The Hedgehog Mittens

And for my next trick:
Hedgehog Mittens. Inspired, in no small way, by Nanny Ogg. I love Nanny to distraction.

Cupcake mitten pattern is live!

Finally, finally, I come bearing the Cupcake Mittens pattern! Grab it here on Ravelry (and yes, in the Etsy shop too -- soon.)Cute mittens featuring everyone’s favourite treat – cupcakes! Sweet little cakes (in several different flavours) march across both the back-of-hand and the palm of these charming mittens. A striped thumb adds contrast and interest.I should also mention that (as usual,) instructions are provided for making fingerless Cupcake Mittens as well!

Das infos:

Size: Women’s Medium (or any hand that is 8” in circumference.)

Gauge: 9 stitches = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in Stockinette st.

Yarn: One ball of Knit Picks’ Palette (231yd / 50g) in Bluebell (Main Colour -- MC,) and partial skeins of Knit Picks Palette in the following Contrast Colours: Custard (Contrast Colour A– CCA,) White (Contrast Colour B – CCB,) Rouge (Contrast Colour D – CCD,) Doe (Contrast Colour E – CCE,) Bark (Contrast Colour F – CCF,) Pimento (Contrast Colour G – CCG,) Cotton Candy (Contrast Colour H – CCH) and Garnet Heather Doe (Contrast Colour I – CCI.) Alternately, any other fingering yarn in these colours or colours of your choice may be used. A 15” piece of waste yarn of the same weight in a contrasting colour to hold the thumb stitches is also required.

Needles: One set of five (5) double pointed needles in US 1 (2.25 mm) or size necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions: A stitch marker to mark beginning of round (optional,) and a sewing needle to weave in ends.

Skills Needed: Increasing and decreasing, knitting in the round, stranded knitting, twisted stitches, and chart reading.

Now I'm off to go chart the NEXT two mitten patterns. Stay tuned!

What's next

THESE:Cupcake mittens. More on these soon!

New fingerless mitt pattern now available!

They're out, and in plenty of time for the holidays, too!These fingerless mitts (formerly known as the Gauntles, now known as the SpillyMitts,) feature a unique twisted stitch motif, with slightly different detailing on the inner wrist and palm. Get the pattern here on Ravelry!

Though these are sized to fit any hand 8 inches in circumference, the rib and cable motif will accommodate a variety of sizes.

The 4-page .pdf features large colour-coded charts to make the twisted-stitch-knitting process as painless as possible.

And here's are the rest of the details:

Yarn: 1 skein of Patons Classic Wool (223 yards / 100 g) in Mercury
Needles: 5 dpns in US 4 (3.50 mm)
Gauge: 6 stitches = 1 inch in Stockinette

And much like with the Heirloom socks, to make these mitts you're going to need to know how to knit through the back of the loop, cable, read charts and knit in the round.

Wait til you see what's coming next!

Heirloom socks pattern! 200th post!

This is my 200th post. Let's celebrate together with a new sock pattern release! The (newly-renamed) Heirloom socks are now available!Get the pattern here on Ravelry. It will be appearing in my Etsy shop shortly.

These rustic, intricate socks are knit top-down and are available in both Men’s and Women’s sizes, so they can be made to fit practially anyone that you’d like to knit them for!

As the Men’s size was created to fit US Men's shoe sizes 10 and 11 (and the pair I made fit my husband who wears a US Men’s 12,) they will fit the male feet in your life. There just aren’t enough pretty, manly (and pretty manly) socks out there!Oh yes, and they’ll fit you ladies too. You’ll just have to use fingering weight yarn instead of the worsted.

Please note that the gauge differs between the two sizes, as does the yarn weight and needle size:

Women’s Medium:
Yarn: 440 yards (100 g) of fingering weight sock yarn
Needles: 5 dpns in US 3 (3.25 mm)
Gauge: 7 stitches = 1 inch in Stockinette

Men’s Medium:
Yarn: 2 skeins of Patons Classic Wool (223 yards / 100 g) in Cognac
Needles: 5 dpns in US 4 (3.50 mm)
Gauge:5.5 stitches = 1 inch in Stockinette

And to make these critters, you'll going to have to be comfortable with knitting through the back of the loop, cabling, chart reading and knitting in the round.

I'm off to work on the Gauntles pattern. Keep an eye out for that today!

The first of the Fancy-pants Gauntlets

It's finished!Yes, the fancy-pants gauntlet (working title: "Gauntles,") is but a fond memory. Now to knit the mate.

Oh, yeah, here's what the palm looks like:Keep an eye out for the pattern as it should be turning up soon!

You can't even approach the flava..!

...of my Colognac. Erm, I mean Köln socks. From the front:and from the back:Yes, the socks shown are men's socks. The pattern will also offer woman-sized socks, so fear not.

I polished these off yesterday, while I was working al fresco. I fear that my days of knitting outdoors this year (at least in my area) are sadly numbered. Luckily that means it'll be time to actually wear the things that I've spent all that time making. In fact, I started one such project today, may they be done and wearble very, very soon:This is the relatively early beginning of a pair of fingerless mittens (gauntlets.) Yes, you read that correctly. I am fighting the urge to put fingertips on these critters, at least this time around.

Frankly, what astounds me more than the fact that I am actually purposefully knitting things without fingertips is that I'm not yet totally burnt-out on all this twisted-stitch knitting. It can get intense at times, that's for sure.