Sharing
The mitts (the ones meant to match The Boy's new hat) are done. Now, because The Boy has a deeply unreasonable lack of love for woolly mitts, these are not for him. They are for me. Definitely his loss. P.S. These are up for testing over here if you're itching to get them on your needles right this minute!
Inside out or Outside in
As promised, a quick look at both sides of the stitch on the mitts. The one on the left is what we've been calling side B, and on the right is side A. The finished mitt has been blocked, so I've stretched the partial one over a bit of cardboard to give a better sense of what side A will look like once it's blocked too. I continue to be pleased with them. I think I may have to play more with reversible cables (hint, the answer is ribbing).
Squeak
We can talk about the pattern later (next time I'll show you the two sides together, and then you can revel in the niftiness of the stitches) but for now, look at that loop of yarn. That loop is what happens when you're working the last part of the hand and realize you're going to be really close on yarn. Really really close. Really a lot. And so, in an effort to make the most of the available yarn, you go find the other end of the yarn (hint, it's not very far away, that's the whole source of the [...]
Display Some Adaptability
I'm unusually well equipped when it comes to blocking tools for knitting. I've got the traditional mats and pins. I've got a wide array of hat forms. I've got sock blockers. I've got mannequin feet. I've got mitt blockers. I've even got hand forms. Yet despite this unquestionably impressive array of props, I still find myself having to improvise from time to time. I'm off to take pics of these mitts later this afternoon. I made them to fit me (I'm greedy like that), but the lovely friend I've tricked bribed sweet talked into modeling them for the pics has [...]
Out of the Bag
I made mention, when I talked about the pink mitts, that they were going to be part of a collaborative project. I was all circumspect and discreet and gave no details away. For you see, it wasn't my project so it wasn't my place to spill the beans. But the beans, the beans have now been spilt (which spell check tells me is the wrong way to put spill in the past tense, but I maintain is just fine), so I can blab away. I'm thrilled to announce that these mitts will be one of many projects in a collaborative [...]
Ah, the Glamor
As mentioned before, we went out on Sunday to scout for photo locations. We took the pink mitts along with us because it's much easier to judge how suitable a spot is for taking photos if you actually, say, take photos. That, and I needed photos of the pink mitts. Now, the process of taking photos, especially photos of hands, is a tricky one. Trying to put your hands in some position that looks natural and comfortable and reasonable in the photo usually means contorting your hands, your body, and quite possibly your very soul into the most uncomfortable and [...]
On the Value of Following Instructions
You know how that last instruction in most every pattern is something to do with blocking? And you know how you may occasionally want to blatantly ignore that instruction? Mmmm, yes. Next time you're tempted to do that? Remember this picture. Same yarn, same needles, same knitter, worked the same week. One blocked and one not (yet) blocked. Which do you think will look better on? The goal is to have these blocked and dry for Sunday morning so The Boy and I can go traipsing around this neat half-collapsed greenhouse and take some pictures. Should be cool, if we [...]
Actual Knitting
Between the reading and rereading and rerereading of the proofs, there has only been a bit of time and energy for knitting. But that little bit has been quite pleasant. Here's the first of the redone mitts finished and blocked. I switched the thumb gusset out to the style I like better these days. It fits well and is easy to knit. I think it looks nifty too, but I could be biased. The second one is on the needles and might even be finished this weekend. Or maybe I'll nap. Depends on how cross-eyed I end up after the [...]
Updated
I know more about knitting, designing, and pattern writing now than I did a few years ago. That's actually a good thing. If I hadn't learned something in the last several years, I'd be terribly disappointed in myself. The tricky bit, though, is that when I look back at my early work, I sometimes get twitchy. I see all sorts of things I'd like to improve. Not correct...correcting is for wrong things...just improve. Different yarns, different directions, different charts, different photos. Alas, making these changes is generally not practical. There are only so many hours in the day, and updating [...]
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