Sunday, December 30, 2007

Thumbless Fetching


Thumbless Fetching
Originally uploaded by pilliebee
I made this pair of fetching fingerless mitts for my mom for the holidays. I finished them several weeks ago, but of course they could not be revealed until Christmas. I wanted her to be able to wear them typing at work, so I just picked up the stitches for the thumb and bound off as loosely as possible. It seemed to work pretty well! I managed to squeeze in 3 pairs of fingerless mitts, starting in November. Not too bad!


Jill

The Fourth Pair


I knit another pair of mitts just in time. I knit these for one of my daughter's friend (I have one more pair to knit for another friend, but won't get them done by tomorrow). These are knit in Cascade 220 Superwash - Purple. I used the Piano Mitt pattern with my sister Monica's thumb instructions. They turned out very nice. I'm going to knit the other pair the same way but in a different color (possibly brown or pink if I can find some in my stash). This has been a lot of fun...thanks for a great KAL!


Wednesday, December 26, 2007

at last...


After a pathetic showing on my part for this knitalong, I've finally got something to show! Here are my mitts based on the Inga hat pattern. I think they turned out pretty well, despite some last minute adjustments after running out of yarn. More details on my blog. I did one repeat of the chart, 40 stitches around. If you're good at stranded knitting, I think these can be pretty rewarding. For my part, I'm still working on that skill, but that's what this project was all about!

Fingerless Mitts for a Preteen


Here’s my latest variation on my free basic fingerless mitt pattern:
Mitts for my 12-year-old daughter for Christmas!

I added a cable up the back for fun. Knit in Dream in Color’s Smooshy Sock Yarn, colorway Black Parade. Because I wanted these sturdy enough to hold up to hard wear/outdoor wear (as opposed to the Piano Mitts, which were designed more to wear indoors), I knit them on smaller needles, size 1 US, so therefore cast on 48 stitches instead of 40. Otherwise, the gusset etc. is the same as my basic pattern. She likes them!

(At least based on the fact that she didn’t take them off all day, pretty much.)

Last Pair for December


I finished the fingerless gloves for my son. He has been wanting these for quite some time. I made him a pair of fingerless mitts, but he really wanted fingerless gloves. So I broke down and made him a pair, even though I hate making all those fingers. These were knit in Black Cascade 220 on size 5 dpns. I made the pattern up as I went along to fit his hand.

Fetching Mitts

After getting through Christmas, I finally found tim to posting my
Fetching Mitts. I really enjoyed making them. Now that everyone
in my family has seen them, they want a set. They work up pretty
quick.. The yarn that I used was T L C Essentials. The color was
called " Fusion" . And it was Medium weight.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Four Days Late




I finish my projects after everybody else on KALS has moved onto other things. At least I get the benefit of being inspired by all the postings. These are only four days late, so that is s record for me.

These are Fetching fingerless gloves by Cheryl Niamath, published in the Summer 06 issue of Knitty.com. They are made in Debbie Bliss cashmerino aron in color 300610, deep red. I used two circular size five needles because my hand is small and I wanted them extra dense for warmth. Two cable repeats were added at the wrist, four extra rows in the body, another cable repeat by the fingers, and an additional four rounds at the thumb. They are warm and toasty and I am very pleased.

With warm regards to all,

Rhonda

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Merry Christmas

I made these for my friend Rita...I can't show them on my blog in case she sees them there. My first pair of fetching and what an easy and delightful pattern! I added an extra row of cables around the fingers and cast off using a 2 stitch eye cord and decreased the purl stitch on the edge to make it a firmer fit. It works they look neat. I do like my mitts to come down to my knuckles!

Oh and I received the most amazing package from my mitt swap partner Jodi today...I mean REALLY amazing...I am just about to blog about it in amongst some other photos. What a lucky me!!

Lame!

