Tag Archives: mittens

New Pattern: Comfort Mittens

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It’s really been a while. Or at least, that’s what it feels like. But, I’ve got a shiny new pattern for you guys!

It’s a super-cozy, oversized, cabled to the gills, just right for the middle of February pair of mittens!

Everyone say hi to the Comfort Mittens! (“Hi, Comfort Mittens!”)

These bad boys are so cozy and warm, and nice and long (because who wants cold, drafty wrists?), perfect of the bitter winter weather we’ve been having. I love the simple-to-execute, but impressive-looking cables on the back. Would you believe they’re worked with only 2 different crossovers?!

These mittens are worked in the round from the cuff up, with an afterthought thumb and a fully-charted cable on the back. The yarn they use is Knit Picks’ Twill, which might be my favorite yarn they sell. It’s super plush and cozy, and also wears (and washes) like a dream. Perfect for mittens.

So, hop on over to the Knit Picks website to grab yourself a copy of the pattern, or why not treat yourself to the whole (equally-cozy) collection?

Inspiration: I Wanna Hold Your Hand

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

I hope you’re having a lovely one!  Maybe you’re eating some chocolate or sipping on a mimosa.  Or maybe you’ve treated yourself to some nice flowers, or, since you’re a knitter, you’re going to go splurge on a lovely new skein of yarn.  (That’s my kind of treat!)

Love may (or may not) be in the air, but it’s definitely in these adorable mittens.  I really like mittens- they’re like fancy socks for your hands. (And you know how much I like socks.) But, I just realized I haven’t made any mittens in a really long time- maybe in over a year.  Now, this could be because we don’t have a ton of use for mittens up here in Seattle (it never really gets cold enough to require them), but I still think I should make… no need to make some fancy new mittens.  And why not make some Valentine-y ones?

These chocolate-y mittens look crazy cozy, and I love the cute, oversized cable running up the back.  They look like they might be a little over-warm for Seattle, but I might be able to convince myself that I need to make them anyway.

Hot Chocolate Mittens by knittedblissJCNothing says “Valentine’s Day like roses, and these rose-themed mittens are just beautiful.   I especially love the tiny rose on the thumb!  And it’s been a while since I went all-in on fancy color work.

Ruffles and Roses by JennyPennyBut I think these mittens (mitts, really) are more my style.  You know I love a good rainbow, and mitts are more appropriate for Seattle weather, anyway.  Plus, Can you imagine a better excuse to splurge on all those mini skeins of brightly-colored yarn?

My Rainbow Heart by Stephanie LotvenAre you doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?  (And by “doing anything special,” I mean “knitting anything special.”)

Six More Weeks

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When I was a kid, I was very convinced that the whole “Punxsutawney Phil” thing was very important.  That groundhog knew things.Now, of course, I realize it’s a little silly to get your weather forecast from a rodent, but there’s still a part of me that wants to rely on Phil’s prognostication.

And, since he saw his shadow this morning, that part of me wants to get ready for another 6 weeks of cold weather.

These cozy-looking mittens would be perfect for wearing during the extended winter.  Plus, they come in every size imaginable- perfect for the whole family!

The World’s Simplest Mittens by tincanknitsAnd these adorable hats look crazy cozy with their ear flaps and insulating garter stitch.  Plus, they have a tassel! Everyone loves tassels!

Garter Ear Flap Hat by Purl SohoAnd there’s nothing better on a cold winters’ night than snuggling up under a half-finished afghan with a cup of cocoa for an evening of crochet.

Neat Ripple by Lucky of Attic24Do you believe in Punxsutawney Phil’s predictive powers?  Or are you just using his premonitions as an excuse to start some new projects?

Inspiration: Thanksgiving Dinner

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Happy early Thanksgiving, everyone!  If you’re in the US, you’re probably already prepping for the big meal tomorrow.  (I know I am!) My whole family is coming into town first thing tomorrow, and my husband and I are doing the whole spread- turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pie, the works.  (I’m actually roasting some pumpkin for the pie and making some candied pecans right now… my house smells very good this morning.)

I’m actually vegetarian, so I don’t really care about the turkey (that’s my husband’s thing, but I’ve been told he makes a mean turkey).  For me, the whole point of Thanksgiving dinner is the sides.  So, let’s talk about my favorite sides (with some knitting, because that’s what I do).

Stuffing might be my favorite savory side.  I use the same recipe that my dad used when I was a kid, it’s full of sage and thyme, apple bits and big, juicy raisins.  So good!  The first time I made it, I was shocked because it starts by melting a whole cup of butter, then sauteing a bunch of celery and onion, basically making butter soup.  No wonder everyone likes it!

Stuffed Mittens by TECHknitterMashed potatoes are a staple in our house- I probably make a batch of them every couple weeks (I’m from the Midwest, after all).  My usual mashed potatoes are pretty chill- un-peeled potatoes, a little butter, a little of whatever milk I have in the fridge, and salt and pepper.  For Thanksgiving, I pull out all the stops- I put in the effort to peel all the potatoes, and step up my game with sour cream and whole milk, the whole nine yards.  So creamy and tasty!

