Let's Knit Mitts!

Only a few spaces remain in my Smitten with Mittens workshop at Eleganza Yarns this weekend!

Come join me for some mitten knittin' in Frederick, Md. this Saturday (10/9). We'll spend four delightful hours -- with a break for a quick run to Frederick Coffee Co. down the street.

Participants will...
- Learn how to design great looking and well fitting mittens and fingerless mitts
- Explore measuring tips and techniques for unique design features
- Discover the whys-and-hows of different thumb/gusset constructions
- Try out new stitch patterns, cuff ideas, and embellishments for creative, unique mittens

AND, every student will leave with a customized pattern!

Heart in Hand Fingerless Gloves

What you'll need: 200-250 yards of worsted weight yarn for main color, 75-100 yards of several colors of contrasting worsted weight yarn, tapestry needle, sewing needle, colorful scraps of yarn for embellishment

All this for only $60??? What a deal :)

Call the store or sign up online today, and bring a friend!

Smitten with Mittens Workshop
Instructor: Hannah Six
Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010
Time: 12 Noon to 4 p.m.


PS. A special note from me: Please try to purchase your main-color (and contrasting color, if possible) yarn at Eleganza, and do come early to allow enough time for skeins to be wound into center-pull balls.

Let's Knit Mitts!

Roll Over

Rollover Gloves, in Socks that Rock Medium Weight (Colorway: Philosopher's Stone)

I've been working on a few things lately, in between long spells of "resting up" and trying to up my energy level. I'm excited about two designs I've done for two terrific sock clubs. And there's always more in the works...

In terms of "my own designs," or designs I came up with for no one in particular, these fingerless gloves sum up my primary goal over the past several weeks: Seek warmth! Our house is on the old side, and gets drafty and chilly when the temperature drops below 50 degrees.

Sometimes, though, I just don't feel like bundling up in bulky clothes. Enter the wrist warmers/fingerless gloves. They really do keep you warm! And, importantly, this pair allows enough finger and thumb dexterity to let you knit/crochet/spin your little heart out.

Wear 'em while you knit!

The semi-random cable pattern and little details like the purl rounds at the fingers make this a quick-to-knit project with enough interest to keep you awake, but not so much that it interferes with your enjoyment of Entourage reruns.

This pattern will be available soon, with some thumb and finger options. That way you can make one pair to wear when you're snuggling up indoors on cold days, and another pair with more coverage to wear when you run out to your LYS for more yarn.

***

Speaking of which: Please shop at your LYS as often as you can. Michael's and AC Moore don't need your business to stay alive. Your LYS does. Let's all pitch in and help the little guys!

Need the new issue of Interweave Knits or Spin Off? Head to your LYS.
Need an invigorating shot of new yarn in your stash? Head to your LYS.
Just want a little company while you knit? By all means, head to your LYS...then consider picking up a tiny, little gizmo, gadget, or gewgaw while you're there.

After all, wouldn't it suck to live in a world without independent yarn stores? Yes, it would.

***

And now, to thank you for enabling me to get on my soapbox for a few lines, I'll share a little treat I threw together a while ago:

Gorgeous hot pads from Karin Birch:: Sewn (Check out her Etsy shop!)

After a quiche-making session, I found myself with an extra (refrigerated) crust. One evening (one? hah!) my sweet tooth was acting up. So I grabbed a couple of reasonably-tasty apples that had been languishing in a bowl on my table, and chopped them up into one-inch cubes. Then I rolled the crust into circles and mounded the apples on top.

A couple of tablespoons of sugar (both white and brown), some cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and numerous "dots" of butter rounded out the filling. I folded the edges in, poked some holes in them with a fork, and baked them at 350 until the apples were tender.

The result: Pretty little apple pockets.
The verdict: Very tasty...especially with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top. Yum.

Happy knitting!

Roll Over

Ode on a Peruvian Glove

A little more than a year ago, when we still lived in downtown DC, I found myself out and about on a frigid day, without gloves--on foot, of course--with grocery shopping to do. It was one of those days when the thermometer drops about 20 degrees in an hour. After battling a razor-sharp wind all the way from 18th and L streets to 15th and P (NW), I dove through the doors of our local Whole Foods store, my hands both numb and raw.

I grabbed a basket and set about my shopping. But these gloriously colorful gloves drew me in, irresistible despite my budget-conscious state of mind. Mittens, hats, and full-fingered gloves shared the end-cap display with the fingerless variety, which I happen to adore.

