Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang (Ravelry Link)
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in "Jasper" (green) and "Beryl" (purple)
Size:  Errr..... see below
Yardage: Probably about a third of each skein (maybe as much as half of the purple).
Needles: 2.00 mm, 3.00 mm & 2.50 mm

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I finished the Endpapers!

Does anyone remember me starting these? It was a little under four years ago. Four years to knit two little mitts that could have been done in four or five afternoons.

I wasn't quite sure what to put for the "size" category above. My mitts fit my hands but they are in fact different sizes. Last year I pulled these out of hiding and knit the second mitt on the same needles I'd used the first time - 3.00 mm. It came out much bigger that I was expecting. I frogged and started over on 2.50 mm and then put the mitts away for another year of hibernation. I finished the second mitt last week and it turned out about half an inch shorter than the first one (and very snug). I guess I should have only dropped down to 2.75. I considered frogging them again.

When Rob saw what I was working on - and worrying over - he said "Oh, those. Finish them and knit a new pair." His idea was that something can only be redone so many times before you cease to make any headway and I secretly knew that if I frogged that second mitt again I would never knit it. I finished the mitt. I think I might be able to get the pair a little more even looking when I block them but really, they were my very first colourwork project and I learned plenty of good stuff from them and I'm proud of them. In fact I'm wearing them right now.

I really like Rob's suggestion of knitting another pair (a pair that matches properly). I've never been totally happy with the colours I used for this pair. My choices were limited and in the skein these two looked sufficiently different to show the pattern but once they were being knit together I found they didn't work as well as I'd hoped. Sometimes it is because of one of the little red spots on the green skein (!!!) but mostly it is just that they are too close in value. If you look at them in black and white the pattern disappears completely and all you see are the variations within the yarns themselves.

      

Almost since I started this pair of mitts I've been daydreaming about other colour combinations: blue and gold, red and ivory, robin's egg and chocolate, saffron and coffee. I'm especially in love with that last one right now. I'm eyeing some of the semi-solids at Sweet Georgia. I've never used their yarns but they look so lovely.

Pattern: Evangeline Mitts (that's a Ravelry link) by Michelle Szeghalmi-Shirley
Yarn: Cascade 220 in #2413 "Red"
Size: Elbow length
Yardage: 1 skein
Needles: 3.75 mm dpn


Errr ... I can't remember why these didn't get blogged. I finished them last winter but didn't wear them very much until I got a hand-me-down from my sister that had sleeves the perfect length (just past my elbows). After that I wore these pretty regularly and loved having them as an extra layer at the office. These pictures have been sitting in my "blog this" folder since February.


I can only remember a few details about knitting them: I think my gauge was a bit tight; I think they'd be more comfortable with a thumb gusset; I never figured out how to cable without the extra needle and I'm totally okay with that; I really like the fat cables; I love the colour red.

The yarn is wearing pretty well and hasn't pilled much. It's kind of on the thick side - being a worsted - so these are definitely winter mitts, too warm to wear on cool spring and summer days.

Well, the mystery knitting from my last post was the second of my Endpaper Mitts, originally started in 2007. I was impressed with how quickly it was going after I took that picture. In only two sittings I was finished the colour-work and on to the top ribbing. Unfortunately that was the first time I decided to check the mitt I was knitting against the one I finished three years ago. Guess what?

My gauge has changed.

That shouldn't really surprise me. Three years is a long time and I could tell that I was a lot more comfortable working the colour-work that I was in 2007. It's still kind of frustrating though. I briefly considered just letting it be and seeing how much I could make the mitts match with some careful blocking but in the end I frogged it back to the ribbing. It was too much for blocking: the new mitt was a full inch longer than the old one and I hadn't even added the top ribbing yet. It was also a lot looser - kind of slouchy instead of snug. I like the snug fit better. I'll try again on smaller needles.

At least I know it goes quickly.

ps. Katy was the only one to submit a guess so she gets the chocolate but since she used email instead of the comments (and she lives in town and I regularly walk past her office) I'm going to save myself the stamp and hand deliver it.