As promised, a lovely pair of leafy mitts to go with the hat from earlier this month! Henceforth is out, and it continues to support my theory that knitted leaves are unspeakably charming. No really, I don't think I've ever met a knitted leaf I don't like.  Hats, mitts, cowls, they are just impossible to resist. They are especially nice because you can often mirror them, which soothes the part of my brain that likes symmetry.  That's what I did here, and it's subtle, but oh so satisfying. And speaking of satisfying, those thumbs are rather special!  If you're looking [...]

Ahem. I love this more than I should probably admit in public.  And I suspect some of you do too. I keep thinking of all the things I'd do with them, like make them as hostess gifts or housewarming presents or party favors (you know, if we weren't in the middle of a terrible pandemic made immeasurably worse by colossal ineptitude on the part of our government and unconscionable selfishness on the part of a subset of our citizenry). And I've heard from folks who want to make little holiday villages (I admit this was not part of my holiday [...]

This is your occasional reminder to set your thumb stitches aside on a piece of scrap yarn (rather than a spare needle) if at all possible.  You'll get a much better sense of the fit of the mitt when you try it on if they're on something bendy (and you should try your mitts on to make sure the thumb opening is deep enough and the mitt is long enough, even a few rows can make a big difference). Mitts should be out Tuesday (as always, barring any unforeseen calamities, but it's 2020 so let's not tempt fate).

You knew there would be another version.  I mean why stop with one when you can do a whole bunch. Because really, I suspect these are more fun in a whole village. And, before someone asks, I am totally filling mine with blocks. They provide a delightful structure and heft (I find it unreasonably amusing when a tiny piece of fluff turns out to be heavy when you pick it up).  They aren't nearly as crisp and firm if you stuff them with stuffing (though I'm pretty sure you could use something like floral foam or upholstery foam or styrofoam [...]

As usual, I want a set.  Apparently it's just how I'm wired (I'm also one of those people who feels a moral obligation to buy all the books in a series, even if I didn't especially like the first one, so I've clearly got some limitations I'm working with here, just in the interest of full disclosure). But, since I do know this about myself, I can indulge as needed. Like, say, with these pretty little things! Mitts to go with the hat should be out later this month (you know, if 2020 doesn't do something unspeakable to me or [...]

It's possible there are knitters out there who hate knitted leaves.  But I? I am not one of them.  I am, in fact, unreasonably fond of the silly things.  And Hitherto is a particularly lovely example of just how charming knitted leaves can be! I feel like I should have more of a story to tell you about these.  Like there should be some pretty stone wall in a secret clearing in the woods with beautiful cascading vines that turn gloriously bright every fall.  But there's really not. There's really just me, hopelessly enamored of knitted leaves and the tidy, [...]

Grumble grumble grumble. FINE. The increases really do look better if the stitch on top of them is twisted. Which of course I didn't realize until I was three or four rows in. Which of course means I get to rip those stitches out and do a bit of surgery to close it all back up. Fine fine fine. I'll be happier with it when it's done if I go ahead and fix it.  But I'm totally going to grumble while I do it. So much better.  Totally worth it.  But yes I did mutter and sputter and fume the [...]

With the hat sorted (and due out on Tuesday, if nothing untoward happens in the meantime), clearly mitts are the next thing that need to happen. Because hats by themselves are just not nearly as much fun as hats and mitts together.  That's my theory and I'm sticking to it!

If I could wave a magic wand and grant you a knitting super power it would be blocking.  Blocking your knits makes them So Damn Much Better it's basically a magic trick.  I know some people fight it (not sure why mind you...but the evidence sure suggests that some of you do), but I will never stop encouraging you to do it. Blocking is how you go from this: To this: And from this: To this: I've written about how I block and what I use for it before, so you can go read all about it if you're so [...]