Hand knitted of 100% alpaca by members of a Peruvian women's cooperative, the colors hearkened back to a vibrant culture I must have experienced in another life, so often do I long for its richness and boisterousness.

Let me add to the drama: Unbelievable as it seems, I, a hand-knitter, have no family members who knit (yet), and so knitted presents (or presents to do with knitting, actually) are virtually unheard of... So, every now and then, when I hear someone say, "Oh, my mom made this scarf for me..." or "I made this sweater out of yarn my grandmother sent to me," I feel a little twinge of envy.

But, for some reason, these gloves have satisfied my need for hand-knits. When I slide my fingers into their thick, cozy fabric, I mysteriously feel that they were knit just for me. It's a gift, I believe, and one I've been grateful for on many a cold morning.

Whoever and wherever she is, the woman who made my mitts obviously knit lots of love into every stitch. I wish I could meet her, and tell her how much joy her knitting brings me.

And now for a moment of undeniable cuteness:

Katja in repose...

Happy knitting!!!

Ode on a Peruvian Glove

Heart-in-Hand Fingerless Gloves

A new pattern! Well, new to my blog, anyway... I designed the Heart in Hand fingerless gloves (that's a Ravelry link) exclusively for Shalimar Yarns, using their superwash Merino "Honey Worsted," last autumn. They were featured at the company's booth at Stitches East in November, and are now available directly from Shalimar or from Eleganza Yarns.

The first time I saw the Corazón colorway was in a superwash sock yarn at Eleganza Yarns. I knew right then that I wanted to design a pattern to showcase its delicious, buttery, berries-and-cream hues. These gloves are feminine, without being too girly...sweet, but not saccharine, with a ruffle that's definitely not frilly.

My inspiration for this pattern was a little, hand-shaped, pewter pin I bought for myself on a long-ago trip to Lancaster County, Pa. A tiny, cut-out heart was nestled in the center of the palm. I wore it often, though it's now gone missing -- probably sometime during one of our many recent moves.

The origins of the "Heart in Hand," I learned, is debatable. Some say it began with the Shakers, a religious sect, for whom it represented love, charity, and piety. Others say that, in the 1800s, women would sometimes trace their hands on paper, adding a heart in the middle, to represent their love for the recipient.

The longer you look, the more stories you'll find about this unique symbol. But in the end, what's important are the emotions and traits it represents: love and affection, kindness and hospitality, faith and loyalty.

The gloves are knit in the round, from the fingers to the wrist, and use only one skein of soft, squeezable Honey Worsted. The heart-shaped cables (charted out in the pattern) appear on top of the hand and wrist, while the palm is worked in stockinette stitch and the underside of the wrist in ribbing for a snug, comfortable fit.

I'm quite happy with the final result, and hope you'll enjoy making them for yourself or for a truly heart-warming gift.

Happy knitting!

Heart-in-Hand Fingerless Gloves

New Patterns and Projects

Curious about what I may have in my project bags? (I always love seeing what others have on and off their needles/hooks!) Here are a few little items for you...

Nadia Fingerless Mitts

Knitted up for a friend who lives nearby, who needs her hands free when running errands or playing with her little son.

They're simple 2x2 ribbing with a little cable twist on the back of each hand. Quick (and thus satisfying) to knit for yourself or a friend.

Secret Project #1

I've been working on this little project over the course of several months (with delays from celebrating holidays, catching a virus, visiting family, etc.). What is it? Well, that's a secret for now, but I do have to say that knitting with Three Irish Girls' Wexford Merino & Silk (shown in "Roan," above and below) is absolute bliss.

A plump, worsted-weight yarn, it behaves well on a variety of needle sizes. Stitch definition, when knitting with singles yarns, is always a treat. And the color? Simply luminous. Sharon (AKA: The Yarnista) really knows how to make colors and fibers work together.

Secret Project #2

Noro Silver Thaw...it's wonderful stuff.

Secret Project #3

A taste of spring in the middle of winter: Shalimar Yarns' Superwash Sock in Sweet Pea. It's gloomy as can be outside today, but looking at these colors makes me happy.

Too many of us, on the Atlantic Coast, anyway, resort to drab colors in winter. So I thought I'd create a little garden-hued something to:
- Combat any Seasonal Affective Disorder lurking in the cold, damp, grayness
- Support my own (and maybe other sun-lovers') conviction that spring is just around the corner ;-)

Secret Project #4

Hmmm...I wonder what these little goodies will become?

Socks, anyone?

