Finished (and unfinished) Objects

The Koigu "Fanning the Flame" modular mittens. They are pretty bright. They are also a bit too big, because I didn't want go any farther down on the needle size and I knit loose. But Kelly of the Elegant Ewe, who taught the class, assured us that loose mittens were warmer than tight ones.

(just to show I profitted by the Harlot's awful experience.

There was going to be another set of Finished, but the weather went to mediocre after I was lying on the porch swing telling my mother in Boston (where it was already mediocre) how beautiful it was here today. But any time you can knit outside in New England in November is worth crowing over even if it comes to a cooler, cloudier end before you finish.



Both these pairs of mittens were nearly done last week at the somewhat dull NHAS meeting (during which our state archaeologist came out in hives. He says it was a reaction to his meds, but I have my doubts). I had four rows and a cast-off to do in the Koigu and I needed the other butterfly of remaining wool. So then I worked on the twined-knitting Dulaan mittens and ran out of yarn, period. If the first one I made had not had a 'reservoir tip,' (but they're not actually ribbed, at least. Since I was making up the pattern as I went along I do not feel as bad about it as I should; at least they are warm) I might have had enough yarn to finish in one color but Norma has given me resolve and the determination to keep my head high. I don't have to undo the last centimeter of cuff on the first mitten and do it in mossy green so they'll match... but I might anyway.

It seem it might all have been much quicker to use a cuff-up twined knitting pattern or just knit it normally, but I like the way the twined-knitting feels, I know it's warmer, and I have not had good luck with the fancy decrease-toward-bind-off I learned (ha) for twined-knit mittens. Corkscrews. Not good. And since I knit my socks toe-up and Anna Zilboorg makes her lovely mittens tip down, I wanted to give it a shot. It seems to be possible. The thumbs are not too elegant, either, but they are on the appropriate sides.



Taken from ground level, this time. The foliage took a beating during the tail-end of Wilma+Alpha last week.