Covering the Digits

It seems impossible to mend my ways.  Other knitters can work on one thing at a time and make quick progress, but my head is turned so easily and my attention swayed by little things.  Brier is growing, albeit slowly, and DFS  has had a few minutes here and there. In fact, DFS was getting the bulk of my knitting time until Socktober, Warm Hands and Peaceful Palms came along!  It's the little things that pull me away. 

The reasoning is that small knits are portable, easily and quickly finished, or so we think. But, as we all know (per the Harlot), a sock has 17,000 stitches and gloves must have nearly that many if fingering yarn is used (of course that's what I did). Mittens may not have all the little digits to deal with but still...the time that goes into a pair can add up.

So, it was while processing along on DFS that I kept thinking of winter, Sandy’s Warm Hands KAL, and how much fun it would be to knit something different. It had been a long since I had knit mittens. Several years ago I took an Estonia Mitten class from Nancy Bush at our local fiber festival.  It was an easy pattern, with a little Roositud pattern and two different braid techniques on the cuff.

In the stash was a couple of skeins of Jaeger Matchmaker DK, purchased in error for socks but, perfect for the mittens. After getting my supplies together, with the thought of just knitting the cuff, I began.  It was exciting to watch the first two color braid form and to knit the Roositud flower. (Roositud is a technique of laying yarn in front if a knit stitch so that it looks like embroidery.)  The cuff knit up so quickly, (and was so much fun!), which meant I couldn't put it down, and within a couple of hours there was a thumb!
This picture is fairly true in color.

As you guessed, it was impossible to stop until the mitten was completed. The Matchmaker is such a lovely yarn and size 3 needles felt so good after 1.5s on the socks (and gloves).  I can't wait to start the second mitten!

Because this is Sandy's Knit Along I must show a picture of the sky. Sandy loves weather as much as I do.  This cloud was above my office yesterday afternoon. Can you see the little bit of rainbow color in near the sun? How exciting the picture turned out so well. This one is for you Sandy!

(You can find all these techniques in Folk Knitting in Estonia.)

Comments

[Kathleen]

That Roosetud is very cool! I will have to look up the technique in my mom's books. Funny, she started a cuff yesterday and quit. :) That sky is fabulous. What a lovely cloud.

[joy]

That's such a pretty motif on the mitten. I'm going to have to look up that interesting technique.

[Liz]

What a beautiful mitten! I love the cuff...so pretty. :)

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Looove that mitt! Almost makes me look forward to snow...almost.

[Carole]

That's a great lookin' mitten. Almost makes me want to try color work. Almost.

[Helene]

A VERY pretty mitten!! May I please ask for a photo of the inside of the cuff? Does this Roosetud make long floats??

[Amy Boogie]

gorgeous mitten!

[Rachel H]

Lovely mitten! I really like the extended braid. And is that one of the dogs acting as the furry backdrop for the completed mitten shot? I wouldn't be able to trust mine not to turn around and slobber on it...

[Janine]

Lovely Cuff. I swatched for my peaceful palms gloves last night, the wool I had in the stash is the perfect gauge!

[Judy]

Love that mitten. Must look up that Roosetud technique. You've come up with another good one!

[Teri]

Wow, those are pretty (even if they are pink)! ;)

[Kim/Chef Messy]

Once upon a time I told myself that I wouldn't cast on for a new project until I had finished my last one. But even though socks, mittens, and gloves may have 17,000 stitches, but they just SEEM so much faster! I'm all about the instant gratification, which is why I just keep casting on for new things and letting the old big projects (aka Lucky Wrap) collect dust.

[Alyx]

I love that mitten.

[Mindy]

The mitten is lovely.

[Sara*]

Oooohhh! It's gorgeous!

Maybe when I move I will get a job at a yarn store and get to knit all day. Then I might get to make pretty mittens like those.

[Donna]

Hi Margene, I like all of your little projects. However, I don't like the stat on the 17000 stitches in a sock. Yowza! The mitten is just beautiful.

[Kim]

Margene, you are amazing! What a cool mitten.....I have never hear of Roosetud before this. Very intersting!

I have had such a bad knitting week, so it is extra nice to read of success like this!

[Adelle]

I absolutely love your mitten!

[Kim]

Gorgeous mitten, and such a nice sky picture. I'm going to have to look into the Roosetud method--that flower is beautiful!

[Norma]

LOVE that mitten. Never heard of Roostud before, either. I'm still waiting for my fiber so I can finish spinning it to make my mittens. Of course, it is entirely possible that I could start a DIFFERENT pair of mittens, but I'm just being single-minded like that. ;-)

[Laurie]

Love that technique, and what it produces. I continue to learn a great deal from you.

The sky picture is stunning. I see the rainbow!

[Beth S.]

I love it! I've never seen "real live" roositud before, just the pictures in the book. Yours is gorgeous!

Just this morning I was trying to teach myself the Kihnu Troi cast-on for my next pair of mittens, but it didn't go over very well. It's not the kind of thing you can master in fifteen minutes before running out the door to catch the train.

[Jennifer]

I love the mitten! Very sweet cuff, and beautiful color. Every time I read through the blog world, I see more projects I'd like to try!

[Other Julia]

Wow, beautiful mitten! Understandable how it could steal your focus for a few minutes.

[Cassie]

Love the Roosetud, great mittens!