Mash Potato Socks by Verena Cohrs

One side that most people keep strictly to Thanksgiving is cranberry sauce.  I am not most people.  I’m a cranberry fiend.  The moment fresh cranberries come into season, I stock up.  I make cranberry muffins, cranberry pancakes, and generally have a bowl of home-made cranberry sauce in my fridge.  I love it on cheese sandwiches (I realize this is weird), with mashed potatoes, or just plain, eaten with a spoon.  My favorite!

Cranberry Sauce by Brittany Tyler SimmondsBut the best part of Thanksgiving might be dessert.  Specifically pumpkin pie.  I gotta say, I make a mean pumpkin pie.  I go fully from scratch- make my own crust, roast my own pumpkins (though this year I’m using Blue Hubbard Squash, because my grocery store was out of sugar pie pumpkins!  The horror!) and garnish with homemade candied pecans and bourbon whipped cream.  I mean what’s not to love?

Pumpkin-Pie by jo columbineDo you celebrate Thanksgiving?  What are your favorite Thanksgiving foods?

Snow Day Knitting

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It’s a Snow Day!

There’s three inches of snow on the ground, the roads are slushy, buses are on limited routes (my husband’s bus has been totally canceled, so he’s staying home too!) and school has been canceled!

It’s a real, honest-to-goodness snow day.img_4542Seattle really does snow the best way, It’s here for a day or two, everyone has fun, takes walks, builds snowmen, then it all melts and we go back to normal.  None of this Midwestern snow-that-sticks-around-gray-and-frozen-until-mid-March nonsense.

I know all this Seattle snow is probably one of the signs of the apocalypse, but today I’m enjoying it.  I already took the dog on a walk, I’ve got a hot cup of coffee and I’m thinking about breaking out a movie and some knitting (surprise!).  Ollie loves the snow, but doesn’t love how his fur creates little snowballs all around his feet.  I love that though, it looks like he has little pompoms in his fur.   Adorable!img_4536I’ve got some socks I’m probably going to go work on after this, but if I had planned for more snow-day-appropriate knitting projects, I might have picked one of these:

I love the little frolicking deer in this snowy forest!  It reminds me of cross-country skiing in West Virginia as a kid.

Snow Roe Deer Beanie by Sandra Jagersnow_roe_deer_beanie0_medium1This snowflake shawl is almost too pretty for words (but I bet it would take quite a few snow days to complete.

 Snow Queen Shawl by Janine Le Crasyarma_medium21And, nothing says “Scandinavian snow day” quite like red-and-white color work mittens.  I think I might need these.

Snow Ghost Mittens by Aimee Alexandercontrast_medium21How’s the weather by you?  Have you had any snow days this winter?

Pattern: Choose Your Own Adventure Mitts!

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It’s new pattern day!

(Actually, it’s new patternS day!)

I’ve got two brand-spanking-new patterns in the new, ridiculously adorable collection from Knit Picks: 32752[1]It’s a collection of two dozen insanely cute whimsical knitted accessories. Want a hat with a cat chasing a ball of yarn that’s actually a pompom?  They have it.  Want cap adorned with tiny french men?  They’ve got it.  Want cute, customizable mittens?

Of course you do.  Let me tell you all about my pattern.

51956220_15_medium2[1]These little guys are my new favorite!  My “Choose Your Own Adventure Mitts!”

They are simple, striped mittens that are 100% customizable.  Want thin or thick stripes?  Want long mittens?  Want short fingerless gloves?  These guys are for you!

51956220_2_medium[2]

And, since they’re knit in super-soft sock yarn, they’re not only comfy and soft, but also super hard-wearing!  (Which is great, since you’ll want to wear them every day.)

Want to get a copy of Charmed: Whimsical Knitted Accessories?  Grab yourself a copy of the collection here!

Or, want to win a copy?  Comment below with a description of your favorite knitted accessory!

Inspiration: Marriage Equality!

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I do my best to keep this blog as politics- and opinion- free as possible (except my opinions on socks, which are varied and many).  But, sometimes, something happens in the news that is so amazing, so life-changing, so fantastic that you can’t help but celebrate it!

The Supreme Court, just this morning, ruled that same-sex marriage is a right covered by the constitution!  That means that same-sex marriage is now legal in all 50 states!  It makes me so happy that I’m literally tearing up writing this.  It’s an amazing day, and, in my opinion 100% the right decision.

Read this paragraph from their decision (it’s the last paragraph on page 28, if you’re interested):

No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.  As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death.  It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves.  Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law.

The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.

It is so ordered

Oh my god.  It’s so beautiful and moving.  Let me go find a Kleenex.

I have friends and relatives in the LGBT community, and I couldn’t be happier for them.  And, frankly, even if I didn’t know anyone in that community, I would still remember this day as a great day for human rights in our country.

(And it’s Seattle Pride this weekend!  What a great week!)

I want to celebrate this historic decision by breaking out the happiest, most Pride-y projects I could find!