So, I got my package from Keisha ages ago, and have been loving my mitts!! I've also eaten up some of the treats she sent me, but kept the packaging to photograph... I *just* finished 9 finals in the course of a week and a half, so I was kinda busy up until now. Had a terrible fiasco at the airport yesterday trying to get back home. And what do I do? I forget to take a picture (not to mention the camera itself) when I was at my apartment back at school. *sigh* I promise to get a pic up of my beautiful package and goodies (I love the stitch markers, they are so creative and pretty!) when I get back, but that won't be until January! In the meantime, I just have to tell Keisha how wonderful and well received her gift was. :o)

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Almost Finished

My daughter had several friends request fingerless mitts for Christmas. She decided that would be the easiest was to go. She came home and asked if I had yarn in my stash in light blue, black, teal and gray ..... that I didn't need ... what ???? I don't have yarn I don't need. What was she thinking. Anyway I did end up searching through the stash to help her out. And then I ended up knitting the majority of them. Funny how that happens. I feel a little bit sorry for the one getting the baby blue ones as it is Red Heart baby yarn. The teal pair is Classic Elite Posh cashmere and silk and the other is a very nice handspun merino I got in an exchange. It has been wonderful to knit with .
She did knit one pair almost on her own. I have to do the join so she doesn't end up with a moebius, and I pick up and start the thumb for her. And I have to weave in all the ends. Otherwise this pair is all hers. I told her I was not knitting a shirtless sleeve. I hate knitting sleeves and this is definitely too close to that.
I have two other pair almost finished and will post them later.
Have a great Christmas everyone.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

I got my goodies, Thursday right before I left for Florida




Noriko did a great job with all kinds of goodies for me. The fingerless mittens are pure and simple decadence! Merino, plum, simple and gorgeous! It appears that she used a twisted knit stitch, which adds a little dimension. She included lots of candy probably enough to get sick on. Hello Pandas and Japanese candy. Some beads that I am going to of course make stitch markers with and lip balm. My favorite part is she gave me skein of the yarn she used so I am going to make a matching Free-Standing Muffler.

Finally Finished

So these mitts have all been finished for quite some time, but I finally got around to blocking them. The turquoise pair was mailed off to Anchorage yesterday, the green pair are for me and the final pair is going to be mailed tomorrow. I'm done with endpapers for a while now, but I do plan on working on the mirror twist mitts next! (Sorry about the blurry pixs, when I compressed the pictures to upload they got a little messy!)



Monday, December 17, 2007

My 4th and final pair


ah, finally, i pushed myself to finish my fourth and final pair of mitts for the KAL. i ended up making 2 pairs of Fetching and 2 pairs of Maine Morning Mitts, but none for myself. oops!

these are Oakland Morning Mitts for my husband, knit from yum-yum-yummy Malabrigo worsted in "Paris Nights," and i think i'm done with making mitts for now. thanks to all for this KAL!!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Finished mitts!

Hello all, you have been making some amazing mitts! I'm so excited to be here! Mitts make my life bearable. My hands area almost always cold, so I can never have too many pairs of mitts.

Here are a few I've been cranking out this fall...

Rannoch: FO

First up, we have Rannoch, designed by Corinne of Knit 1, Purl 2, Stab. Loved this pattern. I made 2 fewer repeats and ditched the thumb, but that was due to my lack of skill and time (this was a gift for an admin). I made mine with WoolEase in Cranberry on 12" circular addi turbo size 8. These are definitely on my short list for me to make for myself in the new year.

DSC_0011

Next, we have Fetching, from knitty. I skipped the picot bind-off and the thumb. Lovely knit as well. If I make these again, I think I'll make them longer and maybe with fewer stitches so they cling more to my arm. These were also a gift, and well received.

Thanks for hosting this KAL! I've really enjoyed adding all these mitt patterns to my queue :) Happy Holidays!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

My Composed Mitts Are Done!

Hi, I just joined this blog and I am really impressed by the number of beautiful completed Fingerless Mitts. My Composed Mitts from Interweave Fall '07 are done just in time for our first snowfall. They are blocking and will be ready for wear in the morning. I am very pleased with the results...These mitts are absolutely gorgeous!

