Mittens!
I've always wanted to try to knit mittens, so I bought yet another skein of Lion's Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick and gave it a shot. I tried this pattern which uses the blue loom and knits the mitten in one piece, thumb included. The only sewing is the top and the sides of the thumb. I chose the flat stitch so the mitten wouldn't be loose, and I think they ended up okay. Not great, because I changed the top of the mitten. The pattern called for a gathered top, like a hat, but I decided to do decreases and stitch the top like a flat panel.
Did it work? Yes and no. For one thing, using the flat stitch made me have to guess the number of rows--I needed more than the pattern called for because the flat stitch is so tight. Also, I have a lot to learn about decreasing because the mittens look a little off on the top, plus my stitching is bumpy. They work, though, and I was able to toss snowballs for my dog to chase while my hands stayed warm. These would be even better if I could line them with flannel, but until then, they're just fine.
My other cat, the one who doesn't bother me when I knit unlike this one, just had to take a look. I think she was impressed. I can always tell when she likes something because she lies down on it, and that's just what she did.
Comments
Very nice! I have some mitten patterns but I never wear mittens so I haven't tried making any. Those look thick and warm.
I've never seen that particular blog before. Thanks for the link. I'm building quite a collection of looming sites.
I only had medium gauge yarn on hand, so I experimented, and chain stitched the yarn and then knit the mittens. It took a long time with all that chaining (but, hey, I would have been riding the bus and listening to music, anyway), but they look really warm, and it's nice being able to gift someone with a scarf, hat, mitten combo.
That's great, Eva! I'm working on a new pair, trying hard to perfect the in-the-round, blue loom mitten. I'm using two strands of Paton 100% merino wool with the flat stitch for the entire thing. It's becoming a very snug mitten, perfect for medium-sized hands. I'll post the details soon.