the blue blog archives: mo' mittens

I finished the tiger set for my little nephew. Now, I've got some adult mittens to make (can't reveal the recipient in case s/he is reading!). So far I'm enjoying the mittens more than the socks. They're very uncomplicated, sort of like straight heel-less socks. I have yet to make a thumb though, since I've only ever made thumbless baby mittens. But I'm hoping that it's not too tricky.

If I can make it through real mittens, I'd like to make myself some gloves (someday!). I have some Rowan dk cotton that I bought for Native, but I ended up thinking that the color (grey) was too dark with the other colors in the sweater, so I saved the yarn for gloves. I can always use another pair of gloves. My hands get cold very easily and it seems like I'm wearing gloves outside and in the car from September through April. I usually just buy a new (cheap) pair every year. But this year I've got the yarn and plenty of patterns for basic gloves, so I just have to collect the patience, I think, to do all those fingers. I hope it's more like making ten i-cords than knitting ten baby socks!

posted by alison at 8:41 pm | in baby things

Comments

The thumb is a piece of cake! Once you do your first thumb you will wonder what you were ever worried about. :)

Posted by: Rebecca at December 11, 2002 1:04 AM

The tiger set is FABULOUS! Don't worry...thumbs aren't that hard. Just pick up the stitches on hold, pick up some extra in the corners to prevent gapitis, knit in a round for desired length of thumb until you reach approx the base of the thumbnail, and decrease for the next several rounds. Yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight!

Posted by: Tracy at December 11, 2002 8:45 AM

Ditto what they said! Thumbs are easy :) Leave a little extra yarn at the base when you pick up the stitches and it can be used to 'patch' any holes that show up and no one will ever know!

Posted by: Kim at December 11, 2002 8:54 AM

An old Threads magazine had an interesting article on knitting the fingers for gloves (gosh maybe it was the Meg Swanson/EZ column for Vogue Knitting magazine.) The fingers were indeed larger versions of I-cord but because the size was bigger large ladders were formed where the yarn was carried in back of the dp needle when the stitches were slid back to the beginning and the yarn across the back. To solve that problem, they used a crochet hook and "picked" up the seemingly "dropped" stitch. I've never knit gloves and I know these comments are too vague to actually use them. They may be enough though to help someone actually find the article.

I'll try to look for it when I get home but no promises! Only two weeks till Christmas and our schedules are crazy! In the meantime, someone else may be able to point you to another resource - this way sure did seem easy then making tiny tubes on 4 double point needles!

I read your blog every day and just love it! I love the sweaters you've made for yourselves and really love reading about your boys!

Mary

Posted by: Mary at December 11, 2002 9:24 AM

Thumbs on mittens are no problem! You'll be fine!

I made I-cord gloves last year because I didn't want to think about haveing three double pointed needles with three stitches each. The pattern is written by Meg Swansen and is in her book "Handknitting with Meg Swansen". I believe it is also sold by Schoolhouse Press as an individual pattern. They were fun and easy to make and fit beautifully!

Posted by: Preeti at December 11, 2002 11:58 AM

Ditto on "You can do it!" The first time I made gloves I was very intimidated but it worked out just fine.
I do have a warning though: If I were you, I wouldn't spend all that time knitting _cotton_ gloves! There is almost nothing colder than wet cotton. . .

Posted by: ivete at December 11, 2002 12:56 PM