This was a great knit to practice fair isle or color standing knitting. I am a bit rusty in this area but the pattern directions/charting were easy to follow and needed no major adjustments. I would recommend this pattern to an advance beginner who wants to learn fair isle or knit something fun with more than one color.

I used Berrocco Ultra Light instead of the Blue Sky Alpaca that is used in the original. Berrocco Ultra Light's color selection is awesome for those who love rich vibrant colors. The five colors that I used are not an exact match to the original pattern but they are close and I was able to result the same visual impact. I have a lot of yarn left over but I am considering knitting these mitts again in another color palette.

With size 4 6"Chia Goo bamboo double point needles I was able to get gauge. I ordered these needles to try them out. My experience is that they appear to get better with use. On these needles, Berrocco Ultra Light knits up soft and airy. The wool definitely adds strength and provide the memory effect to the yarn. I was concerned that my mitts would grow with wear if I used 100% Alpaca.

Dashing Fingerless Mitts - Knitty.com

I have finally finished Dashing. My first fingerless mitts and my first cables! I chose Dashing because I figured the simple cable was a good one to learn on. So they aren't symmetrical so what? So the mittens are slightly different lengths? So what? I'm happy so there!

Pictures! ^___^


I'm quite happy with the results, and I do hope the recipient will be happy with them as well. The pattern calls for English Tweed which Wool-Tyme didn't seem to have (as per their website) so I used Silk Dream (Lang) which is 50% Merino and 50% Silk and is very very soft. The gauge was perfect and the fit it lovely. Knit up on size 3.5mm dpns, I declare these mittens a success! Original Pattern here.

Happy new year



A gift for all KAL member : Happy new year
Shedir fingerless mittens pattern from: myself

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Thank you, Angelika!

I received a fantastic package on Monday from my swap partner, Angelika. My son had kept me up most of the night, I was not in the best of spirits, and the package was definitely a great pick-me-up! I am very impressed by the mitts--they fit like a glove, er, mitt, they're in my favorite colors, and I can tell that it took much skill to create them. Bravo, Angelika! I am impressed by your talents!
Here is a pic of the rest of the loot. Unfortunately, the coffee mug didn't quite make it through the journey from Georgia to New Mexico. Thanks again, Angelika, for the wonderful swap experience. Thank you also, Keri, for hosting this super swap and KAL!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Finally a FO!

I finally got this pair of mitts finished and ready to give for Christmas. Fetching in Rowan Cashsoft. This is my second pair of Fetching. This time I made the portion after the thumb hole longer (twelve rounds instead of four) and I also made the thumb longer (8 rounds instead of 4).

Thank You

Dear Keri,

Just wanted to say thanks for a great KAL - it's been amazing to see all the beautiful Fingerless Mitts.

Check out the Yarn Harlot blog - she has just finished her pair of Dashing (December 5th post) - no, I know she was not part of our KAL but maybe we should give her an "Honourary Posting".

Carolyn

Monday, December 10, 2007

Treats in the mail!



Hi folks! Blogger is being super slow right now,so here are a few pictures of the treats I received from Ami of SourCherries. For more, see this post on my blog.



Thanks, Keri, for hosting such a fun swap -- this was my very first one, and I will certainly participate again. I'll post more mitts soon...

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Potluck Mittenettes


I finished my second pair of fingerless mitts. I loved these, so fast and easy! Great pattern.

Swap Package Received!

photos 023

I received my wonderful swap goodies from Catherine - what an awesome package! The mitts are lovely, and fit perfectly. They are so soft and warm!


Swap Package from My Pal!
(Click on pic for full photo view)

Here's a closeup of this adorable tiny sweater keyring:
Lantern Moon Tiny Sweater Keyring

Thanks so much Catherine! You are a great swap partner! And THANK YOU, KERI, for a wonderful KAL and Swap, too! It's been so much fun!