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock (medium weight) is just scrumptious. It's so bouncy, soft, and round that I find myself squeezing it all the time. This gorgeous colorway is Philosopher's Stone.

Bea's Hat

I liked Sleepy Eyes Knits' Amanda Hat so much I thought I'd knit one up for my mother in law. She has the most beautiful black-coffee colored eyes -- really striking -- so I decided on this plummy Manos del Uruguay yarn with a few pale lavender highlights. (For those wondering what I'm talking about: Purple-ish colors bring out brown eyes.)

And, last but not least:

The Kitty Donut!
Shaped like a jelly donut and filled with garden-grown catnip, this little toy practically demands that Charley play with it. Honestly, he was sleeping soundly when I finished crocheting it last night, and when we placed it near him, he woke up and sleepily knocked it off the sofa. It was all downhill from there...

The end result of a morning "on the 'nip."

I'll write up some patterns this week, and will keep you posted on the others. Happy knitting!

New Patterns and Projects

Little Red Mittens

Card design (c) 2008 by Hannah Six

I've always had a love for little red mittens. I must have had a beloved pair when I was a kid. Though I don't remember much need for mittens in San Francisco, I did spend a winter in Spearfish, SD, when I was about six-years old. And that's a place where mittens are de rigeur.

So maybe it's not surprising that, when I decided to make my own Christmas cards a few years back, I chose a little red mitten to symbolize "Comfort and Joy." Honestly, is anything cuter than a child's warm, woolly little hand on a cold day. There's your Joy. And the Comfort? Well, I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

I loved these cards, so I'm probably going to resurrect the design again this year. Deciding to send cards isn't easy these days. Postage costs a fortune, but then so does everything else!

And the joy (there it is, again) of opening your mailbox to find a handful of warm holiday wishes from your loved ones makes up for the time and energy spent writing and addressing your own batch. To me, at least. I LOVE receiving Christmas cards. Or cards for any other holiday we celebrate in December.

Actually, this year, I might actually pursue my life-long dream of printing some of my cards so I can sell them locally and on my (recently neglected) Etsy store. My head is bursting with design ideas. (BTW: If you think you or anyone you know might be interested, let me know; this really is about as close as I ever get to "Market Research" -- ha ha!)

On the other hand...If you decide to make your own cards this year, for whatever reason, take a few moments to consider what brings you comfort, what adds joy to your life during these long, cold months. That will make coming up with a design a little easier. After all, why not share these personal symbols, and what inspires them in you, with those you love?

***

On another note, I have some toasty green mitts coming off my needles today...

Cozy Mohair Mitts by Hannah Six

A few years back I made a red pair, with long, long ribbing at the end of the hand so you could fold it down over your fingertips when it's bitterly cold, then fold it back when you need to use your hands.

Knit on US#3 needles from Dale of Norway's worsted-weight Sisik, the red mitts ("Red Hot Mitts" on my Ravelry projects page) are virtually wind-proof! And the garter rib stitch creates little pockets to trap warmth. Cozy!

Well, this past summer, I set up a table at a local arts market. Even though it was closing in on 100 degrees outside, I decided to put the Red Hot Mitts on my table to fill in some space... (production knitting is H.A.R.D.!) And? Someone I know was so enamored of them that she actually bought them--in July! And she loved them, and I loved that.

Soon afterward, and this was a surprise, she asked me to knit a few for her to give to friends this Christmas. Thanks to some lovely Ravelers who had a few balls of the now-discontinued Sisik in their stashes, I managed to collect enough yarn to make several pairs, all in different colors. This is pair #1: Spruce. Next up? Maybe Eggplant. Or Cranberry.

Holiday knitting. The pressure. The pleasure. Is there anything like it?

Little Red Mittens

Mittens for Knittin' (Free Pattern!)

About a week ago, I found myself with some knitting time on a Saturday morning. As always, plenty of unfinished projects lurked about the house. But that day, they didn't tempt me much. I wanted to knit mittens.

During the previous week, Afghans for Afghans sent out an e-mail update asking for mittens, ASAP. So I gave myself permission to cast on yet another new project and went stash diving.

When I surfaced, I had in hand a skein of heathery-raspberry Peace Fleece (appropriate, no?) and another of Knit Picks Telemark (in green, which, according to A4A, is "the beloved color of Islam"). I grabbed some DPNs and tuned the radio to hear two of my favorite shows: Car Talk and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! The sun was shining, the heater was blurbing and glugging (it's an old house), and I was happy.

