Right mitten is finished. This was taken (obviously) before the thumb was done – but this shows the top side – I had intended to do the opposite of this – main color red, and snowflake etc in white – and would you believe I didn’t even notice my mistake until I’d finished the whole thing and was showing it to my husband?  I really like the palm and the design that goes up the side of the mitten – well, I like the whole thing but here’s a look at what I’m referring to:

Have yet to cast on the left glove, but plan to soon.

Not sure if I’m just tempting fate, or if I really am getting just a little cocky thinking I can start all kinds of projects and ride the tide of ambition all the way to the end of getting them all finished – BUT – apparently I was afflicted with “startitis” recently, and now have about four or five things going at the same time as these mittens…

AND…

I’m also sewing a few projects while I’m at it, just to raise the bar a little.  Today, I finished a small sewing project.  Have another one all cut out and waiting for it’s turn next.

I made Smitty a pair of boxers.  We found a piece of flannel on sale at Joann’s recently – so while Smitty stood in line to get the fabric cut – I went to look at yarn.  I don’t “wait” well – and neither does he in a fabric/yarn store – so that worked out great and he got a pair of sleep shorts in the bargain.

I even matched the plaid.

This is KwikSew #1663 and it is a fabulous pattern for men’s PJs.  The shirt comes in two options – one is a V-neck pullover, kind of like you’d see with hospital scrubs, and the other is a button down the front type shirt which you can make short or long-sleeved.  Pants the same – short or long, your choice.  It’s also a multi-sized pattern, so you can custom-fit it.

Here’s a “frugal” tip: You know how guys have a tendency to wear their underwear to the point of shredded, holy, rags?  Just rip the “holy briefs” off of the elastic and toss them in the trash – and use the elastic in the PJ’s.  It’s the most comfortable elastic out there, and it’s already cut to size – and you didn’t have to buy any elastic.   I actually do that on a regular basis now – harvest elastic and keep it stored for future projects.  That serves a couple of purposes – my supply of comfy waistband elastic is always replenished – and the underwear supply remains respectable.

I hope these don’t take as long as the first pair did.  I’m using Comfort Sock again.  I probably have enough to make a couple more pair of mittens from.  When I make a pair for me they will likely be wool, but for kids acrylic is probably the best choice anyway.

This is the cuff.  The chart on this one has a little “jog” in it and I got confused and ended up having to rip back to the beginning of the actual palm and hand pattern.  Will give it another try soon and hopefully it will work out.   I’m such a “paint by number” person when it comes to knitting – I really get lost if the pattern has errors or mis-prints in it.  In this case, I think it’s just the graphic kind of went a little wonky when I copied and enlarged the chart so I could see it better when knitting.  Although, the cuff pattern stitch count was wrong in the book.  It said it was supposed to be 63, and it only worked when I had 64 stitches.

Sigh.  Who said knitting wasn’t suspenseful?   All this guess-work and I’m only at the CUFF of a mitten.

As is almost ALWAYS the case – I learned a couple of things from the first experience.

1. Do the thumb the way she recommends.  <sheepish grin>  That way the palm-side pattern works out and you don’t have to keep shrugging your shoulders and being okay with the NEW one you’ve just invented.
2. Don’t tell yourself that you will remember to move your post-it notes up to the next row when you pick up your project the next time .  Just this once you will remember to do it.  No you wont.  More shoulder shrugging and coming to grips with the NEW pattern you just invented for the palm.  Next pair I want the palms and thumbs to be like the picture in the book.  We shall see how that ends up.

I got to spend a little time hanging out at my LYS yesterday.  Wish I had brought my knitting in with me since I ended up having a little extra time and sat down and visited with the knitters in attendance while I waited for my ride.  Nice experience.  Came home with enough yarn to finish the felted clogs I’m working on, as well as a couple of hat projects.  I’m going to have to wean myself from so much time on Facebook (love the games over there) so I will have enough time for my projects.   I even have a couple of sewing projects cut out and waiting, so unless I can figure out cloning – something’s got to give.

Nothing like a freak snowstorm to inspire you to get those warm-weather accessories finished.  My Selbuvotter mittens which I started in March had been simmering in the WIP pile until recently.  Actually, I had already retrieved them and began to work on them.  Had some waiting-room time last week while DH had a 20 minute test that the hospital managed to make into a 6-hour one.  I got plenty of progress made that day.  And then, we got SNOW.  So, now my mitten is closing in on being done.   I just have to finish the decreases and then knit the thumb.  See:

Can’t wait till I have two!

The past few summers I’ve just knitted along – sometimes on big warm projects that laid on my lap and caused me to question my good judgment. I thought I was one of those “exceptions” to the summertime knitting ennui blight. My guess is now…I just wasn’t seasoned enough as a knitter. It hit this summer. I have been stuck in “what’s next?” mode for a couple of months now and a strongly rooted inability to choose something and knit it. About the only thing I’ve been able to finish are the occasional Grandma’s Favorite dishcloth to add to my dishcloth stash. I haven’t even made a sock. And I really want some socks. I still have #2 Selbuvotter mitten waiting patiently for me to knit it…and I have absolutely no excuse except that I just haven’t been in the mood. I sure hope this passes soon. I really miss taking pictures of Finished Objects for the blog here.

Meanwhile, I’ve been collecting/browsing patterns for future projects – because, after all, I AM still breathing. And inspiration just might hit. Right?

Here are a few links

to some of the things I’ve added to the “queue”:

• A nice looking market bag (free pattern in PDF format/Ravelry link – join if you haven’t yet it’s free and it’s wonderful) Girlfriend Market Bag. This pattern has a neat story with it. I love that.
• CanadianLiving.com has a pattern for felted mukluks (you know, kind of like UGGs only without the $140 price tag). And felting is just fun all the time, so it’s a pattern that looks like a fun one to make…some day.
• I have also come up with a few sewing projects that look interesting – here’s a knitting bag to stitch up (scroll down past the other fabulous designs on the page and you will get to her free tutorial for a knitting bag to sew).

So, yeah, again with the “accessories.” Bags, hats, socks, slippers. I have actually started and frogged a couple of hats this summer. Managed to finish the one baby hat – but otherwise, if it isn’t a dishcloth, it just isn’t happening. Sigh.

I finished the thumb on the left mitten last evening. It taught me a couple of things – one was that the pattern for the palm isn’t just staggered to make it work for the palm – but if you don’t stagger the beginning white stitches the same for the thumb you get an interesting striping effect (the pictures above click to a bigger size). The thumb chart in the book is for the “public” side of the thumb, and the instructions say to just continue the same pattern as for the palm for the inside of the thumb. Apparently that meant even the edges? Why do I question these things?

So, knitting lesson number “bazillion” learned (hopefully).

I also messed up on the top pattern on the mitten (which I guess this picture does not really illustrate all that well – but it’s kind of a salt and pepper version of the bottom three patterns). I think I was talking to someone while knitting and miscounted somewhere.

I actually kind of like it – but I’m not hopeful I’ll be able to repeat it on the right hand.

These knit up to the size stated on the pattern – a lady’s small – my hands are probably a men’s medium or a lady’s large, so these are for gifting purposes, and pretty much just the fun of making them.  They are fascinating and fun.  This mitten took me six evenings from start to finish, and I don’t knit all evening with tiny needles, just maybe for an hour or two at most.

The “thumb trick” worked great. I’ll be using that one again. You DO have this book, right?  Thumb trick “Unvented” here.