once like I had worked. So I frogged, and began again. This time I ended up with a wrist that was very very snug - and I noticed instructions to modify the decreases for a wider wrist. So I frogged again and worked the decreases one last time being very careful about recording what I did, that worked. The thumb gusset hand join still looks messy as I have not grafted the gap closed yet. The other interesting point about these mitts is unlike most other mitts the gusset stitches are not decreased away so the thumb gusset reduces to nothing - but instead the hand stitches are reduced. Same effect in terms of fit, but very different look - the thumb section shifts subtly over into the wrist instead of disappearing into a point. I like it. Makes me think of roads and lanes merging.

I've made a start on mitt 2, fingers all done and the thumb is standing by. This one should be much simpler with less frogging. On mitt 1 the cuff is finished with a turned up faced hem. On ravelry recently (or a few months ago or more - it could be that long) a comment about a Monmouth cap (wiki link for those unfamiliar ) suggested that faced hems were not traditionally worked with a purl turn round, but instead the facings were worked down from a pick up round, and the hats were finished with a standard chain bind off - you know the knit one stitch, knit another, pass first knit stitch over second, knit another, repeat till done Part of the argument went along the lines that grafting was unknown or at least not present in any other knitting from that time. For some reason I wanted to try that with this mitt - so I did. I liked it and will document the process in the next post. I think this maybe my new favorite way to hem knitting - and I'm anxious to try it on a hat - a Monmouth cap even.

I like these mitts, they fit snugly, maybe too snug for me, I knit the smaller size and maybe it should have been the larger one. My only comment is the mitts are shaped for a slender hand, and on me I feel I need more room for my thumb pad - but that is not a problem, I plan to test the larger size and that may be all that is needed. Pattern is free - and clever, available here.

Na Stella

 

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