Mr.'s Mitts F.O.

Shetland Chunky Mitts F.O.

I finished a pair of mitts for the hubby last night. He was kind enough to model them for a pic or two... The yarn is Paton's Shetland Chunky in # 03031 - Earthy Brown. It's a nice rich brown, and the feel is thick and soft. I used the pattern for Dashing (size large) without the cables. The cables got too confusing doing these as a take-along project. There were too many interruptions, and I had to keep ripping them out because I lost my place or made a mistake. I do plan to make him a pair of Dashing Mitts, though, when I am not in a hurry with so many Christmas gifts to do.

Mitts for the Mr.

Friday, December 7, 2007


I signed up as the last swap partner. I really wanted to and couldn't talk myself, a student, out of it, even though the BIG assignment loomed overhead. I was partnered with Noriko, who lives less then 700 miles from me now, and is also in school, studying optometry. What is so funny is that I am a veterinary technician and can not stand anything dealing with eyes, I tear up just thinking about it, and my poor optometrist, they should just sedate me.
She says she loves pink, and rides her bike to school. So off I went to ravelry to look through a few convertable mittens patterns and found my favorite. I ordered the book though amazon see my blog for story. I found the best yarn, jitterbug, and even found the cutest beads I turned into buttons. I had to change the pattern a little because they were so small but I think they make the gloves.

My mittens from Katie


I almost forgot to post about my beautiful swap package on this blog. Sorry. I did rave about it on my blog, if you want to check it out. I received this box full of goodies from Katie from New Mexico. Keri did a great job matching us up for this swap. Now I just hope she'll get my package soon to. It's on it's way to her. For model shots of these mittens here you can check out Katie's blog.

Brand New Free Mitt Pattern!

My Knitbits email newsletter (from Berroco) just arrived today, with a brand-new free mitts pattern - Annlina. I added it to the list of patterns in the sidebar. Be warned - this one's a long one - the mitts go past your elbows!

Jodi got her stuff

I have so enjoyed taking part in the swap....Jodi has posted about the parcel I sent her and you can see it here. I'll post a picture of the mitts I made for her later. So glad we can continue to post our mitts as we make them! Thanks Keri!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

-Hostess Here-

Hi Everyone-

Well it has been a busy couple of weeks and I'm sure for all of you as well! Something about the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas time just seems to pass so quickly, so many things to do and so little time!

I just wanted to check in and clarify what's going on with the knitalong, as you may be able to tell from the poll - Making this a yearly knitalong event won by a landslide! =) Which is great - because I'm really excited about this, it's going to be so much fun and I love having something to look forward to each fall!

There has been a lot of confusion however about the knitalong and new members so let me just try to clarify that here.

1) By popular request, we're extending the knitalong until the end of december.
2) That means that I will continue to add people until December 31st.
3) After Dec 31st, I will no longer be adding people until we start up again next fall (September 1, 2008)
4) If you or someone you know is making fingerless mitts or even thinking about making fingerless mitts and might want to join let them know to get in before that date (December 31st)
5) Now this is the important part -Once you're a member I encourage you to post mitts whenever you want. This means you can post in Dec or January or heck even July if you've just finished a pair =).

I want to keep encouraging you to post and hopefully this will help clarify some of the concerns people have had.

Either way, remember to add this blog to your rss feeder (bloglines, google, etc) so you can keep tabs on all the gorgeous work flying fast and furious around here. If you've already knit your share of mitts this year don't forget to come back again next September for another fingerless mitt knitting round - we'll be here! =)

Also, I'm still working out details on the contest so don't think I've forgotten and soon as I do I will put more info up here.

Happy knitting!
=) Keri

Monday, December 3, 2007

Funny how when I joined this Knit Along it was because I planned to do Rose's Wristwarmers yet here we are at the end of it and I never even cast on for them. Instead I've done two pairs of the wrist warmers from Last Minute Gift Knitting. Here's my second completed pair:

They still need the ends woven in obviously but I consider them done anyway. I made them in Soy Wool Stripes.

