Mmmmm...mittens

It has been quite a while since I have blogged. Then again, it has been quite a while since I have knit anything. I took the Christmas season off from knitting. I had too many other things to do and I had to prioritize. It was the first Christmas that my 2 year old could really understand and I wanted it to be extra special. But as soon as the holiday was over, I was more than ready to get my needles moving again and the first thing on my list was to finish the mate to the mitten I had finished way back in November.

Pattern: Green Autumn by Jared Flood from the Fall 2008 issue of Vogue Knitting
Yarn: Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift in color #130 Sky
Needles: size US 1 dpn's
Mods: Knit the mitered pattern on the cuff of the right mitten to go in the opposite direction than the cuff of the left mitten

These mittens were a tour de force. The chart alone was daunting but to actually knit them required my full attention and they were not a quick knit. I have not, so far, had second sock syndrome but I was pretty close to second mitten syndrome with these. Luckily, I am not someone who likes to leave my projects unfinished. The end result was well worth the effort. It is quite a stunning design and they are mittens you will not likely find anywhere else.

I had a little trouble with needle size when I first started. I used the recommended size 3 and the stitches were way too loose. I ripped it all out and started again on the size 3's but tried to knit much tighter with pretty much the same result. Thank goodness for Ravelry - I checked there to find many people having the same issue and they all suggested to move down to size 1. After that, things moved along.

I used the yarn that was recommended and I love the wooliness of it. I also love the different colors that run through it but it still looks solid. This was my first time knitting mittens and I love them! They are nice and warm - and very pretty!