Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Mitten Brothers

I finished the Komi mittens for Thomas.

When Niklas saw me knitting them he wanted "the same mittens" but with green as the main color. In the end I was worried I would run out of dark blue and green yarn. I had knitted all four mittens and then still had to do all four thumbs. But luckily I had enough yarn.
The pattern is the Mitten #6 from Mostly Mittens by Charlene Schurch. I used Cascade 220 yarn, the dark blue and green was leftover yarn, I just had to buy the blue yarn. I knitted with 3 mm needles and they are a bit dense, but I think it makes them warmer. I had not knitted two-color mittens before, but the Komi mitten patterns are very nice and I am considering knitting a pair for myself.

After the mittens I cast on for one of my Christmas gifts. They are socks in the Embossed Leaves sock pattern from Interweave (also in the Favorite Socks book). I had knitted socks in that pattern before for myself, but the yarn was variegated and the pattern didn't show very well. This time I chose almost solid-colored Colinette Jitterbug in dark green. The pattern shows much better. I enjoy knitting this pattern and also the yarn which I purchased immediately after I finished Colinette socks for me. So with yarn I love and a pattern that is easily memorized I hope to have these finished soon and then mail them off to Germany.


Saturday, November 10, 2007

Hats and Mittens

It has been colder last week and just in time I finished two Lusekofte Hats from the Hats On Book by Charlene Schurch. I only meant to knit one for my older son Thomas but it turned out too small, so Ellen lucked out and got it and she quite likes it, too!

This was leftover yarn from a Debbie Bliss Cardigan for the boys. I had bought it in Germany several years ago.


I like the pattern very much and so I immediately cast on for a second hat (this time in the right size for Thomas). I don't like the four-point decrease on top too much, though, and so I changed it to a 6 point-decrease which I like much better. On his hat I did'nt add a tassel. We are still biking and it fits better under the bicycle helmet without it.
For this hat I used Cascade 220 Wool yarn and the hat seems very warm.


I quite liked the two-color knitting and since the boys needed new mittens I am knitting mittens from another Charlene Schurch book, this time the Komi mitten book. It is the mitten no. 6. Again, I am using Cascade yarn. It is rather tight with the 3 mm needles, but I hope this way they are warmer. I still need to knit the thumbs on Thomas' mitten, but I wanted to do all the thumbs at one time and so I already knitted one mitten for Niklas with green as the main color and just started on the second one. I hope to have them finished by tomorrow.



Here is a picture of Niklas in his Halloween costume - it is the knight outfit from New Knits on the Block. He had requested it in spring to go with his play sword and luckily he chose it for Halloween. (I am the witch in the background).