This has been a lot of fun, thanks for hosting Keri! See you next Fall!

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Third Pair


Here is my third pair of fingerless mitts. I call them Flamboyant. My six year old grandson loves hot rod flames and his favorite color is green. I use the chart from Melanie Gibbons' Hot Rod Socks at Pink Lemon Twist. The rest is seat-of-the-pants to fit his little hands.

Cold weather Fingerless Mitts

I have so many knit projects going....socks, sweaters, scarfs.....I have not yet done my fingerless mitts. I have the yarn. I have the patterns...I have not had the time....I need a couple of snow days to knit....I would like to see this Blog continue until the first day of Spring - through the "cold" weather...............just my two cents....Rhonda

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Swap Mittens done

I just wanted to let you know that I'm done (finally and better late than never) with my swap mittens. They will be in the mail on monday and as soon as they are received, I'll post a picture of them too.

lone one in the snow


Here is one mitt I finally finished, except for the thumb (hence the safety pin). I have made these following the chart from the Inga Hat, which has required a bit of fudging and experimenting, but had been good stranding practice for me, as I am pretty awful at it. There's no way you are seeing the inside of this mitt!

Anyway, the reddish/purple/brown yarn is Drops Alpaca, and the off-white is Patons Classic Merino, so they are nice and soft. Also a bit snug, which is why I am still on the fence about making the second one. Would love to hear what other people think!

KYLA Mitts

I have finished my KYLA mitts, modified to be fingerless gloves instead of mitts and also modified for a slightly different gauge.


I used Lorna Laces Shepherd Sock yarn in Grapevine color along with 2.25 mm needles (two circulars). It's gauge was slightly finer than the Koigu sock yarn specified in the pattern.
The CO had five more stitches (than the pattern), the twisted rib cuff had 8 more stitches and the hand itself had four more stitches. The partial fingers were worked in a 1 x 1 twisted rib, similar to the cuff's rib.

I personally find the pattern's bobble cuff edge to be delightful (worth the fiddly-i-ness of working it).

I also acquired some Lorna Laces Shepherd Worsted Weight yarn in the same colorway for a matching hat (matching in color but not in pattern). Both the KYLA's and the hat-to-be will be Christmas gifts for my daughter -- who's hands and head are often pampered by handknits, like only a knitter's daughter can be.

State of the knitalong - Please Read

Hi All -

This is your friendly neighborhood hostess here, Keri and I just wanted to check in with you all. I know a lot of you are wondering what's going to happen now that the end of November is coming so quickly and this was our appointed end-time for the knit along.

I've had a lot of people contact me off list and let me know how much fun they're having and how much they would like this to continue and become a sort of "Fingerless Mitts for all Seasons" Knitalong (which is a very cute title by the way! =))

I have to say I'm of two minds about this - on one hand I'm glad that people are having so much fun and want to continue. On the other I would love to have this knit along be something that we all could look forward to each fall and we could continue on each year. So basically, there are two options that I would love your feedback about-

1) Make this a fingerless mitt for all season knitalong and keep this going year-round.
2) Extend the knitalong a bit and keep membership open to new members until the end of December. After December, if you're a member I would encourage you to continue posting all your fingerless mitt projects, I just won't be adding new people until next fall when we start up again in September.

Anyhow, so there's a poll on the right-hand side of the blog, please take a second and vote yes, no or maybe and leave any comments or feedback here - I welcome any and all things you have to say.

And on another note- I still have to have the final contest, and this one will be about finished projects. If you've posted a finished project to the blog by November 30th you'll be eligible for the prize. (It will be a good one I just haven't figured it out yet) So keep your eyes peeled for a bigger contest post to go up later in the week and wrap up any UFO's you may have that are almost done! =)

Happy fingerless knitting!
=) Keri

KALs?

As this KAL is closing, any new KAL people are creating/joining?