Off I went, knitting without much thought to the hows and whys of mittens. They're pretty simple, after all...Nothing more than a cuff, a simple gusset, and a toe-like tip. If you've ever knit socks, you can knit up a pair of mittens, no problem!

Once they'd been blocked and had dried through (with a bit of assistance from my air purifier), I packed them up and shipped them off to San Francisco, where Afghans for Afghans was tallying up an impressive mountain of mitts. In about three weeks, they received more than 1,000 pairs!

In my enthusiastic state, however, I'd failed to take a photo of the finished mitts! So, until I make another pair, I've photographed my sketch for you (a reasonable facsimile, I think). Together with the notes I jotted down after finishing the second mitten, I managed to create a pattern I call "Knittin' Mittens!" and I'm posting it here, free, for your knitting pleasure. Happy stitching!

Knittin' Mittens

• Yarn: Two colors (approx. 150 yds main color [MC] and 20 yds contrasting color [CC]) of Peace Fleece or other worsted/heavy worsted-weight yarn (I used Peace Fleece for the MC, and double-stranded KnitPicks Telemark for the CC)
• Needles: Set of five US#6 DPNs (or circular needle, if you prefer)
• Notions: scrap yarn, tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers
• Size: Child's Medium (but very easily customized by adding length to hand/thumb)
  
• Gauge: 4.5 sts per inch in st st

Cuff
CO 32 sts with MC and join to work in round; place marker (PM) to mark beginning of round.

Work two rnds K2P2 rib.
Join CC and work K2P2 rib for four rnds, carrying MC up side.
Break CC and continue with MC for ten more rnds.

Start Thumb
Rnd 1: K to end.
Rnd 2: K7, PM, M1R, K1, M1L, PM, K to beg of rnd.

Alternate these two rnds until you have 11 thumb sts between markers.
Knit around, placing thumb sts on scrap yarn as you go.

Next rnd: K6, work RT* on two sts immediately above thumb opening, K to end.

K three rnds.
Join CC and K six rnds, carrying MC along inside edge as you work.
Break CC and pick up MC.
K three rnds.

Decrease @ Fingertips
Rnd 1: [K6, K2tog] four times (28 sts).
Rnd 2: K to end.
Rnd 3: [K5, K2tog] four times (24 sts).
Rnd 4: K to end.
Rnd 5: [K4, K2tog] four times (20 sts).
Rnd 6: K to end.
Rnd 7: [K3, K2tog] four times (16 sts).
Rnd 8: [K2, K2tog] four times (12 sts).
Rnd 9: [K1, K2tog] four times (8 sts).

Break yarn leaving at least 8" tail. Thread yarn on tapestry needle and draw through rem 8 sts two times, pulling tightly to close hole. Insert needle into center of hole and draw yarn through to inside. Weave in yarn end on inside of glove.

Here's a little intra-pattern cuteness just for you!

Make Thumbs
Place sts from scrap yarn AND two new sts directly above thumb opening and one new st on either side (between thumb and hand) on 3 DPNs [15 sts].

Divide these sts as follows:
N1: first 5 sts from scrap yarn
N2: next 5 sts from scrap yarn
N3: last st from scrap yarn and the 4 new sts picked up where thumb meets hand.

1) K one rnd.
2) Next rnd, K to N3; on N3, K2 tog, K3, K2tog (by knitting last st on N3 with first st on N1) [13 sts].
3) K one rnd.
4) K2tog, K to N3, K2 tog, K to end [11 sts].

Work even in st st for 11 rnds or desired length.
Next rnd: [K1, K2tog] around.

Break yarn and, using tapestry needle, draw through rem sts twice. Draw hole closed tightly, then thread yarn through to inside of thumb.

Finishing
Turn mitten inside out and weave in ends.

Block by soaking in lukewarm water with a bit of cleanser. Rinse gently unless you used a rinse-free wool wash. Be careful not to agitate the mittens as you wash and rinse them or they'll felt and shrink (unless you used superwash wool).

If yarn color bleeds, soak in lukewarm water with a bit of white vinegar to help set dye. Blot dry with towel, lay flat, pat into shape as desired, and allow to dry thoroughly before wearing.

***

Just one request: If you use this pattern, please consider making a pair for the charity of your choice. And, as always, do let me know if you spot anything that needs clarification.

Enjoy!

* To work RT: Insert tip of right needle into next two sts on left needle and K2tog without letting either st drop off; insert right needle into first st on left needle and K this st again; drop both sts off needle.

Mittens for Knittin' (Free Pattern!)