Rainbow Dress by Georgie Hallam

Does this come in my size?

sagesrainbow_medium2[1]Rainbow Child by Rebecca Newman

Just kidding… I think I want this hoodie instead!IMG_4996_medium2[1]Monstermitts by Julia Allen

Although, if I wanted to finish a project before this weekend… I might be able to whip up a pair of these.

IMGP8512_medium2[1]Contagious by Deborah Frank

But, no,  I think what I really want is one of these.

contagious_1_medium2[1]Yay, SCOTUS!  You rock (especially Kennedy, Kagan, Sotomayor, Breyer, and my girl, the Notorious RBG).  Keep doing what you’re doing!

Inspiration: Wood

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5 years ago this week, my husband and I threw an awesome party in a city park in Austin.  It was pretty great.  There was a swing band, a margarita machine, a taco bar and peacocks running around (because why not?).

Oh, and we got married.

26018_10100112108749980_1067908_nIt was probably one of the best days of my life.  We had friends and family come in from across the country (and overseas) and we had the best time ever.  It was a great big fun party, and the best part was that I was married to my best friend at the end of it.

(Ew, gross.  Sorry.  I figured I should say something sappy for my fifth anniversary, since that’s kind of a big deal.  But who wants to hear this stuff? No one…  Let’s talk about yarn instead.)

The traditional gift for fifth anniversaries is wood.  (Who says it’s traditional?  I don’t know.  Someone on the internet.)  But, since I’m me, and wool isn’t the traditional gift until the 7th anniversary, let’s use some creative license and look at wood-inspired knitting patterns.

I love the complicated-looking cables on this hat.  Very cool.

Wood Hollow Hat by Kirsten Kapur4160940108_f5785d7ea0_z[1]The last thing I need to make myself is another over-sized pullover, but this one is so pretty, I might have to make an exception.  The subtle tree-branch cables are gorgeous!

Wood Pullover by Carrie Bostick Hoge

DSC_0900_medium2[1]This gorgeous blanket would be fantastic over the back of a leather wing-back chair beside a fireplace in a cabin high up in the Cascades.  Or, on my Ikea couch, next to my TV.  One or the other.

Wooded Trail Throw by Michael del Vecchio

Uptown_DK_Mtn_Ridge_Knits_Wooded_Trail_Throw_Ravelry_medium2[1]Happy Anniversary, Tristan!  I love you!  Here’s to many more happy years together!  (Sorry, everyone. I’m done with the mushy stuff. Promise!)

Are you married?  How long?  What was your last “traditional” anniversary present?

Inspiration: It’s Way Too *#^@ing Cold

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We are firmly in the SECOND cold snap of the winter, here in Seattle.  Seattle, where I was promised damp, cloudy, and 40s for most of the  year.  Seattle, where I moved to get away from the excessive cold of the Midwest, and the ridiculous hot of the South.  Seattle, where I expected to wear nothing but wool sweaters and flannel shirts for 90% of the year.

It is currently (at 11:30 in the morning) 27 degrees.  27!

And, there’s snow and ice all over outside.  (In November!)

It’s not right.  It’s not fair.  And I don’t like it.

All I want to do is roll myself up in a big wad of roving and go into hibernation until the temperature is back in the 40s.

Unfortunately, that’s not really approved of by society in general, so I suppose I must make do with the next closest thing.  Thrummed knitting.

Thrummed knitting involves working little tufts of roving into your knitting (traditionally mittens, but right now I would consider murder if it meant I could get my hands on a thrummed sweater).  It’s a little futzy, but not terribly so.  And, you end up with knitting that’s completely lined with glorious, fluffy wool (think of shearling, but knitted, not leather), and dotted with cute little heart-shaped stitches.  I can’t think of anything better than walking around with my hands (and feet) swaddled with woolen goodness.

Try these mittens, for some traditional thrummed action:

Yarn Harlot Thrummed Mittens by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Outside:

2895409293_91de82094a_z[1]Inside (I know, right?!):

2873388824_e07708cb94_z[1]Or, if you’re like me and have ice cubes instead of toes, these slippers would be fantastic:

Cadeautje by Ysolda Teague

cadeautje_medium2[1]Now, I’m off to go see if I can fit another sweater over the one I’m already wearing… Wish me luck!

Inspiration: Cheap Candy Day

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It’s the day after Easter, and that can only mean one thing:

Cheap. Easter. Candy.

But, since I don’t have the metabolism of a sixteen-year-old anymore (alas), let’s celebrate Cheap Candy Day with some candy-inspired knitwear.

Munch on some (imaginary) jellybeans with these colorful beaded socks:

Mixed Jelly Beans Socks by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer

2266121239_c1a9dbc8b1_z[1]Instead of the sticky yellow bird-shaped variety of marshmallows, try these super-cozy-looking mitts:

Marshmallow by tincanknits

GWN-marshmallow-01_medium2[1]And, if you really want to indulge, wrap yourself up in chocolate with this stole:

Chocolate Mousse Stole by Dagmara

il_fullxfull.171146902_medium2[1]OK, all this talk of candy has made me hungry.  I might just have to stop by the grocery store sale bin anyway.  So much for self-control.